Every new year, millions of people resolve to get healthy.
The top five New Year’s resolutions this year were:
- To exercise to get in shape.
- To diet to lose weight.
- To save money.
- To eat healthier, in general.
- To do something for self-care.
Three, maybe even four of these resolutions all amount to the same thing — getting healthy and getting in shape.
Unfortunately, getting in shape is also the most common New Year’s resolution that’s abandoned by the end of February, but if it was your 2020 resolution, it’s not too late to make this the year that you finally keep it.
Even if you spent the whole month of January eating donuts and hamburgers, lying on the couch, and never once in the gym or on the treadmill, it’s still not too late! You don’t have to wait until the beginning of the new year — or even the beginning of a new week — to start changing your life.
You can start now, and you’ll be glad to know that there are plenty of small changes you can make to get fit that can make a huge difference in your health and in your life.
5 Tips to Help You Keep Your New Year’s Resolution to Get Fit in 2020
#1. Move a little every day.
For too many people, getting in shape means following a strict diet and a challenging fitness program. But, when your plan for success gets too strict or extreme, you’re much less likely to stick with it. There’s no rule that says that, in order to lose weight or get fit, you need to spend an hour in the gym every day.
For a lot of people, a much more effective way to actually get healthier is to set a much smaller, more realistic goal of simply finding a way to move a little bit each day. Whether this means doing an elliptical workout, following along with a 20-minute yoga video, or simply going on a walk, it’s important to remember that a little bit of exercise done consistently is more effective than a lot of exercises done once.
#2. Eat more vegetables and fruits.
Dieting, arguably, plays a much bigger role in weight loss than exercise does (if you’re looking at calories alone). The fact of the matter is that it’s much easier to simply avoid eating that 563-calorie Big Mac than it is to spend hours in the gym working it off. However, that doesn’t mean that you should try to implement big, sweeping dietary changes into your life.
The key to successful change is change that you can stick with consistently. So, instead of implementing a strict diet, try to just eat more fruits and vegetables instead. Fruits and vegetables are much more nutrient-dense and much less calorie-dense than most other foods. When you consciously try to eat more of them, that leaves less space for foods that aren’t so healthy.
#3. Drink more water.
Staying hydrated is a big part of getting (and staying) healthy. And, nothing hydrates you quite as well as water does. But, the benefits of drinking water go far beyond mere hydration, so make it a point to drink water frequently every single day.
Unlike the vast majority of other beverages you could be quenching your thirst with, water has zero calories. You can drink as much as you want of it without ever having to update your calorie counter or even think about it. Furthermore, when you drink plenty of water, it helps to help you feel more satiated and full, which will help you avoid overeating.
#4. Get more sleep.
If long hours in the gym or overly restrictive diets are preventing you from getting in shape, you might be interested to learn that, by simply sleeping more, you can do your health a favor. When you don’t get enough sleep at night, it makes cravings for unhealthy foods unbearably strong and it makes sticking with a consistent exercise schedule almost impossible. When you feel rested, it makes it easier to stick with a healthier diet and exercise plan.
If you’re having trouble getting enough sleep at night, there are a few things you can try that might make a difference:
- Keep the same sleep schedule every night.
- Avoid overstimulating yourself before bedtime with television and tablets.
- Make your room dark at bedtime, and turn your alarm clock away.
- Keep a journal with thoughts and anxieties that are keeping you up at night.
#5. Surround yourself with people who have healthy habits.
Even if you’re doing everything right for your health in your day-to-day life, it can be almost impossible to keep healthy habits up when you surround yourself with others who don’t have those same habits. For example, if you’re trying to cut down on drinking beer, you probably won’t find much success if you go to the bars with your beer-drinking friends.
I’m not saying that you should drop your friends with unhealthy habits, but in the beginning, when you’re still trying to form good habits and break not-so-good ones, you’ll be more successful and have an easier time if you surround yourself with like-minded people.
Find a fitness center near you that can help you keep your New Year’s resolution!
If you’re new to getting healthy, and you’re not sure where to start, a good option is to join the right fitness center, where you will get professional guidance on your journey and have the ability to take group fitness classes. However, not all gyms and fitness centers are made equal.
In order to find success in your fitness journey, you need to find the right fitness center for your needs. Luckily, you have Top Rated Local® on your side.
Whether you’re looking for a yoga center, a Pilates studio, or a more traditional gym to help you reach your fitness goals, start your search with Top Rated Local. With Top Rated Local, you can read a fitness center’s reviews from across the web in one convenient place. Find a fitness center near you today!
