So you've decided to get in shape for 2024. What now?
Here we are, in the no-man's-land between Christmas and New Year's Day. Maybe sitting on the couch during vacation after a month of Thanksgiving feasts, home-made desserts, and an extra drink or two at the holiday party has you feeling stuffed and considering the good old "get in shape" New Year's resolution. Nothing wrong with that, but frequently the intention doesn't get much traction beyond the initial thought, a few days of restrictive eating, and a group fitness class. Read on for a quick guide on how to turn that idea into a solid plan that will stack the odds of success in your favor.
Logistics
For adults looking to improve their health in the new year, this will be an inevitable hurdle that, if not anticipated and properly planned around beforehand, will be the most common excuse for quitting. Contrary to popular belief, we all have ample time to get in better shape (and no, it doesn't require hours of work every day), but poor planning will make the task far more difficult than it needs to be. Before we even begin thinking about setting goals, we need to figure out the where, when, and how.
Where
Attending a gym is nearly a foregone conclusion in planning a fitness regimen, but it doesn't have to be. If your schedule is packed or there simply aren't any gyms within driving distance, you can make amazing progress at home with minimal equipment. Never underestimate calisthenics! With a few hundred dollars (a price not dissimilar from a year's membership to a gym), you can build a formidable home workout kit. If you do decide on going to a gym, location should be a primary deciding factor. The weights and machines may vary in appearance, but they all get the job done. A commute to your workout that puts you in bad traffic or takes a half hour will stop fitness goals ten times faster than break room donuts. When you are just starting it may feel worth it, but will you still want to make the extra trek to the flashy gym after a rough day at work? The place closer to home with old dumbbells could be the key to sticking with your resolution.
When
"When I feel like it" is the best way to ensure your resolution is a distant memory by February. Take an honest look at your schedule, involve your family if need be. Where can you best fit in a minimum of 2, or more optimally 3-4, workouts a week? At home sessions need about 40 minutes. For a gym session you'll want to block off a bit over an hour. Factor in personal preferences as well. If you're the type of person who gets home from work and never wants to leave after, don't plan for a nighttime gym session. On the other side of the coin, if you're a night person who regularly clocks in with a minute to spare, don't plan to do your home workouts in the morning. Are weekdays a blur of meetings and driving the kids to sports practice? Take advantage of the weekends. There is no right or wrong answer, aside from selecting a routine that can be reliably adhered to.
In addition to developing a workout schedule that will incorporate seamlessly into your life, you will also want to decide on a dedicated time to plan meals and snacks for the week. The total required time commitment would be maybe an extra 20 minutes of planning. Steps beyond that might include a few hours of meal prep, but it isn't a necessity. When it comes to food, overcoming bad habits can frequently boil down to a simple matter of preparedness. Keep good options close by.
How
The average person is inundated by hundreds of advertisements daily. A good percentage of those are about diets and weight loss. Each clamoring over the other to convince the consumer that they have the secret formula, ingredient, or set of rules. Let me clue you in on the big secret that everyone with a scientific background in diet and exercise knows: There is no magic ingredient, and every weight-loss diet works by putting a person into a caloric deficit.
Many similarities can be drawn to exercise methodology. The marketing budgets behind fitness centers pale in comparison to supplement/diet brands, but again, there isn't any one way to exercise that is better or worse than the other. If adhered to, they will result in universally improved markers of health and well-being.
As for my own professional recommendation, I would advise 2-3 full body workouts done with calisthenics or with weights at a gym. If you aren't ready for that, 2-3 light cardio sessions, or even setting an increased daily step target are viable strategies. Much of this depends on the individual. For a diet, gold standard starter steps include cutting out calories in beverages and adding a protein supplement to support muscle growth.
Additionally, I would caution newcomers against signing up for high intensity circuit training classes that are currently popular (F45/Orange Theory/CrossFit/etc.) or following excessively restrictive diets. For most people, especially coming from a sedentary lifestyle, it is too much all at once. Typically, it results in one great workout, and a few days of a brutal diet. Followed by half a week of feeling miserable and a prompt return to old habits. Don't set yourself up for failure. Take one step at a time.
For further reading on the mindset needed to start a successful journey into fitness, see our previous blog post https://www.illusionsdemisefitness.com/post/step-zero
Goals
By now a well thought out plan of action has been established. We know where you will be working out, when you will be exercising, how you will be exercising, and when you will be planning healthy meal ideas for the week. Already, this puts the odds of success far above the average New Year's resolution. Let's push those odds even higher with a set of goals to both guide and track progress.
Thanks to a wealth of research conducted in various professional settings, we have hard evidence on the type of goals that consistently yield results. These are ones that are specific, measurable, challenging yet realistic, relevant, and time-bound (the ever popular SMART goal mnemonic). For example, "I want to get in better shape" is a poor goal as it is vague and doesn't have any way to measure progress. A better goal would be, "I want to lose 20 pounds by June" as this gives far more specific details to inform how you can both achieve and measure progress towards that intention.
Long Term
Starting a New Year's resolution without a long-term goal is like setting sail without a destination. You'll go somewhere, but it probably won't be far or end well. A long-term goal will inform how you set all shorter term goals as well as clarify the methods you will use to attain said goal. 6-12 months is an appropriate time frame to use. This can be where expectations meet a surprising reality when it comes to the average person's perceptions of "fitness transformations." Let's get in front of this before the thought of one of the most common goals even comes up. Amazing, life-changing differences can be made in a year of hard work, but if you are coming in with no background in exercise, do not expect to have a summer six-pack or look like a fitness model.
Mid Term
This will be where the long term goal is broken down into manageable pieces to serve as checkpoints along the journey. Using the example above, if the long-term goal was to lose 20 pounds by June, a midterm goal could be set of losing 3.3 pounds monthly. Midterm goals will also be how you self-monitor progress to determine if long-term goals may need to be adjusted. Remember, progress isn't always what you anticipated, there is nothing wrong with rerouting the course.
Short Term
Short-term goals are where the magic happens. When done right, these will break down your monthly midterm goals into the everyday habits required to make them happen while also providing a continual source of small wins and dopamine hits from checking off all those boxes. Examples of short-term process goals relevant to our hypothetical weight loss goal include things like completion of scheduled workouts, daily step targets, daily calorie targets, water consumption, etc. You can get very creative with this, even structuring some kind of reward system. The more enjoyable you make the process, the more engaged and motivated you will be even months into it!
A plan of action combined with a carefully considered set of goals puts the odds of finally nailing that New Year's resolution astronomically in your favor compared to just winging it. I hope that you've found some value in this post and that it has given you direction on how to turn that initial thought of getting in shape for the new year into a concrete series of steps to accomplish that goal.
That said, the level of misinformation regarding diet and exercise can be overwhelming at times and some would feel much more comfortable hiring a professional to guide them on a journey to better health. If you are just now finding us, click around the website and read my story. Drop a line on the contact form, coaching spots are open!
Happy 2024!
-Coach Kevin
Comments