Getting Pumped for the New Year January offers an excellent opportunity to develop some new goals for your exercise program, as the start of a new calendar year provides a great psychological tool for drawing a line between the past and your future. Even the most dedicated exercise enthusiasts have trouble keeping New Year’s resolutions, as work, school, and other responsibilities can make keeping commitments to working out and eating healthfully difficult. Smart workout plans that incorporate the right exercise regimen, as well as balanced nutrition plans with fruits, vegetables, and quality protein and energy bars, can help. About 40 to 50 percent of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, most of them involving weight loss or exercise, according to the Washington Post. About 46 percent of us keep those resolutions, but the rest of us lose our resolve pretty quickly. Nearly a quarter of people who make New Year’s resolutions give up after just a week. Picking the Right Plan Setting the right goals is important to ensure the success of your New Year’s exercise program. Carefully planning out your workout and nutrition regimen, down to the type and number of exercises you perform and the meats, beverages, vegetables, fruits, and even energy bars you consume, will increase your chance of success. Consider this advice for improving your chances of keeping your commitment to a healthier life: Evaluate yourself – If you’re new to working out, talk with a trainer about your current condition and some achievable goals. If you’re already a fitness buff and want to develop even further, you’ll also need to talk to a trainer about your goals and the best exercises to accomplish them. Having an exercise professional audit your strengths and weaknesses will help you develop a more focused program for bodybuilding. Pay attention to neglected areas – Don’t just focus on developing bigger muscles for the perfect beach body. Adopt a plan geared toward your total fitness. Work on commonly neglected areas of the body like the neck, forearms, and calves to increase your strength and maintain the health of these areas of the body. Also, lavishing a little attention on these areas will keep your body looking proportional and fit. Make it a challenge – Don’t settle for the low hanging fruit. Mix your fitness goals up with easy and more challenging goals. The easy goals will provide you with a sense of accomplishment and keep you from getting discouraged. The harder goals will keep you focused and give you something to continue to strive for as you develop your body. Don’t neglect nutrition – The food you fuel your body with is just as important as the exercises you do. Work with an exercise professional or a nutritionist to plan your meals, and also take advantage of protein bars and other specialty exercise foods from Promax, such as gluten-free protein bars. Don’t let a slip-up ruin your progress – Everyone misses a day or two at the gym from time to time. Don’t let a little backsliding turn into a habit, however. When you miss a day at the gym because of work, illness, or an emergency, make it a priority to get back
in there as soon as you can. It’s easy to let a skipped day turn into an inactive gym membership. Sticking to It The good news for individuals who want to start the year off with a new plan for losing weight or getting in better shape is that most people who keep their resolutions for six months will continue to keep them. By creating a workable plan and sticking to it, people who want to lose weight or exercise enthusiasts looking to step up their game can realize success in their New Year’s resolutions.