HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla — Getting healthy is always one of the top New Year’s resolutions, and sticking to that goal doesn’t have to be complicated.
“Slow and steady. You know, don’t try to do too much too soon,” said Jodi Fleeman, Trainer at the Bob Sierra Family YMCA.
That’s one of her biggest pieces of advice for people just beginning a new fitness goal: taking one step at a time.
“Create one micro-habit and then just build from there,” said Fleeman.
Yaimy Marshall, executive director of the Bob Sierra YMCA, agrees. She said people often feel overwhelmed when they think about achieving a big fitness goal.
“Don’t think of 'Oh, I need to hit this goal weight or I need to achieve this goal.' Think of what will I do this month in order to accomplish that,” said Marshall.
“Maybe it’s I need to go for a walk. And if you do that today by the end of the day you hit your goal and you know what at the end of the week I’m going to do 3 walks and that’s great. So just breaking it down smaller goals is what’s going to get you there,” she added.
The first few weeks of January gyms are usually packed with people who have a newfound dedication to working out, but come February, the crowds dwindle.
Fitness experts believe one of the best things you can do to make sure you’re not one of those people is find a workout you actually enjoy so you stick to it.
“Whether that’s taking a Zumba class for dancing, whether it’s lifting weights, whether it’s running outside, taking a walk,” said Marshall.
The key is moving your body in whichever way feels best to you and incorporating small movements throughout your day.
“Whether its walking farther, taking the stairs, any way that you can incorporate movement into your body,” said Fleeman.
If you’re brand new to fitness, you might want to consider working with a trainer at first.
“Work with a professional who can show you the ropes. They can show you the proper form and technique and give you the confidence you need to be able to workout on your own independently,” said Fleeman.
Fitness experts also encourage you to lose the “all or nothing” mentality.
If you have a week where you don’t fit in all of your workouts, that’s okay. Just continue the next week.
Experts believe the purpose should be creating lifelong healthy habits.
“If you look at the blue zones, the people who live the longest, they have natural active movement throughout their day and it’s just vital to longevity,” said Fleeman.
If you do want to join a gym, the beginning of the year is one of the best times to do so because many gyms are running specials.
“So now our January promotion is $0 joining fee so a family can save $75 of a joining fee joining this next couple of weeks,” said Marshall.
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