As we begin this New Year, many of us reflect back on our previous 12 months and look ahead to the plethora of resolutions we make for the coming year. For many of us those resolutions revolve around becoming healthier or more active through the year. They range from eating salads more often, to signing up for a half marathon in the summer. It might even be deciding to start going to the gym three times a week to do boot camp to get ready for that spring break trip you booked last fall.
The most important thing you can do for any goal you make is to realize that it’s not always the specific things that you do but that you do them consistently. Unfortunately most of us start out really strong on a rigid plan and fall off after some amount of time. This is not the best approach or attitude to take towards fitness goal. I think we all could stand to be a little more fluid with our lifestyle, and make a goal of just doing something healthy each day, no matter how little or big that thing may be.
If it is the actions that we take that end up defining us, then repeatedly making good healthy choices makes us a healthier person. I think that focusing more on just “showing up” versus having a very specific plan each and every day is the best long-term approach for fitness and health. Make a conscious decision each and every day to do something healthy, no matter what the activity is; with the hope that this daily habit will lead to the best long term results. As the famous UCLA coach, John Wooden, once said, “There is a choice you have to make in everything you do. So keep in mind that in the end, the choice you make, makes you.”
Dewey Peacock, is an ACSM Certified Personal Trainer at the Ridge Athletic Clubs.