Make Fitness a Lifestyle

Think Fit, Act Fit, Be Fit! Ask yourself this question: How many times have you joined a gym at the beginning of a new year, with hopes for a new you, only to find yourself re-joining again the following year with the same hopes? It’s almost spring. Are you still committed to your fitness routine?
All of us have great intentions and big goals at the beginning of a new year, but what sets those who accomplish their goals apart from those who do not? They make their goals a habit—a lifestyle.
Did you know that 80 percent of the 40 million Americans who have gym memberships are NOT using them?! Why? From the studies conducted, most gym members said the reason they were not going as often as they would like was because they did not see results quick enough, they didn’t know how to use the equipment properly, and they couldn’t afford a personal trainer. So why do people re-join every year knowing that by mid-year they will stop going? Because they think THIS TIME it will be DIFFERENT.
Fitness is not just a New Year’s resolution. It needs to be a part of your everyday routine like brushing your teeth. We set ourselves up for failure every year when we hit the gyms with thousands of others, hoping that we will get it right this time. But an effective fitness plan entails more than fancy equipment and indoor swimming pools. An effective fitness plan incorporates nutrition, accountability, motivation, and personal relationships. It is something that you WANT to do every day—something that gives you energy that transforms not just the body, but the mind, too.
Times are tough and wasting your money is probably not on your priority list. Make a resolution for 2012 that you will stop following the crowd, that you will step out and do something new—something challenging and different, something that you plan on incorporating into your daily routine—not just a quick fix. You want this change to last your lifetime. Make fitness a lifestyle all throughout the year.