This New Year Resolve To Make Change You’ll Get Behind

The big day is coming. This is the most important day of the year. No, not December 21st, 24th, 25th or 26th. Nobody in fitness cares about the solstice, Kwanzaa, Christmas or Hanukkah. It’s New Year’s Eve that matters the most.

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Oh sure, those other holidays are great. This will be a fun-filled week of wrapping paper, twinkling lights and candles. When it’s done, the looming day of resolution stalks us all.

Whether you “believe” in resolutions or not, it’s normal to reflect on the year, thinking about what you would’ve done different if you could’ve. The logical conclusion is what you may then do in the coming year.

Whether you declare them or not, you’re crafting resolutions. You don’t have to get all formal about it, but let’s talk a little about putting together some resolutions you’re not shy about.

Let’s talk about Health-based resolutions you will actually try to accomplish, but first, let’s talk about what you won’t do.

Essential reading: 4 Rules to Set Better Fitness Goals

Dumb Resolutions

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If the words “lose weight” escape your lips, put down your eggnog, then slap the nutmeg outta yo’ mouth.

Don’t even think it. In fact, toss out these sneaky euphemisms too: lose body fat, lower body fat, improve BMI, get lean, lean out, tone, tone up, and get six pack abs.

Let’s agree that anything alluding to the loss of any part of you is not going to end well. Losing weight is like fighting crime. You can’t stop arresting folks just because you’re never gonna win against the criminals.

We will always have criminals, but perhaps there is more than one way to stop crime. There’s value in education and community programs to thwart crime just like there is value is chasing other fitness goals to curb your weight. Weight loss goals are tiresome.

Good Resolutions

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In any plan there are three parts. You start with your goal. From there you devise strategies and tactics. The goal is where we usually plot our resolutions, but we don’t have to. You could make your strategy your goal.

Perhaps your first stumbling block is getting yourself to take action. If you can’t even take action, you can forget about those lofty goals. Besides, do you need a reminder about what you want to happen to your body? You know it. Forget it. Let it wait for you. This is your life.

Make it your goal to exercise five times a week. Celebrate each time you workout. If you don’t know what you’d like to do for exercise, then back your goal down to figuring out that much.

My goal for 2017 is to figure out what fitness activities I like to do.

This could be fun. You’ll spend the whole year trying different avenues of fitness. I promise you can come back to the weight loss thing in 2018.

Awesome Resolutions

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If you’ve already got a routine, think differently about your body. You get one. Your body can be many things, change in as many ways, no matter what your age.

You can make it stronger than it is today through strength training. You can make it more explosive though sports-specific training. You can make it more functional through functional training. You can better tune your body to the Earth through yoga.

Decide how you’d like to transform your body in ways that you cannot measure with the mirror or scale. Training for an event, like a marathon, Crossfit games or bodybuilding competition can be a great way to structure your exercise.

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Make 2017 the year you don’t “try to finally lose the weight.” Decide right now that you’re not going to do that to yourself.

In 2017 you’re gonna run after goals you’ll want to accomplish. This is your year to break out.

You may actually lose weight. People may notice.

You can be all, I dunno, been working too hard on other things to notice.