So you have started your new year resolution and have hit the one month reality check, it’s hard, the excitement is waning and to be honest you can’t be bothered anymore. How do
you keep yourself going? Well, here are some simple suggestions to help you achieve your resolution this 2021.
Step one – Make it fun!
If you decided to try walking 10,000 steps a day, jog 5km per day or generally get yourself moving more consider fun ways of doing so. Sports for example are a great way to get going, social sports are held across the city and keep you moving in a more enjoyable way. The trick is to find something you enjoy, be it golf or ultimate frisbee or otherwise. Scenic walks help improve motivation while giving you more enjoyment and less sense of ‘am I there yet!’. Get out and have fun!
Step two – Know that some days you will not enjoy it.
It’s not all fun, but it all adds up! If exercises were easy there wouldn’t be a need for a resolution. We need to get through the hard days of exercise to make it all worth it. One day might be a pleasure, the next day pain. Stay with it, in a couple of weeks it will be a little easier, then a little easier. Embrace the not so fun part too!
Step three – Do it for yourself!
Don’t do it for anyone else but yourself. This is your resolution, your goal, it’s all about you. Research suggests we have better adherence to a program if it is self-driven. You will do your swimming challenge or your cycling race if it’s for you or your cause. This is an investment in you! It’s quality time away from other stressors and distractions, like work, emails or family. This resolution is for you!
Step four – Put your exercise in your schedule!
Often, we fall off the bandwagon because we simply do not have time for exercising. Once the festive break ends and we get back to the office it seems there is not enough time in a day. If you prioritise exercise you will have time for it. There are many things we fill our day with, make a point of fitting your resolution exercise into your schedule.
Step five – Don’t be afraid of what others think
Often we don’t fulfill our goals because we are afraid of what others think of us. No one is judging you more than you judge yourself. As a wise person once said ‘other peoples judgements are nothing until you give them meaning’. There will always be people out there who do things differently, are fitter, faster, stronger, look better, but it’s not about them, it’s about you. This is your goal! Keep at it!
Step six – don’t let a niggle hold you back
This is why we are here. A Physiotherapist is a movement enabler. We help keep you exercising and moving when a niggle may hold you back. This is what we do best. We can help advise on activity modifications, a technique adjustment, biomechanics or to loosen you up, reduce pain and keep you going. If you have any questions on how to keep your new year resolution going come in and speak to one of our skilled Physiotherapists at four Sydney CBD locations, or via Telehealth online
