Resolutions are like party crackers, made to be broken. If you’re a new exerciser who’s already broken your health & fitness resolutions for 2008, don’t despair. Reverting back to an old behavior, whether it’s snacking in front of the TV or going to the mall instead of the gym, is completely normal. In fact, it’s to be expected. Simply deciding to change doesn’t mean you’ll never fall into the old rut again. Habits take time and practice to establish; a concept my clients have a lot of trouble with. “I swore I’d work out three times a week for two hours, and I didn’t do it,” they cry, tears falling on their shiny new Nike’s. “Of course you didn’t,” I tell them, as I nudge them gently toward the weight rack.

That’s because we need to establish the exercise habit before we set the bar too high. For a new exerciser, resolving to workout for 10-20 minutes a day is a great start for two reasons. The first is that everyone can find 10 minutes. If you can find time to use the restroom, you can find 10 minutes to walk the stairs or do some pushups. Because it’s short, there’s no time for elaborate setup; you are required to be creative and get immediately to action. Second, starting with the goal of exercising daily allows you to train your consistency muscles first. Once you’ve nailed the habit of exercising daily, or at least most days of the week, you can shift your focus to raising the length and intensity of the workouts.

Training your consistency muscles, or changing to habits that leave you lean and strong, should be your first priority. Start by identifying the actions you take that leave you dissatisfied with your current level of fitness. Some common ones are:

o Sitting down when you get home, getting up only for snack excursions.
o Staying up too late, leaving you tired in the morning.
o Eating out a lot.
o Going to the grocery store infrequently; not having enough good food available.
o Not having your gym clothes ready and waiting in the car.
o Staying at work too late, leaving you hungry and unlikely to head for the gym.

Once you’ve identified the behaviors that don’t serve you, take some time to carefully select one you’d like to replace and strategize accordingly. For example, if you have the tendency to drive home after work, sit down and stay put until bedtime, consider replacing this habit with walking in the door, blasting Van Halen immediately on the ipod, and doing a short workout from this site. At first it will seem difficult as you work through the discomfort of resisting your old habit. But if you persist, you’ll find the old Spanish proverb, “Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables,” to be true. Eventually when you walk through that door you’ll be anxious to crank up “Right Now.” Your body will crave it, and the energy you need will surge, as if on command. And once you get that ‘ten minute’ workout going, you won’t want to stop.

Success breeds itself. Remember what they said in school about a body in motion staying in motion? That’s because a body in motion will start to experience rewards in the form of enhanced energy, clear thought, a better life. So don’t give up on the resolutions. Keep them prominently displayed on your refrigerator, keep trying, and remember to exercise those consistency muscles. Now drop, and Gimme 20!

About the Author

Brandy Stewart