Resolution Exercise
by Bronwen de Klerk

Getting fit is the #1 New Year’s resolution of most people (even if it has been their resolution for the last 3 years in a row). January has to be the most difficult time to embark on a new exercise program though. There are always so many other things on the go: getting back into the swing of work, dealing with children making the transition from holidays to a new grade at school, worrying about how to pay back all the money spent over the Festive Season. Add ‘getting fit’ to the list and it just becomes too much to handle. Why do we put ourselves under so much pressure? A New Year always seems like the perfect time to get a ‘fresh start’, but you just set yourself up for failure when you try to start too many new things at once.

Now that we are heading towards February already, life should have started to settle into a steady rhythm. Now is probably a better time to start tackling your goals for the year. If you are one of the many people who have decided that this is the year that they are going to get the body they’ve always wanted, here are a few tips to help you turn that wish into a reality:

1. If you feel like your exercise program is already starting to show signs of failing, ask yourself a few simple questions: Are you pushing yourself too hard, too soon? Are your exercise sessions too long? Do you enjoy doing the exercises you have chosen? Assessing what isn’t currently working is the first step in helping you devise an exercise plan that will work.
   
   
2. Look at your diary and see what times are realistically available for training. Don’t expect to stick to your exercise sessions if you plan to rush to gym in the 50 minute gap you have between leaving work and starting to make dinner.
   
   
3. If time is tight and you can only find a 50 minute gap here and there, then its important to find an exercise that you can do in that space of time. For example, go for a 30 minute power walk/run or do a quick strength training session at home with a couple of dumbbells. You don’t have to be a member of a gym to get a good workout.
   
   
4. Make a list of exercises that you actually enjoy doing (…yes, there are exercises out there that are enjoyable). If you just simply hate cycling, don’t try and force yourself to do spinning classes to get fit. You will find every reason to miss the class.
   
   
5. Learn how to exercise efficiently. For example, rather walk fast (at your target heart rate) for 30 minutes than go for an hour long stroll. Instead of resting between strength-training sets, work a different muscle group while the one muscle group recovers.

The most important thing to remember when you start your exercise program is to start slowly. If you exercise too hard at first, you are likely wear yourself out (or even injure yourself). This might force you to take a long break from training and then you have to start from the beginning again. This will totally destroy your motivation. If you increase the intensity of your training sessions slowly, your body gets a chance to adapt and you are more likely to stick to your exercise program – which means there is more chance of you accomplishing your goals.