The United States Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults engage in at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. It is also recommended that adults lift weights or perform other similar muscle strengthening activities at least twice a week. However, it is estimated that only about 45% of American adults achieve these minimal amounts of physical activity each week (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2005). Most adults understand the health benefits and reasons why exercise is so important. Everyone has at one time or another started an exercise program hoping to reap the bountiful benefits that come from exercise. However, according to Dishman (1988) and colleges, more than 50% of people who start a new exercise program will drop out within the first six months. How can we stay motivated to achieve our fitness goals?
In order to make a successful lifestyle change, negative habits need to be replaced with positive habits. Einstein once said that the definition of insanity was “doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results”. We can’t expect to get a different outcome if we continue to do the same things that haven’t gotten us where we want to be. So the first step in starting and maintaining a successful lifestyle change is to set goals that help us develop positive habits. The key to goal setting is making “SMART” goals meaning Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-oriented goals. For example, the broad goal of “losing weight” could be replaced with the specific goal of losing 2 lbs a week for the next month. The above goal also provides a way to measure progress. Losing 2lbs a week is realistic and attainable. It is relevant to the overall goal of adopting a healthy lifestyle, and it is time-oriented. It is important when setting goals to not set too many goals at one time, and to make both long-term goals, as well as many intermediate short-tem goals.
The next step in starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle change is to make a plan of action. There is a famous quote that states “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. Plan how you are going to achieve your goal of, for example, losing 2 lbs a week. Start by deciding how many times per week you are going to exercise, how long you are going to exercise, what forms of exercise you are going to do, and how you are going to eat. Make a plan of action, and then get going. Revisit your goals often and revise your plan of action as needed. Variety truly is the spice of life. Revise your workout plans at least every 4-6 weeks and find out what kind of exercises you enjoy. Keep an open mind and be willing to try new forms of exercise.
Lastly, change has to be a personal choice. It can’t be forced on anyone. Try to see the big picture and don’t get caught up in fleeting moments of dejection. Change is difficult and so those hard moments will come, but they will surely pass. Know that what you are doing is hard, but that nothing worth while was ever easy. It will be worth it. It IS worth it. You are worthy of success and deserve to get everything out of this life that you want. Take charge of your life. You are in control of your life and can make any changes that you want to. It all starts with making the decision to change and following through. You are worth it.