With the New Year upon us, it's time that millions of people will be making resolutions. According to a large-scale study published in the December 2020 issue of the journal PLoS One, some things can help people be more successful with their resolutions. The more people know about what it takes to be successful with them, the more likely they will ensure they are doing those things and will come out with the results they were after. 

“The key to making fitness resolutions that will last all year is to make SMART goals. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based,” explains Jennifer Scherer, medical exercise specialist, certified personal trainer, and owner of Fredericksburg Fitness Studio. “Many times, goals are too broad or vague to have any chance of lasting the whole year.”

The PLoS One research followed nearly 1,100 people from the general public who had set resolutions. Some of the people had support, while others didn't. When they followed up with the people a year later, they found that 55% considered themselves successful in sticking with the resolution they had set. Researchers found that the most common resolutions involved physical health, weight loss, and eating habits. They concluded that New Year's resolutions could have a lasting effect, approach-oriented goals are more likely successful than avoidance ones, and those who have support are significantly more successful with their resolutions. 

Here are 5 tips for making your fitness resolutions last all year:

1) Make SMART goals. Put some specifics to your goal to help keep you accountable. Make sure your goal is specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.

2) Have an accountability buddy. Whether it's a friend, a family member, or a co-worker, tell someone your goal or see if anyone has the same goals as you. If you are working on your plan with someone else, you're more likely to stick to it, and it can even be fun. 

3) Put check-ins on your calendar. When planning your yearly calendar, add check-ins every month or every quarter to remind yourself of your goal and keep yourself honest throughout the year. If you've made specific goals, add monthly checkpoints that you want to achieve each month to get to your larger goal by the end of the year. 

4) Be consistently good. We are human, and we aren't perfect. Knowing that we may slip up sometimes is okay, but planning for that is great. Focusing on being consistently good with your goal rather than occasionally great can help you mentally with your goals. Would you operate at 80% all year long or have one month at 100%, 2 months at 50%, 1 month at 25%, and another month at 100%? Being consistent across the board will help you reach your goals faster, even when you slip up occasionally.

5) Commit yourself. If your goal is fitness or health-related, try going to a personal trainer that will help hold you accountable and help you reach your goals. Having a standing appointment weekly with someone will keep your goals at the forefront of your brain and help you not put them on the back burner all year long. 

"You can be one of the successful people sticking with their resolutions," added Scherer. "It's a matter of sticking with the things that work. Trust me, you will be so happy that you did!”

Fredericksburg Fitness Studio is a private personal training studio that offers a range of services to improve health and wellness, including medical exercise, personal training, in-home medical training, virtual personal training, nutrition coaching, and a Pilates reformer program. All workouts on it are custom-tailored for the individual to address their physical fitness concerns. The Pilates Reformer program features a versatile machine designed to provide resistance. It can be used when standing, sitting, or lying down. 

Fredericksburg Fitness Studio doesn't offer memberships as other gyms do. They offer private customized fitness programs that are available by appointment. Many people who go to the studio are referrals from physical therapists and doctors. The wellness professionals at the studio communicate with the medical teams to keep them up to date on patient progress. To learn more about Fredericksburg Fitness Studio, visit the site: https://www.fburgfitness.com.