As New Year’s Eve approaches, millions are resolving to make the same fitness goals that they tried (and failed) last year. Changing your health and lifestyle isn’t easy. At Lykens Companies, we’re taking advantage of our new partnership with Snap Fitness and asking Tony Capuano, Short North Snap Fitness owner, for his best advice on which strategies are most effective when it comes to sticking to your fitness resolutions. When we asked Capuano for his best advice, he gave us these three keys for long term fitness success.
1. Have True Readiness
Plain and simple, getting healthy and staying healthy is hard work. A commitment this big bleeds into every part of our lives. Without a strong foundation and deep motivation, you’ll fizzle out. Here’s what Capuano has to say about it:
The first thing you need to do before you embark on your journey is ask yourself a couple of hard questions: are you fully committed to doing what it will take to make this change? Do you really want to do the work that will be required to adopt a new lifestyle? Lifestyle adaptation and change will require hard, deliberate, and focused work everyday. It is never a quick fix. The driving force—the motivation—needs to stem from a deep internal desire. Without that, your efforts will not produce the desired change.
In other words, shallow motivations won’t hold up in the long run. If you’re only getting healthy to prove something to someone else or to look good for other people, then—chances are—you’re on a fast track to burnout. This also means adopting a sober view of where you’re starting from and what each step might look like. Fat won’t melt away after your first healthy meal. Your first mile of running isn’t going to be pleasant. Weights will feel heavy. This doesn’t mean you should give up, but you shouldn’t be surprised by these facts.
2. Make Long Term Goals
“Being consistent and focused is a true road to resolution fulfillment,” says Capuano. “Remember that a temporary change does not create permanent lifestyle. You have to fully embrace the new lifestyle everyday and stay true to yourself for the long run.”
Usually, that means a need for routine goal setting and reevaluation. With fitness goals, it’s important to be specific. How much weight to do you want lose by what time? How many pounds do you want to add to your squat by when? As we set broader goals like those, then smaller goals fit into our everyday lifestyles. For instance, if I want to lose ten pounds in ten weeks, I’m going to see how many calories I need to but cut a day, how much cardio I need to do, etc. Long term goals help short term changes make sense in the big picture and keep you going. That’s why they’re so important.
3. Monitor Your Progress
As someone who has made a career out of fitness, Capuano has seen all the different sorts of approaches people take when they try and change their health. Here is what he’s noticed:
Individuals who commit to keeping track of their progress in a detailed way are much more likely to achieve long term success and their desired lifestyle change. Tracking your daily progress with an electronic wearable device or with an old fashioned written log makes you far more cognizant of your daily behaviors and long term patterns.
In addition, it’s way too easy to neglect your success. Keeping a log of your improvement and success is the best way to make your you celebrate and recognize your achievements. We’ve found that it’s most helpful to log your workouts (exercises, weight, reps, etc.), your diet (even the slip-ups), and, if you’re comfortable with them, progress photos can be a great source of motivation and encouragement.
Are you ready?
Short North Snap Fitness specializes in helping its neighbors reach their individual fitness goals. In fact, they’ve witnessed clients drastically reduce their risks of many common health issues like back pain, heart disease, obesity, diabetes, stress, and depression! On top of 24/7 access to multiple Snap Fitness locations around Columbus, Snap members have access to personal training and all the help it offers.
This year, make your that your fitness resolutions are a success and join Snap Fitness’s healthy community. And don’t forget, Lykens tenants receive a 25% discount on their Snap Fitness gym membership. For information on our partnership and for more on the Short North Snap Fitness facility, read our write-up here. If you’re ready to sign up and get started, sign up here for your Lykens discount!
