You know that most people drop their New Year’s resolutions after two months. You want to avoid that pattern and stick to your fitness resolution for as long as possible. So, how can you do that?
Work with Your Budget:
One way to help your fitness resolution last longer is to make sure it works well with your budget. It’s easy to overspend on fitness. A gym membership will likely cost you $50 per month. The average fitness class costs $30 or more — so, you could be spending over $200 per month if you went to two classes per week. Physical trainers typically charge $60-70 per hour for their help. And you also have to consider additional costs for exercise clothing, equipment, apps and accessories.
All of this can quickly add up and put you into a financially precarious place. If you’ve spent your entire paycheck on your fitness resolution, you’re not going to have anything leftover for additional expenses or emergencies. What will you do if your car breaks down? Or your roof starts leaking?
In case you’ve already put yourself into this financial place, you should know that you still have an option to cover the charge. You could apply for a personal loan when faced with an emergency expense that you don’t have the funds for. As long as you meet the qualifications, you can apply for the loan. If you’re approved, you can use the borrowed funds to pay for the urgent repairs and move forward.
How can you make your resolution work better with your budget?
- Go over your budget and see what you can reasonably afford to spend on your fitness goals. Don’t go over that amount.
- Consider working out from home instead of buying a gym membership.
- Consider doing boutique fitness classes online. These often have lower prices than in-person sessions.
- Focus on body-weight exercises instead of exercises that require expensive equipment.
Have Fun:
Don’t drag yourself through workouts that you don’t want to do. If you hate jogging, don’t make yourself jog. If you find lifting weights boring, don’t force yourself to lift them.
Find ways to get fit that are fun for you. Maybe that means joining a dance class, exploring hiking trails or learning a martial art. Pick something that excites you.
These are some other things that will make your workouts more fun:
- Ask friends to join you. Workout buddies can offer great company and motivation.
- Make amazing playlists of the best workout songs to inspire you to get moving.
- Gamify your experience using apps like Zombies, Run!, Pokémon Go and Walkr.
Make It Easy:
Sticking to a fitness resolution is hard enough—you don’t want to do anything that will make it even harder. Like picking a gym or fitness studio that’s far from your house. One study found that geography can affect fitness resolutions — people that lived farther away from their gyms were less likely to go than people who lived nearby.
These are some other things that you can do to make your resolution easier:
- Set out your clothes and equipment at the beginning of the day. You can use a thin bikini or underwear to cover the nipples.
- Wash your workout clothes often so that you always have clean outfits to exercise in.
- Pick workout times that fit into your schedule. Don’t try to squeeze them into busy days.
You don’t have to worry about your fitness resolution fizzling out. By following these tips, you can stick to it!