New year comes with new resolutions and sports are often part of it. That said, once the excitement of the early days is off, bad habits immediately return.
How to keep up with your new sports resolutions? What can you do to achieve your goals?
In order to answer your questions and help you to fulfill your ambitions, here are top 10 coaching tips to follow.
10 tips to keep up with your sports resolutions
In this article some of the secrets, methods and other techniques used by sportsmen and high level athletes will be brought to light in order to keep you on track despite difficulties, weather or feeling down. You’ll see, it’s all about your mindset.
Change form resolutions to objectives
Usually, New Year’s resolutions are just a wish expressed one night and forgotten the next morning. You know it… that resolutions are not kept. So replace this word with another one. A more impactful and powerful one : “objective”.
Choose the right activity
If you haven’t been able to stick to your sporting resolutions until now, you might have chosen the wrong activity.
Let’s be clear, there is no right or wrong sport, but one thing is for sure, not everyone enjoys running, weight lifting, football or horseback riding.
Choosing the right activity comes down to choosing the one that will make you rediscover the pleasure of moving. Start by learning about existing activities near you. This will allow you to better understand your possibilities, meet your expectations and achieve your goals.
Go from intention to action
Your sports resolutions for the new year are well defined, all you have to do now is take action.
Don’t waste time overthinking it. Just do it ! Time passes quickly, seize the moment and live it to the fullest.
Set your goals using the SMART method
A good resolution, or in this case objective, must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely. In other words, SMART.
How to use the SMART method in order to achieve your sporty goals ?
First, your resolution must be precise. Express it clearly in one clear and concise sentence.
Your resolution should also be measurable.
Give it numbers. Do you have a weight loss goal? Write down the number of kilograms or pounds you would like to lose. Do you aim to run a marathon ? Write the kilometers or the miles you should start with.
Your goal must be achievable. Set goals ambitious enough to get out of your comfort zone, but not too much at the risk of demotivating yourself.
Your sports resolution should be realistic. It should take into account your current physical condition, the amount of time you have available to exercise, and other factors that may interfere with your plan.
Finally, a good resolution must be timely. Set-up your training program. A calendar in which you designate both your training and rest days.
Challenge yourself fixing deadlines and steps to overcome. This will make it easier for you to focus and stay motivated throughout your process.
Exercise for health before the looks
It takes months, even years of daily training and healthy diet to get your body goal. Therefore, if you exercise only to improve your physical appearance, you will quickly get discouraged.
You should get back on track and practice sport not only to get this summer body but, and above all, to keep you in shape and preserve your health. As you can imagine, the physical results will follow.
Know your priorities, thus, you will be able to keep your sports resolutions.
Track your progress
Tracking is a good way to follow up your evolution over time.
Set up a tracker in which you fill in the details of your current state, your goals and the deadlines for their achievement. This dashboard will be your reference to measure your progress.
Work out with a sport coach
Obviously, you can exercise by yourself but having a coach is a game changer.
Your sport coach will assist you and empower you through the whole process. Your coach will keep you accountable. As a result, you will not allow yourself to skip a workout, stick with your program or even give up on your sports resolutions.
In addition, training with a sports coach will guarantee you constant improvement.
Start sport gradually, go step by step
Don’t get fooled by the excitement and motivation of the beginnings. It is better to start slowly and gradually by scheduling one session per week than the opposite.
The most common mistake is to start strong, exercising 4 times a week, and then back down. Your will power is quickly dissipated and replaced by laziness.
Start small but aim big !
Rearrange your schedule
It is important to make time, to devote an hour of your day to exercise, or at least go on an active walk.
Try to start your week with a good workout to cross it off your to do list and avoid procrastinating, or even worse, canceling it. Once your session is over, all you have to do is shower and continue with your day and tasks.
Reward yourself, celebrate the small achievements
To keep your sporting resolutions, you should think of rewarding yourself and celebrate your small victories. Treat yourself to a new sports outfit, a new water bottle, a good meal, etc.
Never underestimate the psychological effect of this symbolic gesture. Do not be hard on yourself, on the contrary, be patient and kind.
You now have the 10 best coaching tips to keep your sports resolutions. In the next section, discover the 3 habits that prevent you from achieving your goals.
3 things are keeping you from sticking with your sports resolutions
Some behaviors or habits are a real obstacle to your progress. They keep you from achieving your goals. To know them is to avoid them.
Focus on motivation instead of discipline
Motivation is variable and unstable energy. By focusing on motivation, you run the risk of quickly running out of steam and giving up.
Being motivated depends on many factors over which you have no control. On the contrary, self-discipline allows you to follow the program regardless of events or emotions.
Work on your self-discipline in order to keep up with your sports resolutions.
Having a bad lifestyle
Sport is not just about the activity, it is a way of life.
How do you want to stick to your long term sports resolutions if you continue to go to bed late, smoke and drink a lot, or eat poorly?
Positive energy attracts more of it and good habits help to build up a healthy lifestyle. In this case, it is necessary to review your lifestyle in order to optimize your chances of achieving your goals.
Not having a day off
Yes, you are determined, you don’t want to let go and that’s great!
This said, it is important to take a break and give yourself time off and allow your body to regenerate its energy. Take it slowly, but surely, especially at the beginning. This is how you can last.
Now you have no excuse not to keep your sporting resolutions this year and those to come. All you have to do is to start.
