“It's decided, I'm going back to sports !". After the end of the year marked by the holiday season and its excesses, many people aspire to get back in shape or to lose weight. Unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, these sports resolutions only last a few weeks. In this article, I propose to you to discover my advice to (finally) keep your commitments.
Motivation and perseverance: the keys to making your sports resolutions a success
New year, new sports objectives?
As a general rule, seasoned athletes hate new resolutions. For those who practice strength training who train several times a week and monitor their diet throughout the year, this type of commitment may be considered paltry.
Getting back in shapeWhether it's weight loss, muscle mass gain or health improvement, the motivations that lead to making sports resolutions can be varied.
It is true that the health benefits of sport are numerous: the fight against overweight and obesity, prevention of chronic diseases, cardiovascular and hypertension, lowering of blood pressure, reduction of joint pain, etc.
So there is no right (or wrong) time to start worrying about your well-being and fitness!
A high dropout rate
But out of every ten people who sign up for the sports hall in January, only two managed to reach their goal several months later. This sudden interest in fitness or physical activity in the broadest sense is, in fact, short-lived.
The explanation behind this phenomenon is mainly related to the psychology of the motivation.
Everyone knows that it is important to practice a sport activity. Whatever the type of activity (running, swimming, weight training, cardio-training, boxing, rugby, etc.), moving regularly helps you feel good.
On the other hand, achieving a specific goal, such as losing a few extra pounds, takes time (several months, even several years) and patience. It requires a real effort of projection. It is then much easier to give in to an immediate temptation.
This is why many people prefer to stay on their couch. Rather than going to the gym and taking another step towards a future and uncertain result, they prefer to opt for an easy alternative whose reward is immediate.
However, the simple fact of having registered in a room indicates a good state of mind. All you need are a few keys to keep your commitment over time.
5 tips for keeping your resolutions
1. Define your goals
Before starting or resuming a sport activity, it is essential to establish objectives. Well-defined goals will keep you motivated for a long time.
Your objectives must be SMART, an acronym well known in the management world. This means that they must be formulated in such a way that they are :
- Specific;
- Measurable;
- Achievable;
- Realistic;
- Temporally defined.
For example, simply telling yourself that you want to lose weight is not enough. On the other hand, wanting to lose 6 kilos in 3 months is a SMART goal.
A medium or long term objective can be broken down into a series of sub-objectives in the short term.
Let's go back to our goal of losing 6 kilos in 3 months. In order to maintain the commitment on a daily basis, it may be interesting to set a first deadline, losing 1 kilo for example, after 2 or 3 weeks.
According to a study conducted in 2009 by researchers at the University of London, your brain needs on average 66 days to turn new activity into a routine.
It is by forcing yourself to exercise regularly to reach these intermediate goals that you will be able to take advantage of the benefits of exercise. good habits.
2. Organize your week
Once you have defined your objectives, you will need to set up a action plan to reach them.
I advise you to set up a schedule and block in advance the slots reserved for your sports sessions in your agenda.
And above all, stick to it. These time slots should not be an adjustment variable. Has a friend asked you to eat out or see a movie? Decline the invitation, or arrange to do your workout before or after.
The ideal rhythm would be to start with 2 or 3 training sessions per week of about an hour, depending on your abilities. There is no need to do too much from the start, at the risk of quickly abandoning your sporting resolution.
It is best to start gradually and increase the volume of training over time.
3. Find a training partner or a sports coach
To maintain your commitment, there is nothing like find a partner.
Working out several times a week with another person will help you stay motivated. In fact, exercising with someone else helps to limit slacking off.
A temporary fatigue or a desire to stay at home? Your partner will know how to motivate you so that you don't miss training... And vice versa!
You can also call in a professional. The sports coaches are trained to accompany you in your return to physical activity.
They will design a sports program adapted to your abilities and your goals. You will get results faster, which will increase your motivation.
4. Track your progress
Athletes who achieve their goals are those who track their progress over time.
First, observe your physical change in the mirror. You can take pictures of yourself at regular intervals to better perceive this transformation.
Also, if your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, don't hesitate to weigh yourself. This will give you precise information on your progress.
To go further, discover my 5 tips to measure your progress in weight training.
Finally, don't forget to discuss your sports resolutions with your environment. They too will see the changes and point them out to you.
5. Celebrate your successes and stay positive
Finally, celebrate each of your victoriesNo matter how small, rewarding yourself with something you love.
Have you completed the three weekly sessions in your training plan? Have you managed to lose your first pound? You broke your personal record in the bench press? All these moments are milestones in your progress.
Of course, that doesn't mean you have to succumb to fast food every time. But simply give yourself a well-deserved treat.
This will also help you to put into perspective the chess. These are an integral part of a sportsman's career. It is therefore normal to experience them. Stay positive and keep moving forward to reach your goals.
To conclude
With these tips, you now have all the tools you need to keep your New Year's resolutions and improve your physical condition. To maintain your motivation over time, remember to set realistic goals and implement a concrete action plan. It's up to you!
