PERRY BUCHANAN: Make your new year’s workout healthy, effective, fun

In just a few days we’ll be entering another new year. You started 2018 strong with your resolution to get back in shape and were doing great. Now, you’ve gone from running, lifting and stretching back to your old routine of lounging on the couch and channel surfing. The most activity you’ve been performing is helping your dog jump up on the couch to eat chips and watch Netflix with you. You started so motivated, so why do you now have nothing but excuses?

Even if you’ve been able to stay on track this year, the winter holiday season can get you off track if you don’t plan and prepare. Follow these strategies and you may be able to make your fitness program stick this time.

Include accountability and support in your action plan. You have to start planning exercise, just like with meetings and every other task in your life. Put it on the calendar, because later always turns into never. Get an accountability partner. Find a friend, mentor or coach to keep you honest. You can either exercise with your partner or simply check in with him or her to report your progress.

Understand the limits of your willpower. Willpower is inherently limited, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to self-control failure. Because willpower is limited, it’s important to set reasonable goals and priorities. Conserve your willpower for what really matters. Recognize that willpower is not “all in the mind,” and supply your mind and body with the fuel it needs to face life’s challenges. This fuel includes rest, a healthy diet and a steady supply of positive experiences.

Forgive temporary setbacks. A single mistake doesn’t mean you are weak. It may just mean you’ve already succeeded to the limits of your current ability, and now you deserve a rest or reward to restore your strength. Anticipate hurdles and road blocks. Understand how the demands of your job, family and other relationships may interfere with your ability to stick with a health or fitness program. Fitness barriers can be beaten once they’ve been identified.

Focus on the important things. A foolproof way of having the perfect workout is to narrow it down to three criteria: 1) Is it healthy? 2) Is it effective? 3) Is it fun? If you get a yes to all three of these questions, the program is a good choice for you. There are almost an infinite number of ways to accomplish those three goals, and every single person will have a different definition of what each means.

Healthy: No. 1, your program must be safe. This means your present condition and fitness level must be taken into consideration, and the exercises that you do have to be chosen based on your needs and any limitations. If you’re unsure, don’t do it. It always amazes me when someone decides to start a fitness program and does something that is detrimental to their health. No matter what your fitness goal, your health should always be the priority.

Effective: Your program should be result-producing or why waste your time? Your results should always be the main criteria to judge a program, but the program should be geared toward your goals. Will the program accomplish what you’re after? What is your goal? Do you want to lose weight, improve in a sport, or just increase your energy and well-being? How will you know if it’s working? By measuring and evaluating you will know.

Enjoyable: It must be fun, although fun is a relative term. Mostly, it must be sustainable. Many times, behavior is the result of a combination of one wanting to gain pleasure and avoid pain. Human beings will do much more to avoid pain than they will ever do to gain pleasure. We can sacrifice and do anything for a short period of time, but eventually our plan will fall apart if it is too tough to stay compliant. Determine what you are most likely to stick with. Do you prefer to work out in a group or by yourself? Is your program convenient and does it fit your lifestyle? How much time do you have available? Some people like the efficiency of a 20- to 30-minute high-intensity program, whereas others find a more moderate intensity of 45 to 60 minutes to be better. For most, research has shown more than 60 minutes to be ineffective.

Find a routine that lines up with your goals, and if you are healthy, getting results and enjoying the process, keep doing what you are doing. You will have found the perfect workout for 2019. Merry Christmas!

Perry Buchanan, owner of PT Gym, is certified as an exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine, and fitness nutrition specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Email him at [email protected]. Follow @ptgym on Twitter.