We’re now one month into the new year, and the excitement behind your New Year’s Resolutions may have faded away.
Slipping on some of your resolutions is normal. It's important to check in and make adjustments to ensure you can keep your momentum going.
Building muscle, losing fat, doing more cardio, and eating better are all powerful physical health objectives that can drastically improve all aspects of your life. These activities not only boost your confidence and improve your aesthetic - they also boost your immunity system, heighten your energy and fortify your mental health.
Yet it’s not exactly easy to make good health a priority. Did you know it can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit? Or that it takes an average of 66 days for a new behaviour to become automatic?
We can make it easier for ourselves by cultivating habits that help us build and maintain momentum toward our fitness goals.
What is momentum in fitness?
It’s easy to start a new habit - but when the motivation of wanting to start a new habit dies down, it’s not so easy to keep it up.
Keeping it up and staying in forward motion is the momentum you want to catch in your fitness goals.
5 ways to maintain your momentum and stick to your goals
Now that we understand why momentum is so important when it comes to health and fitness, let’s look into actual ways to apply that to your routine.
Here are 5 ways to help keep your momentum up once you’ve started:
Gauge what has been working so far
Take note of what you’ve been able to stick with for the last 30 days. Have you been working out at least 3x a week? Are you hitting your daily water goals? Have you lowered the amount of sugar in your diet? Maybe you’re hitting your daily 10k step goal.
Whatever it is that you’re already consistent with, pat yourself on the back and keep it going. Once they’re cemented as habits these will become automatic. Keep going.
Variety in your Diet
Fitness doesn’t end in your strength training. Your nutrition is very important in maintaining your health and achieving your aesthetic goals.
We all know the stereotypical bodybuilding diet of brown rice, chicken breasts and broccoli. It’s good for you, but so boring… and when it’s boring, it’s easy to fall off the wagon and lose your momentum. It doesn’t have to be this way!
You can make your mealtimes fun by trying out new recipes, cooking with seasonal vegetables, making themed dinner nights, and even getting the kids (or friends) involved.
Change up your routine
The human brain tends to find repetitive tasks boring or not challenging… and these are emotions that can kill your fitness momentum. If you struggle with the repetitiveness of routines, you may benefit with introducing fun new ways to sweat in your workout plan.
Disrupt your boredom urges by introducing some fun ways to sweat.
Here are some ideas to keep your body moving:
-
Jump rope.
Channel your inner child and challenge yourself to learn tricks - it won’t even feel like cardio. -
VR games.
Beat Saber is one of our favorites, but Pistol Whip and Phantom: Covert OPS are also great choices for working up a sweat. -
Go for a hike.
Spending time in nature is always a good idea. Challenge yourself with some steep inclines for a leg and cardio workout.
Remember your “WHY.”
This technique is effective at sticking to your goals in every part of life. Work out without a clear goal and your motivation will die quickly.
Why do you want to get fit? Do you want to lose fat and get shredded? Do you want to get stronger? Are you training for an event?
Whatever it is, keep it in the back of your mind at all times. The next time you find yourself being too tired to work out, too overworked to cook a good meal, or too busy to check your macros - remember why you started in the first place.
Have a plan
If you wing your work-outs sometimes - that’s fine, you’re still putting in the work.
But if you want to achieve your goals as efficiently as possible, you need consistency and a plan.
Better Body’s Home Shred+ in partnership with personal trainer Brian Neyugn offers 90 day guidance to help you get on the right track of your fitness goals right from the comfort of your own home.
This program sets you up to build muscle, lose fat, and gain strength from home in just 90 days, with a money-back guarantee.
Resources to help you keep your habits
If you’re looking to learn more about how momentum can impact your goals here are a few more resources:
- Tony Robbins: How to Get Momentum
- James Clear: Atomic Habits
- Modern Health Monk: Trick Yourself into Finding Motivation to Exercise By Using Psychology
Final thoughts
Setting yourself up for success when it comes to your fitness goals is not always easy. But with the right preparation and the willingness to change your mindset, you can achieve your goals even when your motivation is lacking.
Being consistent, changing things up, remembering why you started, and keeping things fun are all vital to staying on the right track.
We see you pursuing your goals with so much determination. We’re right here with you every step of the way.