With January fast approaching, it’s time to start thinking about goals and resolutions for the new year. If you let your gym membership fall through the cracks this year due to a busy schedule, it’s never too late to incorporate a daily fitness routine in your calendar. Below are some helpful tips to help you harvest and maintain motivation to optimize your health in 2019.

How to Motivate Yourself to Head to the Gym in the New Year

1. Reassess Your Goals

If you set goals in the past to lose a certain amount of pounds, but quickly become discouraged when you don’t achieve it, it’s time to change the goal. If you’re weightlifting, set a goal for the weight on the barbell, not the scale. By focusing on activity goals rather than weight goals, you will preserve your motivation.

2. Take it One Day at a Time

Once you’ve modified your goals, take a step a back. Every day is a new opportunity, and if you can get yourself to the gym one day, you can repeat it the next. This perspective will motivate you to visit the gym more often, especially if you end up missing a few days in a row. If you miss a week, just head back to the gym and take it easy so you don’t overwhelm yourself. 

3. Buddy Up

To help you stay accountable, ask a friend or family member to join you. If that’s not a feasible option, take the classes that are included in your gym membership and introduce yourself to others. At Bombers CrossFit®, we’ve designed our programs to be friendly and welcoming, so everyone is encouraged to get to know one another.

4. Monitor Your Progress

Whether you prefer to use your phone or write things by hand, take note of the activities and classes you’ve attended, as well as your goal achievements. Keeping these records allows you to reflect on how far you’ve come. If you get frustrated, just take a look at where you started and where you are now. 

5. Reward Consistency

While you can still get yourself something nice for milestones, in many ways, simply showing up is the ultimate goal. If you intend to go to the gym three days a week and you’re successful, treat yourself on the weekend. It can be as simple as an hour of uninterrupted video game playing or booking a massage. It’s important to recognize your efforts and reward your achievements. 

If you’re ready to set goals for the new year, stop by Bombers CrossFit®. We have programs and workouts for every level of fitness, so whether you’re familiar with a CrossFit® WOD or struggle with weightlifting, we’re here to help. We proudly serve Dayton, Kettering, Oakwood, and Bellbrook, OH, residents. Those who sign up now for a new gym membership will get three free introductory sessions that can be used for any of our classes. To learn more about our programs and fees, visit our website or call us today at (318) 401-1538.