New Year, New You

Many people make a news year’s resolution moments before and after the ball drops every year, and many people forget that resolution in the next week or two. On of the most common resolutions is to lose weight or become healthier. This is also, coincidentally, one of the hardest to do. There are many ways, however, that people can do this.

One of the reasons many resolutions like this fail is the tendency to compare yourself to others. You can look everywhere and base your well being off how healthy or thin one person is, but the truth of the matter is healthy isn’t the same for everyone.

Everyone is different, and their bodies may not work the same way as someone else’s. Healthy for one person could be being able to run a 5k, while healthy for another could be being able to run two miles. That is okay. Your health is important, but you need an understanding of what you can do and can’t do to be able to find a plan that works for you.

Once you have accepted the fact that your healthy may not be the same as your idol’s healthy, you need to find or construct a good plan for your needs. There are two parts to a successful fitness plan: physical workout and a good diet.

Like I said before, healthy isn’t the same for everyone. I will say it many times because it is true and it applies to every aspect of your health. The part where it is most obvious, however, is your physical appearance and health. When choosing a workout that works for you and your body, listen to what your body tells you. If you have bad knees, running may not be the best thing for you to do and you may have to find a different cardio workout. The same goes for if you have a bad back, or you have a weak core. Abs are not sculpted in day and muscles are not built in a day, so when you can’t see the progress you want in a short amount of time, don’t let it discourage you.

Perhaps the most important thing is to not fixate on how far you have to go. When looking at progress on some things, the most important thing to know is how far you have to. Money is a good example. When saving money, you need to know how much you need, and a big part of measuring your progress is how far you have left to go. Physical fitness, however, is not like saving money. When looking at your progress, focus on your progress, not how far you have left to go–doing that only serves to discourage you.

As far as suggesting a good general workout, I can’t suggest anything. There are many good resources out there such as Spark People, a website that offers short videos for many different types of workouts meant for people with a busy schedule as well as healthy eating ideas. A quick internet search can bring up thousands of options, and while that seems like a lot to wade through, narrowing your search parameters (for example searching cardio workouts for beginners instead of workouts) will give you a better chance of finding a good one for you.

Without a good diet, any workout routine is practically useless. You can spend three hours working out a day, but if all you eat is greasy fast food, your workout will only get you so far. Taking a diet too far, however, can be just as bad as eating only fast food ever. Your body needs calories to function.

Some good tips are to cut out things like soda or candy and to make sure you eat balanced meals. Breakfast is a meal many people (especially high schoolers) tend to skip, but it is the most important meal of the day. It kick-starts your metabolism and helps you stay focused and awake during the day.
There are many resources out there to help you keep track of and keep up with a fitness plan, and there are many different workouts and diets. The trick to finding one that work for you is listening to your body and not giving up. Determination, a good workout, and a good diet are all you need to get healthy.