If New Year’s is the time to set bold new fitness goals, February is the make or breaking point. Even the most committed fitness enthusiasts often have trouble keeping their exercise resolutions. To break this cycle and stay fit throughout the year, you must:
Revolutionize Your Routine
One of the most effective ways to meet your fitness goals in February and beyond is to work them into your daily routine. Instead of seeing exercise as something you do in addition to everything else, make it a necessary habit, like brushing your teeth. Instead of driving to work, try walking there. If your workplace is too distant to walk the entire way, drive part of the distance, park, and walk the rest. Instead of watching movies or playing video games with family and friends, play sports with them. This way, you can fulfill your resolutions without even thinking about them.
Venture Out
Redundancy is the enemy of fitness. If every workout is similar to the last, exercise will come to feel like a chore, giving you little motivation to keep putting in the time and effort. Plus, studies have shown that your body can develop resistance to workouts if you repeat them too frequently, meaning you may not reap as many benefits from your workout as you once did. The key is to keep your fitness activities fresh and different, and one of the easiest ways to do this is to change the venue and activity.
Say you typically lift weights to work out: consider alternating that activity with kayaking or biking at Hanna Park, which will build muscle while also allowing you to explore a new environment. Likewise, if you usually go for walks or jogs in the city or on a treadmill, consider driving out of city limits and hiking or running some of the beautiful trails and nature preserves around Jacksonville. High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is also a great way to keep cardio interesting. Anything you can do to alter and reinvigorate your exercises will make keeping up a fitness regimen easier.
Never Neglect Nutrition
Another enemy of exercise routines is how physically demanding they can be. To some extent, this is inevitable; a fitness routine that is not tiring or difficult will not challenge you enough to provide meaningful results. There are, however, ways to prepare your body for the strain of exercise, and the most important one is to ensure that you are properly nourishing your body. The more high-quality nutrients you consume, the more energy you will have during strenuous activity, and the easier it will be for your body to recover.
Make sure to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, and, of course, protein. Sometimes diet and exercise alone are not all you need to achieve your fitness goals. Be sure to supplement your diet with Jax Nutrition’s wide array of products; whether you need more protein for speedy recovery, creatine for building muscle, or BCAAs for weight loss, eating to fuel your workouts is important. Also, always take care to hydrate properly, both during workouts and in daily life.
Seek The Social
Social interaction is healthy in its own right, but it is also a powerful tool for motivating physical activity. By participating in group exercises, you can gain a sense of accountability. Look for local classes that allow you to enjoy yourself in concert with others. Zumba, for example, combines high-intensity workouts and dance with uptempo music. Yoga is a great group activity; join the group class at the Riverside Arts Market on Saturdays. Also look for social exercise activities that give you a chance to contribute to a good cause, such as the Donna National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer on February 12th.
Jax Nutrition provides the nutritional expertise and supplements you need to stay energized during any workout and keep your new year’s fitness resolutions. For more information on staying fit in February (and beyond!), contact us today.
