It’s Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, and you are reaching for another piece of chocolate, and telling yourself to enjoy it until New Year’s. If this year is like years past, New Year’s Day hits, and the idea of scrambling for your tennis shoes might be too much effort, and you’ve hit a fail on Day 1, or that fancy gym membership you splurged on gets a few weeks of use, and that’s it.
Here’s a few tips to help you successfully prepare to meet your fitness goals for the New Year:
1. Get A Game Plan
Decide what you want to do. Pilates, Yoga, Running, Weight-lifting, Cross-fit, or all of the above. Pick your poison. Search out classes, groups, download some apps or map out a few trails. Successful people in business map out their game plan on Sunday night, do the same with your fitness plan. Incorporate your goals into your game plan. Do you want to start skiing again? Get prepared to hit the slopes by selecting workouts that will build your quads. Want to tackle a big mountain next year? work some hikes into your plan.
2. Get A Game Plan for The Road
Heading out on the road can squash the best of intentions. Make sure to pack your tennis shoes, and if you forget them, hopefully you are staying at a Westin, where you can borrow a pair. If swimming is your jam, make sure you have a suit and goggles in your suitcase. If it turns out your hotel doesn’t have a lap pool, chances are there will be a rec center or nearby gym that has one. Buy a good set of bands to throw in your suitcase (one of my favorites: TravelFit by Tony Martinez). If the weather is great at your destination, make it easy and seek out a local hike or just head outdoors and walk.
3. Schedule Time to Stretch
The best time to do it is in the morning when you wake up, grab a mat and a yoga strap and hit the floor. Pull your yoga strap out (my fave is by Purple Elephant), it’s for more than carrying your yoga mat, or grab a stretching tool like the Body Works Ball and stretch your body out every day. I personally like to do it before I sit down and journal each morning.
4. Gather Your “Gear” the Night Before
Just like some people lay out their clothes the night before, you need to lay out your gear. Something simple as having Tennis Shoes and Socks by the door, or keeping a yoga kit in your car will ensure that you are one step closer to getting that workout in.
5. Plan to Hydrate.
Keep a water bottle handy, either a pre-filled one or one that you can re-fill. Make sure that you are drinking water throughout the day and keeping your body hydrated.
6. Recover
After you get out there, especially if you haven’t worked out in a long time, it’s important to plan for recovery, including days off from working out. One of the best ways to recover from a work out is using a foam roller. Foam rollers alleviate pressure on the spine and break down lactic acid, giving you a great end to your workout. Need something a little bit stronger to recover from back pain, shin splints, sore muscles, and general pain? Incorporate some cryotherapy at home with Recoup Fitness.