Plymouth Fitness Coach Shares Advice To Keep New Year’s Resolutions
As the winter gets colder, it sometimes can be hard to get to the gym and keep up with New Year’s fitness goals.
Keri Anderson, a fitness professional at Life Time in Plymouth, sees people come in with resolutions every year.
“One thing I love about January is the hope that people have for themselves. The refresh, the restart,” Anderson said.
But getting too ambitious early on in the year often leads to a slump. Anderson said many people set their goals at an unattainable level and quit when they fail to reach them.
“Realistically, most people are striving to get to the gym consistently 2-3 days a week,” Anderson said. “Set your standards a little bit low and surprise yourself! Maybe one week you do make it five times.”
Consistency is Key
Anderson explained that most people have two main goals: improving health and strength or weight loss. In the case of weight loss, she says results do not come without proper nutrition. She recommends staying hydrated and watching what you eat to complement all the work put in at the gym.
Another thing Anderson encourages is variety in workouts, but not too much. Finding some consistency to make benchmarks is key to seeing results.
“Maybe you do a mile on the treadmill. How long did that take you ‘week one’ of the month? Then, next month, do that same mile and see that progress. Some kind of stability in the variety is helpful for tracking progress along the way,” Anderson said.
Anderson coaches a coworker on the treadmill at Life Time Plymouth. Anderson said working with a trainer is one way to encourage accountability.
As you find consistency and routine, she said it’s important to trust yourself and your trainer, if you have one. Sometimes you can do more than you expect.
Anderson said she finds many clients only push to 60 percent of their potential. When encouraged, she said they often go above and beyond what they thought they could.
“You are holding back so much untapped potential, it’s crazy,” Anderson said.
Finding Community
Community can help you find that potential. Anderson said you can seek that accountability in fitness classes, with a trainer or even with the people you see next to you in the gym. Smaller fitness classes, especially.
Anderson talks with a client at Life Time in Plymouth.
“You can show up and you see the same faces every day, every time,” Anderson said. “You know they are going to be there, and you know they are going to ask if you are not.”
Anderson said when people fail to meet their goals, they are typically lacking one of three things: education, motivation and accountability.
Finding someone who can offer you those things can make all the difference.
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