The new year is quickly approaching and if your resolution is to get into shape, good for you! It’s never too late to begin a fitness plan, but as you know, sticking to it can be hard. Life often gets in the way, and no matter how well-intentioned you are, it’s easy to get sidetracked.

This year, however, can be different. Here are several ways you can finally keep your New Year’s fitness resolution.

Enlist the Help of a Professional
No one likes to workout alone. It’s boring and there’s no accountability for your actions. Without someone else to motivate you to get up and get moving, it’s easy to talk yourself out of going to the gym when you don’t feel like it.

Hiring a professional personal trainer, on the other hand, gives you a reason. It’s this person’s job to make sure you stick with your fitness plan. A personal trainer will:

• Hold you accountable
• Keep workouts interesting
• Maximize your workout efficiency
• Make it more fun to get into shape, and
• Give you core fitness values that will stick with you for the rest of your life.

Write Your Goals Down and Keep Track

Tracking your fitness goals makes them real. Being specific about how you’ll reach those goals gives you a clear plan of action. Once you know what your goal is (lose 10 pounds in 6 weeks, perhaps?) and how you’ll get there (cutting out fast food and hitting the gym 3 times a week), you can begin to measure your success along the way. Can’t see yourself with a notepad and pen in the locker room after a session? There’s an app for that.

Start Slow and Make Goals Manageable

If your resolution is to run a half-marathon and you hardly ever walk further than from the couch to the fridge, you need to start slow in order to avoid disappointment. The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure, so begin by walking a couple of times a week. Gradually increase your activity to more days per week and then transition into jogging and then running over a period of several months.

Realize There’s More to Fitness Than Just Looking Good

If your goal is simply to look better – maybe eventually have 6-pack abs, for example – the thrill of the chase can wear off quickly. If you remember that fitness leads to better health and happiness, it gives a little more sustenance to the reason you’re working out in the first place.

Ask yourself often why you’re working out. What do you want to achieve? Having solid, meaningful answers that elicit an emotional response to these questions can really motivate you to keep going.

Don’t Forget to Reward Yourself

Sticking with a fitness plan is hard work, so when you reach those hard-earned milestones, reward yourself with something good. Don’t choose rewards that will undo all that you’ve worked so hard for but make it something worth the fight – a night out to the movies, a mani-pedi, etc.

When you reward yourself along the way, you motivate yourself to keep going.

As the new year approaches and you begin thinking about setting a resolution to be more fit, stop a moment and commit these tips to memory. They will help you finally keep your New Year’s fitness resolution for the first time ever.