Tips to Stick to Your Health-Related Goals

Here are some tips and ideas to assist with your health goals, (not just in January - but the whole year long).

1. Plan ahead for exercise. Schedule your workouts in your planner/calendar one week in advance. If you use a smartphone, activate the reminder feature.
2. Write down your reasons for your goals. When you are having a bad day and don’t feel like exercising, look at those reasons and it will help motivate you.
3. Consider exercising in the morning. Studies show that exercising earlier in the day gives you a better chance of sticking with a program.
4. Plan out your meals beforehand, that way when dinner comes up you know what you are having and it will help you stick to your goals/portions. (If you don't like or have time to cook, check out October Kitchen!)
5. Choose exercises/activities that you enjoy. (If you haven't found one yet, keep trying new ones!) We don't want you to start resenting exercise:)
6. If your goal is weight loss or a change in physique, take before, during, and after photos to track your progress. The scale is not an accurate indicator of your body composition. A picture is worth a thousand words, right?
7. Time to clean out your kitchen! Start clearing your house out of unhealthy foods, (and more importantly don't replace them!). This will help you avoid/limit foods that are not nutrient dense.
8. DO NOT grocery shop on an empty stomach. You’ll be more likely to buy unhealthy foods. Unless you’re attempting the “see food diet,” get your groceries on a fed tummy.
9. Find a buddy! Exercising with someone can keep you accountable and you can motivate one another.
10. Get a good night’s sleep. Sounds simple, but inadequate sleep can impair your weight loss and performance progress, (and make you feel less motivated to exercise).

St. Laurent Health and Performance is posting a "New Year Tip of the Day" on our Facebook page for the month of January, so visit our page to view more helpful ideas.