Here we go again!

It’s that time of year when New Year, New You becomes the default headline of magazines, books and the fitness world both online and off. Tips and tricks as well as life hacks are offered but the success rate of New Year’s resolutions are dismally low. http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

As a veteran of the fitness industry and a health and wellness professor, I see this year after year and semester after semester. Heck, I see a version of this every week on, wait for it…Monday! So why does it happen again and again?

One reason is that change is hard and we usually aim too high or wide. If you are an avid couch potato that decides to run a marathon, that leap is probably too great. Claiming you want to eat right and exercise is not specific enough. Because change is uncomfortable in and of itself, trying to do too much too soon, or randomly trying too many different things will generally fail. Instead, try slow, small, simple and specific goals.

Slow down-really think about what matters to you and why. Do you want to eat better to feel better, lose weight, or look like a celebrity? Figure out what you want by really being aware of what matters to you, not what others think, but what you think is important and why. Be prepared to put some time into it. Generally people say they don’t have time to eat right or exercise. Really, you can play and brag about your level in Candy Crush Saga on Facebook but you don’t have time to take a walk? Priorities people! You make time for what matters to you. If that’s not exercise or eating well, be honest and own your choices.

Make one small change at a time- while you may want to look good for your high school reunion, you are not going to undo years of poor habits in 21 days. Being specific will help you get started. Let’s say you want to drink less soda and more water, which is a great goal but kind of general. How will you start? My experience is that for most people an all or nothing approach doesn’t work. Why not alternate equal amounts of water with soda? If you have a 12 oz. can of soda, drink 12 ounces of water before you have more soda.  Now that you are drinking more water and less soda, where do you go from there?

Be specific- I want to get fit means nothing unless you define what fit means. The American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM and the Centers for Disease Control, CDC recommends 150 minutes of exercise at a moderate intensity each week. http://acsm.org/about-acsm/media-room/news-releases/2011/08/01/acsm-issues-new-recommendations-on-quantity-and-quality-of-exercise

If you use this guideline and budget 20-30 minutes per day, varying your activities according to the above link you will improve your fitness and health. If, however, you want to train for a particular activity, specificity will require you do that activity. The higher you set the bar, the greater the discomfort. How hard are you willing to work?

Keep it simple-build on your success. Just as your less healthy habits snowball into more unhealthy practices, so too can your healthful choices. When does a habit become a habit? The simple answer is when you no longer have to think about it. We are drawn to fancy programs and celebrity endorsements because we get desperate. Desperation allows us to suspend logic and believe those too good to be true claims. The real magic bullet is finding something you enjoy doing and doing it more often than not. The 80/20 rule works well for most behavior change. Apply consistent effort toward your goal at least 80% of the time and give yourself a little flexibility, 20%, for bumps in the road. Remember that it takes practice to build any habit and consistency is key. Take it slow, with small steps, keep it simple, be specific and you’ll get there.