Turning Resolutions Into Reality With Treadmill Reviews

Turning Your Resolutions Into Reality With Advice From Treadmill Reviews | NordicTrack Blog

As fitness enthusiasts, we welcome New Year’s Resolutions, and that includes crowded gyms full of novis gym-goers at the start of the year. To help you set and reach your health and fitness goals, we’ve reached out to writer Lauren Abbott from Treadmill Reviews for her go-to goal setting tips. We wanted to know what has made her such a successful runner, even on the days when she could barely muster the desire to hit the pavement. Her use of iFit® was a huge help to her success last year, and we’re excited to share her thoughts with you.

Question: Please share a goal/New Year’s Resolution that you had set for yourself and actually stuck with. Why were you successful in maintaining this goal?

Lauren: “A few years ago, I decided to start an online fitness program, iFit®, that required a monthly fee. Having an obligation to pay for this commitment helped me to maintain my goal because I’m a huge penny pincher. The program turned out to be very beneficial in a number of ways. I was able to do it from home, which eased my burden of finding child care. I enjoyed the workouts, so I looked forward to doing them each day. The program also offered simple meal plans to follow, so I felt capable of making the meals myself, and actually wanting to eat them. Overall, paying for the program was the commitment I needed to stick it out to the end. I’ve found that this is a great motivator for myself, whether it’s a paid class I’ve signed up for, a race I’ve registered for, or equipment I’ve purchased for myself. If I invest my money into it, I’ll invest my time into it.”

Question: In your opinion, what factor(s) determines a realistic and worthwhile fitness goal to set at the start of a new year?

Lauren: “I believe that realistic goals are comfortably within reach. I dream of running ultra marathons through the mountains like my muses I follow on social media. But I’m currently not at that level athletically. So, I set short term goals that I know I can achieve with a bit of effort. I strive for a quicker pace than I’m used to or a longer distance on my long run than I ran the week before. I know that these short term goals are necessary stepping stones in order to make my wildest hopes and dreams come true.”

Question: What advice do you have for others as they are creating health/fitness goals and New Year’s Resolutions? What do you suggest for helping them stick to and succeed in their new goal?

Lauren: “By all means, set a large goal! But instead of sprinting from the starting line, pace yourself. Make a plan for how you’re going to overcome as many obstacles as you can possibly foresee. Who’s going to watch your kids? When can you work your training into your daily schedule? What are you going to do if the weather is bad? What things can you let go of to make time/funding available for your success? What precautions can you take to avoid injuries?”

Now, get to goal-setting! Find the tools you need to accomplish the stepping stones of your overall goal. If it’s a partner in crime, track down a friend with similar goals. If you’re in need of a personal trainer or online training program to coach you along the way, then invest in yourself and sign up for a program today. Many of them come with the option of canceling any time, and receive a refund if you find later that the program doesn’t fit your needs. Most importantly, start today!

Up next is Dr. Lori Shemek. Read her full interview as she expresses that a worthy fitness goal must primarily be intrinsically motivated that is driven by internal rewards. Making a deal with yourself will hold you accountable and will increase your motivation to not let yourself down.