The New Year is quickly creeping up on us. Do you have a New Year's
Resolution? Well, if you're like most Americans (88 percent in 2001
according to a GNC poll), you have at least one resolution. And, if you are
like the majority of these promise-makers, your resolution is probably
related to health and fitness. In 2001 (according to GNC), 55 percent
promised to eat healthier, 50 percent resolved to exercise more, and 38
percent wanted to lose weight.

While resolutions are well-intentioned, unfortunately most people fail at
keeping them. With all the hype surrounding these promises, it's easy to get
caught up in the hype without really taking them seriously.

We live in a throw-away society and even our resolutions, I'm afraid, are
not immune. However, especially for promises that include improving our
health, it's in our best interest not to take them lightly.

So, what's the secret to successful resolutions? While you can't wave a
magic wand and make your resolution come true, there are some easy steps to
take that will make it easier to fulfill your promise to yourself.

· Choose an obtainable goal. Resolving to look like a super model is not
realistic for the majority of us, but promising to include daily physical
activity in our lives is very possible.
· Avoid choosing a resolution that you've been unsuccessful at achieving
year after year. This will only set you up for failure, frustration and
disappointment. If you are still tempted to make a promise that you've made
before, then try altering it. For example, instead of stating that you are
going to lose 30 pounds, try promising to eat healthier and increase your
weekly exercise.
· Create a game plan. At the beginning of January, write a comprehensive
plan. All successful businesses start with a business plan that describes
their mission and specifics on how they will achieve it. Write your own
personal plan and you'll be more likely to succeed as well.
· Break it down and make it less intimidating. Rather than one BIG end goal,
dissect it into smaller pieces. Set several smaller goals to achieve
throughout the year that will help you to reach the ultimate goal. Then,
even if you aren't able to reach your final goal, you will have many
smaller, but still significant, achievements along the way. For example, if
your goal is to complete a 10K race, your smaller goals could be running a
5K in less than 30 minutes, adding upper and lower body strength training to
increase your muscular endurance, and running 2 miles with a personal best
completion time.
· Ask friends and family members to help you so you have someone to be
accountable to. Just be sure to set limits so that this doesn't backfire and
become more irritating than helpful. For example, if you resolve to be more
positive ask them to gently remind you when you start talking negatively.
· Reward yourself with each milestone. If you've stuck with your resolution
for 2 months, treat yourself to something special. But, be careful of your
reward type. If you've lost 5 pounds, don't give yourself a piece of cake as
an award. Instead, treat yourself to something non-food related, like a
professional massage.
· Don't go it alone! Get professional assistance. Everyone needs help and
sometimes a friend just isn't enough. Sometimes you need the help of a
trained professional. Don't feel that seeking help is a way of copping out.
Especially when it comes to fitness, research studies have shown that
assistance from a fitness professional greatly improves people's success
rate.
· Limit your number of promises. You'll spread yourself too thin trying to
make multiple changes in your life. This will just lead to failure of all of
the resolutions.

On average only about 20% of us keep our New Year's resolutions.
Unfortunately, some of the biggest failures are found in fitness
resolutions. But don't let the statistics get you down. By following the
tips above you'll be better equipped to fall into the successful 20%
category. If you need professional help with a fitness-related resolution,
visit www.workoutsforyou.com for help.

About the author: Lynn Bode is a certified personal trainer specializing in
Internet-based fitness programs. She founded Workouts For You, which
provides affordable online exercise programs that are custom designed for
each individual. Visit: http://www.workoutsforyou.com for a free sample
workout and to sign-up for their monthly fitness newsletter. Fitness
professionals, visit: http://www.trainerforce.com