Each January as the New Year rolls around and the effects of multiple holiday brunches, lunches and extravagant dinners begin to take their toll, millions of Americans make promises (also known as resolutions) to lose weight and get fit.
In fact, according to statisticbrain.com, losing weight is the No. 1 resolution for 2018, responsible for more than 20 percent of Americans’ New Year’s promises. Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of resolution-makers say they infrequently or never succeed in attaining the desired outcome.
Despite the pessimistic numbers, it is not impossible to break this trend and succeed in keeping a healthy resolution.?United Healthcare recently released a few tips for individuals seeking to trim weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle in 2018. Most of the tips center around self-discipline and willingness to devote time to exercise, but all are simple and can be done by people of all ages.
The first tip from United Healthcare is to set realistic goals.
Evonne Freemon, who owns and operates Freemon’s Fitness with her husband Randy, says clients who expect to achieve unrealistic goals are usually the ones that throw in the towel first.
“You didn’t put on the weight overnight, and you’re not going to lose it overnight either,” she said. “Most people want to see results right away, and, if they don’t, frustration sets in.”
According to Freemon, a good tip for beginners and those that have not exercised recently is to start slow.
“If you’ve never been in the gym or haven’t been active in a while, it’s important not to overdo it when you get started,” she said. “Some folks try to use everything in here, and you can hurt your body and end up so sore you don’t want to come back.”
In order to avoid this pitfall, when new members come to Freemon’s Fitness, Freemon familiarizes them with the facility and equipment and helps them determine suitable fitness goals.
“On your first visit, we fill out the paperwork and take a tour of the gym to show what we have to offer,” she said. “I show them how to use every piece of equipment and make sure our members know that if they need additional help they can just come ask me any time I’m here and I’ll help them.”
Another tip from United Healthcare is to find the fun in fitness. This can be achieved by finding a certain enjoyable exercise or by working out with a friend.
“Some members work out with a buddy system,” said Freemon. “It can be an effective way to stay motivated by being accountable to someone else to stay with it and push and motivate each other.”
The use of technology can also be a fun way to keep up and track daily exercises and caloric intake. Freemon says there are many apps that can help track daily exercise and caloric intake.
Tips and technology are valuable, and Freemon’s Fitness and smartphone apps can help, but nothing happens until the individual finds the motivation and makes the decision to begin a new, healthy lifestyle in the new year.
Memberships at Freemon’s are available in six- and 12-month durations, and student discounts are available. Contact Evonne Freemon at 256-331-9003.
