New year, new me, right? Like so many other people, you probably have your own New Year’s fitness resolutions that you want to achieve this year, whether it’s to look better, feel better, live better, or all three!

Creating a resolutions list is easy, but starting your new journey is a little bit more difficult, and actually sticking to it until the end is probably the toughest part of it all. If this isn’t your first rodeo, chances are you gave up one or many resolutions in the past, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying again this year – and we’re here to help!

We’ve prepared a list of some of the most effective ways to make a New Year’s fitness resolution stick so you don’t lose your motivation and focus throughout your journey. This way, you’ll be able to achieve your current New Year’s resolutions and even set new goals later in the year!

Find an accountability buddy

This is the go-to strategy for many active people who want to make sure they don’t throw the towel halfway through their new fitness journey. New Year’s fitness resolutions can be daunting at times, but having a support buddy that helps hold you accountable during the most difficult days can be incredibly helpful!

Having someone else embark on a fitness journey with you, no matter what your goals are or if they’re different from each other, will help both of you stay motivated and keep things fresh as the days go by. You can text each other encouraging words, pick each other up to go to the nearest gym or park, or go shopping for fitness gear together.

And you don’t even have to be in the same place! If your workout buddy is on the other side of the country, you can still plan your day together and make sure none of you skip the gym. You can even do a video call while working out! As long as it’s someone whose company you enjoy, having an accountability buddy can be beneficial for everyone involved.

Join a fitness class or club

Maybe your friends and family members aren’t into fitness and don’t really have New Year’s resolutions to keep up with, but you still like the idea of an accountability buddy. Don’t worry, you still have options, such as signing up for classes or clubs!

If your goal is to lose weight, you can join a walking club in your area, or get a personal trainer if you’re trying to get stronger and need someone to help you stay on track. CrossFit, yoga, SoulCycle, pilates… There are a bunch of options for you out there! You just need to find the one that works for you, your goals, and your lifestyle.

And if you’d rather stay on the inexpensive side, that’s fine too! Some clubs and classes are completely free because they’re community-based, and you can also join online groups and group chats with people with similar interests and goals to make sure you stay accountable no matter what.

Let people know about your goals

Get the word out! Tell your family, your friends, and even your coworkers about your goals for the New Year and the things you want to accomplish. Letting people know about your fitness New Year’s resolutions will not only bring encouragement but also help make it a part of your life instead of just something that’s on your mind.

Making your resolutions public can help you stay accountable in many ways, such as feeling motivated to give the people in your life updates about your progress and milestones achieved. Maybe they share the same goals as you and can exchange advice, or they can feel inspired by you, which in turn helps you stay on track!

Some people like to keep their goals private and that’s completely fine, you don’t have to let anyone know. But in that case, make sure to repeat them to yourself! Talk out loud about your goals, write down reminders on sticky notes, keep a visual progress board, etc. Just do what you can to always keep your resolutions present!

Allow for goal adjustments

When the year begins and you start working hard toward your resolutions, you might eventually realize that you don’t actually want to achieve those goals, or you do but to a different degree. Maybe you don’t want to lose 20 pounds, just 10 because that’s closer to your ideal weight, or you’d rather focus entirely on building muscle.

Doubting your goals is perfectly okay, but instead of thinking “well, time to stop then” try to stop and reflect on those goals, and think about how you can adjust them to better fit your current wants and needs. This also goes for the goals you couldn’t achieve on time! Just because you couldn’t meet your deadline doesn’t mean you can’t set a new one.

Reassessing your goals is part of the process because you’re not the same person you were right before the New Year, so don’t be afraid to make some changes. Adapt and overcome!

Keep track of your progress

This should be a given one, but keeping track of your progress is the best way to know where you’re currently at in your fitness journey, how much progress you’ve made, and how much work you still have ahead of you.

The biggest reason why keeping track of your progress is so important is that not all progress is obvious or even slightly noticeable. Your arms might look the same in the mirror after a couple of weeks, but if you measure them daily or weekly you will notice that you’ve built some muscle in that area.

The same goes for weight loss. A couple of pounds won’t really show in the mirror or even in clothes, but your scale will definitely notice, and thus so will you! Seeing your progress visually represented will help you stay focused and motivated throughout your journey, and will also help you adjust your goals and routine as you go.

Looking for a place to easily keep track of both your fitness progress and your meals and get a complete goal-focused workout plan? Check out the Fit With Iulia app!

Always keep it fun

When you’re on a fitness journey, chances are that it gets boring or repetitive after a while. Maybe you’re doing your best to keep your fitness routine mixed with different exercises and variations, but sometimes even that can become boring. Luckily, there are many ways to keep your workouts fun!

For example, try changing things up once in a while and work out at a completely different place! Find a different park or public space to work out at, or try a completely different activity like swimming or rock climbing – it’s up to you and what you enjoy.

Additionally, you can try having a reward system! Every time you hit a milestone, reward yourself for all your hard work, such as treating yourself to a nice spa day. Pick something you enjoy and that will make you feel good.

Give meal prepping a try

If you’re on a fitness journey or you’re about to begin a new one this upcoming year, you need to support your efforts at the gym with the right nutrition. Of course, if you’re new to this or you’re a busy person, keeping up with both an effective workout routine and a healthy meal plan can be somewhat difficult.

Doing some meal prep ahead of time can save you a lot of time and stress, especially when you don’t have a lot of free time during the week. Simply dedicate a couple of hours to cooking your meals for the week so you can always have them ready to go instead of worrying about what you’re going to eat every day.

You don’t even have to do all the work at once! You can cut up your fruits and veggies, season your meat, and prepare large portions of oatmeal and other foods that you can just leave in the fridge for when the time comes. This way, cooking won’t feel like a chore all the time, and you can focus your energy on working out instead!

Take the new year by storm

Sticking to your New Year’s fitness resolutions can be tough, but it’s not impossible. By implementing one or more of these tips you’ll be well on your way to a smooth journey without setbacks and without giving up halfway there!

Who are we?

We're UPPPER Fitness Gear – your new favorite fitness gear company! Founded by Iulia Danilova (Fit With Iulia), we strive to make fitness gear that is high-quality, durable, comfortable, stylish, and most importantly, designed to help take your workouts to the next level. 

Find all your fitness gear needs at UPPPER Collection.