Studies show that 80 percent of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions come February 1.
But it may not be too late get back to the grind for the rest of the year, experts warn.
Daily Mail Online asked two top personal trainers their advice for staying focused on fitness goals and how to get back in the groove if you’ve already given up on them.
From re-evaluating your goals and managing your stress to having more sex, they revealed their most unusual and effective ways to stay focused even after January.
Two New York personal trainers told Daily Mail Online their tips on how to get back to your fitness goals even once your New Year’s motivation has gone
1. Change your ‘resolutions’ to concrete goals
Sticking to your resolutions begins with how you make them, according to Rui Li, personal trainer and CEO of New York Personal Training.
‘Shallow goals create shallow results,’ she said.
Rui recommends to make less aesthetic-oriented goals and instead set resolutions that are fueled by emotions.
‘There’s nothing wrong with having a goal of losing weight, but when there isn’t anything deeper to back up those goals it becomes much harder to stick to a plan,’ she said.
Therefore, instead of making broad resolutions like losing weight, Rui suggests setting a concrete goal of total body health for a specific reason that will drive your workout plan.
‘That will get you to really focus on sticking with something very tangible and then once you reach it you’ll feel pride and satisfaction,’ she said.
2. Have more sex
Harry Hanson, personal trainer and owner of Hanson Fitness in New York, told Daily Mail Online to do whatever it takes to stay active – including having sex.
‘Get a workout partner,’ he said. ‘Have sex as much as possible.’
‘The issue people have with not sticking to their resolutions is that they lack discipline,’ Harry said.
He added that if sex is your motivation to get your active and burn calories, you should be having a lot more of it.
3. Reassess your goals to find what’s not working
If you’re seeing your resolutions slipping away Rui said to take time to reassess and ask yourself: why do I want this? Why is this important?
This ‘check-in’ with yourself will help you determine if the motivation to continue is there and if your goals are still as important to you as they were on January 1.
If you find that your motivation has altered, Rui said feel free to shift your goals.
‘Life is constantly changing – we are constantly changing and should not be rigid with ourselves,’ Rui said.
‘Think of everything we’re trying to achieve as a work in process,’ she added.
Once you reassess, Rui said to draw up a new plan of attack and take action without overthinking.
Harry said that if you find yourself spending more time sitting at home watching TV instead of carrying out your goals, to use the time during commercial breaks to do some exercises.
‘Do push ups and crunches while watching TV to be more productive while you’re not in the gym,’ he said.
4. Look at yourself in the mirror… naked
Sometimes you need a little visual motivation.
‘Walk around your house with the least amount of clothing on as possible and stare at yourself,’ Harry said. ‘That will keep you focused.’
He added that seeing the things you want to change will serve as reminders to get back to diet and an exercise routine.
‘If you walk by a mirror and the first thing you see is your stomach or thighs or neck and you don’t like it – that will keep you focused on your goals,’ said Harry.
They said to look at yourself in the mirror naked, have more sex, rethink your goals and seek professional help to stay focused and on track
5. Manage stress and don’t be too hard on yourself
If you haven’t been as vigilant toward meeting your fitness goals as you’d like, that does not mean you should give them up completely.
Rui said she finds that people are overly negative with themselves when they haven’t met their fitness goals.
‘I always have to stress positive reinforcement,’ Rui said. ‘It is overwhelmingly more powerful than negative reinforcement.’
Harry said: ‘When you’re stressed out you’re going to eat junk and forget your New Year’s resolutions.’
Instead of dwelling on your mishaps, you want to be forgiving of yourself if you haven’t hit the gym as often as you like or have veered away from your diet.
‘Life happens and there is nothing wrong with slacking off a little,’ she said.
Instead of beating yourself up about it, that should serve as motivation to get back to your routine.
‘Accept it,’ Rui said. ‘Don’t attach an emotion or opinion to it and make a promise to yourself to start up again the next day or week.’
6. Seek outside help from a trainer or nutritionist
Rui is a big proponent for asking for help.
‘No one gets anything done alone,’ she said. ‘If you’re feeling lost it’s important to remember to ask for help.’
Seeking the assistance of a personal trainer or dietitian can provide the structure you need to reach your goals.
An outside professional will motivate you to stay on track and not let your New Year’s resolutions fade one month into the year.
However, Harry said: ‘I can train you in the gym but I can’t go home with you and throw away the junk in the fridge or slow you down from drinking alcohol.’
If you have the the budget and time to hire a fitness or nutrition coach, then Rui suggests never working out without one.
However, you can still seek help to get the structure you need without a professional.
‘The internet has so much out there,’ she said. ‘Do you research online and look at different websites, YouTube channels and social media pages.’
Though it may take time to sift through to find credible resources, getting aid in anyway will help keep you in line with your goal.
‘It’s a life long process learning about yourself, health and fitness,’ Rui said.