Finding the right New Year’s fitness resolution can be trickier than you think, apparently 80% of all New Year's resolutions fail by February! If you don’t put some consideration in what you want to accomplish and, how you can reach it, you might find yourself going straight into that 80% bucket.

Figure out what exactly you want

There are a few things that are key to a successful resolution. You’re looking for that right balance of specific and flexible, achievable and challenging, exciting and approachable. And, most importantly, the plan should be catered to your specific needs and lifestyle. You will be the one following it for 12 months, after all.

So when you sit down to figure out what your exercise plan to look like this year, consider Kula Athletic’s tips for nailing that New Year’s fitness resolution.

Set yourself up for success (but don’t forget to push yourself)

In the inspiration of the season, it can often be easy to get caught up in lofty fitness goals: that six pack that you always wanted, or signing up for a marathon, for example. And while it’s a great idea to have goals, it’s more important that they are calculated based on your current exercise regimen. If you’ve never done a situp or run a 5km, it might be a good idea to either scale back your goal or break it down into smaller parts.

That said, we also invite you to push yourself a little. After all, if the goal is too easy, you will just get bored.

Another key to success: make your resolution visible. This might mean writing down small milestones on your calendar or posting your progress on social media. That way, you’ll feel more accomplished when you look back at your successes and be able to recalculate your overall goal if need be.

Be gentle

Let’s face it, keeping up with New Year’s fitness resolutions can be hard, especially when they mean you need to get out there and keep persevering. But a mistake that many of us make is to give it all up at the first sign of failure. Instead, if you miss a milestone or start to feel overwhelmed over the first few weeks, don’t be so hard on yourself.

A much better response to missing a step is to take a deep breath, reassess the resolution, and keep going. We may set our intentions on January 1st but that doesn’t mean that they’re set in stone. So don’t feel guilty if you decide to change your resolution a little bit over the months to fit your current needs.

Other tips

You may still be feeling less than enthusiastic about your chances of following through with your New Year’s fitness resolution, and that’s okay. The best thing you can do to boost your chances is to take it one day at a time, congratulate yourself on your progress, and give yourself plenty of encouragement.

Sometimes joining a running club or sports team is a great way to keep inspired and involved in your fitness resolution. Oh and don’t forget to treat yourself to some new activewear for that extra bit of oomph :)

Happy New Year, and good luck!