Whether your goal is to start exercising this year, lose weight, gain weight or get healthy, having a solid plan can make the difference between failure and success.
The resources below can help, no matter where you are in your health and fitness journey. Learn effective ways to set your New Year's resolutions, get some mental exercise before you get physical, try a free exercise program or learn about the basics of fitness, weight loss and health. With these tools, you can make this your healthiest year yet.
Making Your New Year's Resolution
- How to Make New Year's Resolutions: Starting fresh is a great feeling, but it's easy to wimp out before January's even over. Get tips on how to set realistic resolutions.
- Top New Year's Resolutions: This tongue-in-cheek list of resolutions may make you smile -- and smiling burns calories!
- Keeping Your Resolutions: For extra credit, read ahead to learn how to prevent falling off the wagon.
Mental Preparation
If this is the ninth year in a row you've set a goal to lose weight, maybe you need a different approach. While exercise is all about moving your body, it's your mind that usually stands in the way. If you follow the same exercise program every year and never find the right fit, take some time to learn what your exercise obstacles, attitudes and beliefs are. Getting your mind right can make all the difference.
- Giving Up the Weight Loss Obsession: What if you decided not to lose weight and set other goals? This article asks this intriguing question, but only you have the answer.
- Don't Like to Exercise? Overcome Your Fears: Get some insight into all the things you may not like about exercise and how to get past those mental roadblocks.
- Quiz: Is Exercise a Priority for You? Take an honest look at what your priorities are. It won't hurt, I promise.
- Quiz: What's Your Biggest Obstacle to Exercise? Learn how to navigate the obstacles that stand in your way of being healthy.
How Much do You Know About Exercise and Weight Loss?
Before you jump into your program, taking some time to learn more about the basics of exercise and weight loss may help you set up a more effective program. Test your knowledge about cardio, strength training, weight loss, body fat and more.
- What's Your Fitness Level?
- Body Fat Quiz
- Fitness Myths
- The Psychology of Exercise
- What's Your Fitness IQ?
- Exercise and Weight Loss Quiz
- How Much do you Know About Cardio?
- Strength Benefits and Myths
Setting Goals
We all need something to work for, especially when it comes to weight loss. But, too often we set unrealistic goals. Hey, I wouldn't mind turning back the clock and watching my body spring back to its 16-year-old status, but is that really attainable? Not without my trusty time machine. Learn more about setting realistic weight loss and fitness goals.
- How to Set Weight Loss Goals: Get tips and tricks for setting weight loss goals that aren't out of reach.
- Quiz: How Realistic Are You About Weight Loss? Get to the bottom of your weight loss attitudes to help you avoid living in fantasy-land.
- Setting Goals for Beginners: If you're just getting started, this step-by-step guide will help figure out what steps you need to take to set up a complete program.
- Setting Realistic Fitness Goals: Learn about a variety of different goals (losing fat, gaining muscle) and the basics for how to reach them.
Getting Started with Exercise and Weight Loss
Don't you love that first week of a fresh new exercise program? It's almost like starting over and the possibilities seem endless. But, what happens when that oh-so-good feeling fades? Maybe you won't have to find out this year if you start off on the right foot.
- Beginner's Corner: This is your starting place for everything you need to know about getting started with exercise and setting up your own program.
- Get in Shape With Exercise: What do you really need to do to get in shape? This article explains it all.
- How to Lose Weight: If weight loss is your goal, learn the basics about calories in, calories out and how to tweak those numbers for weight loss.
- Successful Weight Loss: Do you have what it takes to succeed at weight loss? Learn about the mental ingredients you'll need if you're in it for the long haul.
- Quiz: Are You Ready to Make a Lifestyle Change? Part of losing weight is changing how you live, but are you ready for those changes? This quiz will help you find out.
Exercise and Weight Loss Programs
If you'd like structured guidance, these exercise and weight loss programs may be just what the trainer ordered.
- 30-Day Fitness Challenge: This program isn't about losing weight, but more about learning to focus on making healthy choices each day. These daily challenges to keep you active and on your toes.
- 30-Day Quick Start Exercise Guide
- 12 Weeks to Weight Loss: This is an in-depth weight loss program that includes 12 weeks of workouts, schedules and nutrition challenges.
- 6 Weeks to Fitness for Absolute Beginners
- 6 Weeks to a Healthy Lifestyle: If you want to take things slow, this 6-week program may be a good choice for you.
- Postpartum Weight Loss Program: If you've just had a baby or are struggling to lose postpartum weight, this program will guide you through cardio, strength and flexibility programs for new moms.
Exercise Motivation
If you already know what you're doing, you may just need a nudge in the right direction to get started. Motivation is the most important thing you'll need to get and stay fit and these links will help you figure out how to get some.
- Staying Committed to Exercise: You may not know that starting an exercise program is like committing to a relationship, but it is. Get some insight into how to treat your workouts with a little respect.
- Getting Motivated: What do you think motivation is and where does it come from? That's just one question this article asks and answers to help you get motivated.
- Dealing with Plateaus: Plateaus, both mental and physical, are normal. But, just because they're normal doesn't mean you can't do something about them. Learn how to get past weight loss plateaus.
- Why Aren't you Motivated to Exercise? Before you answer that question, get some perspective on your lifestyle and how to get motivated to make it more active.
