Chronicle Editor
Health, Andile Tshuma
It is a new year and a time for new beginnings, naturally, for most people.
It is the time when many of us look back at the previous year, reminisce on the good things and resolve to work on improving on shortcomings.
Surely 2019 was a roller coaster, we had our highs and lows. Nonetheless we all have 2020 to make the most of it. I certainly hope that this year brings better fortunes for us as Zimbabweans.
Sometimes all in the name of New Year resolutions, we put ourselves under pressure and set goals that may be unachievable within a year and sometimes goals that may not be even realistic at all.
It is key to start right in order to finish well and it starts now.
While it is a new year and it would be wise to plan ahead on how best to have a fruitful 12 months, it is wiser to plan within our means and ensure that in the name of making New Year resolutions, we don’t end up drowning in misery.
At the beginning of the year, most people set New Year health goals. For some, it may be to lose weight, to eat healthier, to cut down on unhealthy habits, to get on an exercise programme and to maintain general health and wellness.
However, come year end, it is common that very few people would have managed to sustain that New Year new goals mantra.
Most Bulawayo gyms are fully subscribed during the first three months of the year, but a local fitness trainer says numbers start dwindling soon after the Easter holidays. Perhaps people lose their routine at that time and fail to get back on track. Do not be one of them.
We express our hopes for the New Year with grand resolutions, such as losing those many kilos before the next summer or spending 90 minutes a day sweating at the gym. Yet, after a month or two, those big dreams prove to be impossible to achieve.
While it is a new year, we do not have to be drastic and attempt to change everything overnight. I think real change is a process and should be done gradually.
Truly the song of New Year gets boring when at the beginning of each new year you are the same old you, just as you were two three or four years back. We need to learn to be more consistent.
Imagine hitting the gym hard for the first three weeks of January and suffering from burn out even before February ends? New year resolutions sometimes get monotonous, it’s time to put more action.
Life intrudes, as work and family demand our time. Or, we find that walking on a treadmill is just, well, boring. Discouragement sets in, followed by inaction, guilt, avoiding thinking about our goal, and eating lots of chocolate and other not so healthy snacks for consolation.
I think we must also keep our New Year health goals to ourselves and avoid announcing them, to the world. It’s not nice when people start asking why you are not losing any weight yet investing a lot of hours in the gym.
Goal-setting is more than making a wish and hoping it will come true. It’s proven to be effective for making real changes in your physical activity level and diet.
To set and achieve your goal, research shows it helps to follow this process. Recognise what you need to change, Establish a goal, Begin a goal-directed activity, Track your progress, and Reward yourself.
It sounds simple, So why do January’s good intentions often end up discarded by March? Many goals start out being too difficult and too general.
Choose a precise, positive goal for a short period of time. Make it challenging enough to motivate you, without being beyond your capabilities.
Pick a goal-directed activity that’s fun and enticing enough that you’ll keep doing it. Social support helps you stay motivated, so try to exercise with a friend, spouse or child.
Are you fighting extra weight? Instead of saying, “I want to drop 20 kilogrammes,” state your goal as “I will lose 2 kilograms this month” You’ll probably be able to meet that goal successfully, and even repeat it the following week.
Realistic goals might not seem exciting, but grander plans are often self-defeating. People get stumped when they have a huge goal, so they put it off.
By achieving a smaller goal, you see what you’ve done, then you can tackle the next goal.
Okay, so you pledged to go to the gym three times a week, but you only went once last week and not at all this week. Now what?
First, don’t let a problem or two rock your boat. Try getting back on track with the goal and schedule you chose. If that doesn’t work, revise your goal.
Don’t give up just because you couldn’t achieve the first goal you set.
Look at what’s possible to achieve right now. When you string together several short-term goals, you’ll discover that you’ve accomplished the long-term goal that once seemed so impossible.
And give yourself credit for what you’re able to do. It’s hard to change any behaviour. If you make a small change, it’s an awesome accomplishment.
Break up your resolution into smaller goals that don’t require months of vigilance before getting a pat on the back or seeing results.
The “all or nothing” attitude is a big threat. People end up “cheating” on their diet and decide to blow the rest of the day instead of getting back on track.
It’s OK to slip up, just don’t let it be an excuse to stop your efforts altogether.
Keep pushing yourself and as you achieve one resolution or goal, set a new one to keep pushing yourself.
Change can be hard and stressful. Don’t punish yourself or give up altogether because you have a bad day or two. Get right back on that proverbial horse and keep going.
Remember that three steps forward and one step back is still two steps forward.
Wishing you a fruitful year and hoping that all the work that you put in your health and wellness hustle pays off. Remember, if you start right, you will finish well. — @andile_tshuma
Online Reporter