When New Year’s fitness resolutions don’t stick past mid-January, it is often because they were too impersonal. 

Resolving only to ‘eat better’ or ‘exercise more’ reduces your desire for increased fitness to mere general advice.

Instead of all that, this year: let’s make it personal.

Connect your 2015 fitness resolution to something highly individual that makes you feel excited, inspired, enthusiastic, and maybe even a little scared.

That way, you are much less likely to forget your resolution and a lot more likely to succeed.

Here are five fresh 2015 resolution ideas to get you started:

1. Aim for the Finish Line: A looming date when you’ll need to be your fittest is a great motivator. Signing up for a road race is one great option. Each April in B.C. we are lucky to have the Sun Run hosted in Vancouver. It’s one of the world’s most popular 10k runs! Whatever race you join, a date roughly a third of the way through the year is the perfect amount of time to make real fitness gains before the race, while also being unable to put off preparing for long! Remember, unless you’re an actual pro, focus only on scoring your personal best!

2. Set a Beach Date: If athletic goals don’t inspire you much, and we hear that a lot, feeling better on the beach just might! First, book a firm date to go splashing about in some waves. Then, resolve to feel your most confident ever on that day. Tropical locations are always great, but you can also consider some summer fun on one of B.C.’s beautiful lakes, like the Okanagan or Shuswap. Prefer to stay close to home? Feeling brave? There’s always Wreck Beach…

3. Prepare for Your Close-Up: This old personal training trick honestly works wonders: simply schedule a professional photography shoot for yourself. Fashion, family, glamour, swimsuit, silly, boudoir, the details are up to you! But make sure to leave time to prepare. Need extra incentive? Set it for a special day, like your birthday, an anniversary, or the first day of summer. Hopefully, you will feel your absolute best that day. No matter what, you will have the pictures to keep as lasting inspiration.

4. Get Back in the Game: Remember when you were a kid? You didn’t exercise for your health but because it was so much fun! You can recapture that pure sense of body joy by joining a rec league in your favourite childhood sport or something you always wanted to try. Soccer and softball are always solid options, but there are adult leagues available for everything from dodge ball to floor hockey. Or what about a martial art? Wax on, wax off, right?

5. Invest in Your Success: Achieving personal fitness goals always comes with a price. First, you must spend time by prioritizing fitness. But also, you must be prepared to buy proper fitness attire, especially tops, shorts, and shoes. Designer apparel is not needed, but modern fabrics are definitely more comfortable to sweat in than old cotton T-shirts. So spoil yourself a little if you can. The sense of excitement to work out in your new gear is well worth it.

Finally, never let fear of failure limit your ambition. If you believe you have plenty of room to improve, then definitely strive for that. Just remember to make your 2015 resolutions very clear and always personal.

Good luck!

For additional helpful advice or to consider working with a personal trainer to help you set and achieve meaningful 2015 fitness goals, contact us today! 

Shaun Karp is a certified trainer and owner of Karp Personal Training in Vancouver, B.C.  For further information call (604) 420-7800 or visit his web site: www.karpfitness.com.

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