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You made a New Year’s resolution to run everyday, but you didn’t realize there would be so much snow and ice and subzero temperatures to contend with.
You wanted to lose weight, but you forgot you have to brave a chilly wind to purchase fresh produce at the grocery store and, besides, salads are just too cold to eat in the winter when a chicken wing pizza is only a phone call away.
So, what do you do?
Well, you could continue to blame Mother Nature and just sink back on the couch, reach into that opened bag of potato chips and watch Netflix, or, you could get off the couch and get back on track.
Motivational coach Richard Perry has heard all the excuses before, and he said this winter is no different than any other one.
“Each year everyone says that this winter is the worst,” he said. “But the truth of the matter is that if someone really wants something, he will do it, no matter what the weather is like. I’ve actually heard people say just the opposite and blame the summer weather that it was just too hot to exercise.”
One of the main problems with New Year’s resolutions or any type of goal is that sometimes a person doesn’t recognize the time or effort involved in attaining it, said Perry, who conducts motivational seminars throughout Luzerne County.
“We all want that instant gratification,” he said. “We don’t want to put the work into doing something. We want to take a ‘magic pill’ to lose weight overnight. What they don’t realize is that sometimes it takes a couple of months of work to see results.”
Jessica Sands sees that at the beginning of every year as the owner of Sweat Fitness Center in Plains Township.
“Most people have the all or nothing mentality and with fitness that can spell disaster,” she said. “There is no instant gratification in terms of seeing results. You can’t undo years or months of damage in a week or a few days.”
She said February brings the usually dropoff after New Year’s resolutions have come and gone, but by March, as spring approaches, more people start attending classes again.
Perry said a person needs to take ownership of his or her goal and stop pointing fingers at why he or she failed.
“Some people will just look for any excuse not to do something,” Perry said. “If someone really wants something unconditionally, he will do it.”
Another stumbling block, he said, is that a person feels one little misstep sets them up for failure. For example, if they set a goal to go to the gym seven days a week and a winter storm made travel unsafe, they should realize there are other things they can do to still stay on track.
The first step Perry does is assess the situation by helping the person determine whether or not he or she really wants to achieve that goal. The next thing is to make sure he knows the steps necessary he must implement in order to be successful.
“Do something small,” Perry said. “If you realistically can’t get to the gym because of the bad weather, then do something else that day to get moving, or if you can’t exercise at home, then just go to the gym the next day. Sometimes people get too hard on themselves and beat themselves up for a legitimate reason that came up. Just start fresh tomorrow.”
According to Perry, it’s not a sign of weakness to reach out for help.
“Use your resources,” he said. “If you need help planning your diet, see a nutritionist. If you can’t exercise on your own, hire a personal trainer. If you don’t have money, ask a friend to help you. It could be as simple as having a friend be a partner to walk with you everyday.”
Sands cautions those seeking to get in swimsuit shape to not overdo it right away. The fitness instructor said muscle soreness is normal for someone who may have not exercised in a long time, but it should not interfere with one’s ability to go through his normal day-to-day routine.
“Listen to your body if something doesn’t feel right,” she said. “Stop. Reevaluate what you’re doing and ask question. A knowledgeable instructor should be able to give modifications for anyone at any fitness level to keep them safe and uninjured.”