YMCA offers tips to make resolutions stick

Hardyston — For many Americans, the coming of the New Year has brought about the realization that they must now fulfill their New Year’s resolution to get healthy and lose the unwanted pounds packed on during the holidays. Fortunately, the Sussex County YMCA has a lot of experience helping people overcome common obstacles, and offers a few useful tips for keeping those resolutions. “With all of the holiday madness finally behind us, people can begin to refocus on living a healthy lifestyle,” said David Carcieri, Executive Director. “Regardless of your progress to date, everyone should be taking advantage of this opportunity to use the New Year as a clean slate for healthy living.” Each year, an estimated 45 to 50 percent of Americans make resolutions hoping for a fresh start. So it’s frustrating to acknowledge that some 37 percent will have given up by March 1 and more than half by the end of June. By following these helpful tips you can significantly increase your chances of making your New Year’s resolution stick: •Don’t Be Overambitious - Set small reasonable goals for yourself. Rather than feeling discouraged because you didn’t reach all of your objectives right off the bat, start with an easily achievable goal and work up to a regular routine. As you become more physically conditioned, you’ll be able to gently increase your intensity level by picking up the pace or adding new exercises to your routine. This will help give you a sense of accomplishment, while keeping you on track. • Be Realistic - Don’t set yourself up for failure by choosing activities and workout times that are inconvenient or unappealing to you. For non-morning folk: don’t make a resolution to go for a jog every morning. Try something else like taking a long walk after dinner. Even though the morning jog may have been better exercise, the chance of reaching goals is better if sought through an activity one can stick with. •Set Concrete Goals - Avoid using vague words to state a resolution like, “I will exercise more.” Try rewording it to set specific goals, such as, “I will lift weights twice a week and go for a walk twice a week.” •Anticipate Roadblocks - Things like weather and illness can hinder sticking to a plan, so be prepared for these situations. All is not lost if a day or two is missed, because of unavoidable situations. The trick is to get back on track as soon as possible. •Build a Support System - Tell family, friends, co-workers and other YMCA members and staff about the resolution. If possible, try to include them by asking them to join in. You may be surprised to find how helpful and supportive they can be; announcing a resolution will foster accountability. While these tips can serve as useful guidelines to helping people live healthy in the coming year, it is important to remember that everybody’s situation is different and ultimately it is up to each individual to find what works best for them. To help the public keep those resolutions, the Sussex County YMCA offers a wide variety of fitness programs and classes that fit the needs of people at any age or fitness level, including nutritional counseling, personal training and a host of fitness classes and programs. Registration for Winter Programs at the YMCA is currently underway. For more information or to learn how to register for these programs, call 973-209-9622 or visit www.sussexcountyymca.org. The Sussex County YMCA is a branch of the Metropolitan YMCA of the Oranges, the largest YMCA in New Jersey, serving over 87,000 people annually, with a mission to enrich the lives of the children, families and communities it serves, through programs that build spirit, mind and body, welcoming all people, in an environment nurturing positive values.