Disclaimer: The information in this article is general in nature and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any exercise programme or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
An active New Year's resolution is easier to follow when it names a clear action. It should also fit your normal week after the holiday period ends.
A study of 1,066 adults found that 58.9% of people with approach goals reported success after one year. The rate was 47.1% for goals focused on avoiding something. The study used self-reported results from volunteers in Sweden, so the figures are not a promise for every person.
Choose an activity you want to repeat
Start with an action you want to do, not something you want to stop. A goal such as walking after lunch gives you a next step. A goal focused on stopping inactivity does not.
Choose an activity you enjoy and value enough to repeat. ABC Everyday writer Rachel Rasker described how a soccer team gave her one training night and one match each week. The fixed sessions and other players gave her a clear reason to turn up.
If company helps, look through local groups before setting the final goal. Check each listing or ask the organiser about schedules, costs and joining rules.
Plan the first week
Write down what you will do, where you will do it and when it will happen. A review of 41 trials involving 5,439 people found that planning improved physical activity overall. Results varied between studies, so a written plan helps without guaranteeing success.
Name the action. Choose one activity, such as walking, swimming or a group class.
Book the time. Add the first two or three sessions to your calendar.
Choose the place. Decide where each session starts and what you need to bring.
Prepare a backup. Write a smaller option for bad weather, overtime or a closed venue.
Plan only the first week in detail. Review it before copying the same pattern into the next week.
Set a target and a smaller fallback
Your target should be clear enough to count. For example, you might plan three 30-minute walks each week. You could set one 10-minute walk as the fallback for a disrupted day.
Australia's current adult guidelines recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity on most days. They also recommend muscle-strengthening work on two or more days each week. Treat this as a longer-term reference, not a demand to reach everything in week one.
Measure the action once a week
Track the action named in your plan. Record completed walks, training sessions or classes instead of judging the whole year.
A simple weekly check is enough. Count what happened, note what got in the way and adjust the next seven days. This keeps the review tied to choices you can change.
Restart after a missed session
Decide in advance what happens after a missed session. For example, move a cancelled Tuesday walk to Wednesday and reduce it to 10 minutes.
Do not add every missed session to the next week. Return to the normal schedule, then change the plan if the same problem keeps appearing.
Review the goal after four weeks
After four weeks, choose one of three actions: keep the plan, make it smaller or change the activity. A plan that repeatedly clashes with your life needs an edit. If the activity itself feels wrong, choose another one and schedule its first week.
