Stefania Gandolfi / Paige Tibbetts
Instructors | Ryde Cayman
Sticking to resolutions — especially those that challenge us physically and mentally — can be difficult. The key to success is to establish a new routine incorporating the objectives of your resolution.
The first few weeks will be difficult, but you will have a better chance of success if you can adopt your new schedule as your routine. Like everything in life, it helps to enjoy what you are doing, so try to create a routine that is both enjoyable and achievable.
Here are a few tips to get you started and keep you on track for success:
- Make a plan — specifically what days and time you will be working out. If you are busy at work, a new mother or an empty nester, it may be difficult to strike a balance, but you will be better for it. Choose a routine you can manage and stay consistent: “Consistency will transform average into extraordinary."
- Structure your workout — if you are working out on your own, make sure you have a plan. If you don’t, you will spend so much time debating what to do you will never accomplish anything. Make sure that your goals are specific, measurable and achievable.
- Hold yourself accountable — there are a number of personal training apps that can help you design a workout but accountability is a personal choice. If you find it difficult to self-motivate, build a support network and attend group fitness classes with friends (motivate each other). If you enjoy working out, you will prioritise wellness over other commitments.
- Embrace your failure and celebrate your successes, enjoy the journey and make the most out of it. You will find that you emerge — physically and mentally — healthier, happier and better able to overcome life’s everyday challenges.
- Don’t procrastinate! Waiting for the perfect time or life conditions to start something new is a mistake that can lead to stagnation and regret. If you are struggling to take the first step, come see us at Ryde Cayman and let us help you get started on your wellness journey.
Mateusz Bednarczuk
Soft Tissue and Sports Massage Therapist | Align
To be honest, I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. Especially resolutions that tie into the “be fit, lose weight and look great” goal — which most of them seem to.
So, what do I have against them? The reality is that as a sports massage therapist, I get to see the muscle strains and injuries caused by fitness goals that are unachievable; new fitness schedules that are unsupervised and don’t take into account important details like correct technique, building up momentum and tracking of progress; and even basics like the importance of hydration.
And what a bad time to start an extreme new regime: immediately after four to six weeks of excess socialising, eating and drinking and less exercise than usual…a recipe for disaster, right? No wonder most New Year’s resolutions are long forgotten by 1 Feb.
Here's what I suggest as an alternative:
- Building up your fitness today with "little and often" as your mantra.
- Sports/exercise regimes may use muscles that you haven’t been using too much prior, so make sure you warm up and down and stay hydrated — especially in Cayman temperatures.
- If possible, use a professional coach/trainer. They will ensure your technique/form is correct and minimise the risk of injury.
- Achievable goals and track your progress — seeing an impact early on can really improve motivation to stick to the new routine on an ongoing basis.
- Active recovery as part of your training regime. Soft tissue massage can be an important preventative tool, which can work against the development of potential sports injuries.
Richard Lawtey
Trainer | Anytime Fitness Grand Cayman
New Year's is upon us, and with it are those resolutions that are often wellness- or fitness-related in nature. Coach Rich from Anytime Fitness here, with my top five tips to help you achieve those goals in 2023.
1. Have measurable goals when planning your New Year's resolutions. Improving your range of motion in your squat or increasing your one-rep max deadlift by 15 lbs. are measurable goals. You will physically be able to see the results, which in turn will keep you motivated. A more vague goal will not allow us to know if you have actually achieved it.
2. Work out with a friend. Many people find that working out with a partner or a small group is more motivating than going it alone. Be accountable to your friend and they can do the same for you, or you can help each other through a motivational dip or enjoy some healthy competition. At Anytime Fitness, we have private one-to-one sessions available with personal trainers as well as small group training, which offers semi-private training for groups of up to three or four people.
3. Know where you are starting from. At Anytime Fitness, we use the latest technology with our state-of-the-art Evolt 360 body scanner, which offers a comprehensive body composition scan. The scan is free for members and provides you with more than 35 different pieces of information in terms of your body's current composition, including lean body mass, mineral content, hydration levels, biological age and more, right through to macronutrient recommendations based on your goals. If that all sounds complicated, our certified coaches will guide you through it step by step.
4. Plan ahead. Use the time between Christmas and New Year to make a plan of action for yourself. When can you physically make time to work out? Notice we said make time. Because it won’t happen otherwise if we imagine just finding the time. Can you use that hour available after dropping the kids off on the school run? Can you use your lunch break to your advantage and get a 30-minute workout in? Reward yourself with some quality “me” time, and start feeling good this New Year.
5. Have a workout plan to follow. Often it can be a little overwhelming knowing where to start in the gym. Every member at Anytime Fitness receives two complimentary consultations with one of our very own in-house personal trainers. Let us discover your “why” and set you off in the right direction, with purpose and direction.
Let me leave you with this nugget: "90% of people never have a plan whenever they walk into the gym. Also, 90% of people never reach their goals in the gym. This is not a coincidence." We want to see you succeed and break the cycle of another New Year's resolution. Let’s finally form healthier habits that won’t be discarded by February. Let’s make healthy happen in 2023!
Tarasa Barnett
Co-Founder | CrossFit Cayman
At CrossFit Cayman, we believe in the importance of moving and exercising our bodies consistently. We also help teach our members about the ways the things they put into their bodies affect them.
Eating the right foods and quantities will fuel your body properly for everyday life and workouts, fight off disease and help overall health. A great way to kickstart healthier eating habits and have accountability (especially with the holidays right around the corner) is by using a food-tracking app.
These apps will take out all of the guesswork for you! Once you enter in your desired goals, they will give you the information needed to help you reach your goals (calories and macros to hit per day, check-ins at the end of the week, etc.). Remember, these apps aren't about quick fixes, but learning more about nutrition and how what we put into our bodies affects us more than we would ever know!
The two apps we use at the gym and recommend:
• Carbon - Smart Diet Coach.
• MyFitnessPal.
Remember, it’s all about consistency, not being perfect.
This article was originally published in the December 2022 print edition of Camana Bay Times.