As the New Year is upon us we are all ready to list down our resolutions. Year on year, fitness seems to top the list for most of us. We get all bucked-up and pen down our fitness plans, including the subscription to that gym membership!

While gym membership lasts for the year, our enthusiasm and dedication fade off as the months pass by. This time around, let us help you shake things a bit. Here are five simple ways you can use to make that fitness resolution stick through the year.

• Acknowledge your intent for the fitness resolution:

A New Year Resolution for Fitness indicates change. Changes can make us uncomfortable; hence, it is crucial to establish the reason why we want to do it in the first place. The reason can be anything ranging from looking better and younger to becoming healthier; spelling it out loud and writing it for yourself is the first step to making it go a long way!

• List your fitness goal and set milestones:

It is important to envision where you want to see yourself at the end of the year. Once you have defined your fitness goal, break them up into smaller challenges for your workout sessions. Celebrate accomplishing each challenge; progress, no matter how small, is an achievement for the ultimate goal.

• Make small lifestyle changes to keep yourself going:

Cardio, weight-training, and circuit training may not be enough to get the best results from your workout. Incorporating small changes in your day-to-day life would help you get the best from your exercise. You can do any of the following things to help sustain the benefits of your hours at the gym; drink a glass of water before your meals, incorporate more walking into your daily routine, take the stairs more often, practice portion control in your daily diet, use smaller sized plates for your meals, do ten reps of squats every time you go to the washroom.

• Make the best use of the technology:

In the age of technology that we live in, there is an umpteen number of applications and platforms that you can use to help maintain your fitness regimen. You can subscribe to apps that remind you to sip water every 30 minutes, apps that help you keep a calorie count of every meal you consume and help you with the ideal amount which will help you stay energised, apps and gadgets which help you count the number of steps you have covered during the day or how many calories you have burned doing your regular day-to-day work, etc. You can even make ample use of social media on the same account; you can keep posting your progress online to demarcate your milestones and your advancement. Scientists claim that taking photos of your food makes you conscious about what you eat and how much, hence automatically directing you towards fitter food options and portions. You can also use social media to follow different fitness gurus and seek advice on how to make things work better for you!

• Add the fun factor:

Whether you choose to hit the gym or to work out at home; remember to focus on having fun with whatever you do! You can start by making a workout mix with all your favourite soundtracks. You can also try switching from one form of workout to another to keep things interesting. If you like group activities, you can opt for circuit training, Zumba, spinning classes, or any other form of exercise usually done in groups. If you prefer the great outdoors, you can opt to break the pattern with an occasional hike or try adventure sports. The list of options is long and interesting; you can give everything a try!

The key to making a fitness resolution stick is to consistently add the twists, which make it exciting enough to get you out of bed every morning. While traditionally, fitness has been perceived to involve much hard work, there are a substantial number of options available these days, which help you work smart for your fitness. This year, focus on making fitness an enjoyable experience. You will notice steady and consistent changes which you can be happy about all the year-round. When you add fun to your fitness, lesser is the likeliness of you forfeiting it!