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By Judy Heller

Judy Heller, founder of
Wonders of Walking LLC,
advocates walking for well being and pleasure. Wonders of Walking promotes Walking Events for Walkers by Walkers. Judy Heller is founder and owner of EroFit & Associates, LLC, celebrating Fitness for a Lifetime. Heller offers personalized fitness training and coaching for individuals and groups.
Contact: Judy Heller
at 503-282-1677:
email judy@erofit.com
jheller@wondersofwalking.com

Also visit: www.erofit.com
www.wondersofwalking.com

I only went out
for a walk and
concluded to stay out until sundown,
For going out,
I found
Was really going in.

— John Muir

Making a Realistic Fitness New Year’s Resolution

Do you know how it came to be that we celebrate New Year’s on January 1? Have you ever wondered where the New Year resolution tradition comes from?

The clay tablets of Mesopotamia show the Babylonians celebrated the new year more than 4,000 years ago. Their 11-day celebration was held in March and April, rather than January, to coincide with the spring planting of crops.

We celebrate New Year’s in January thanks to the Roman tinkering with yearly calendars. Numa Pompilus, one of the earliest rulers of Rome, added two months to the calendar including Januarius, in honor of Janus — the deity of gates and doorways. Janus is represented with two faces: one looking into the past, the other looking to the future. With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1752, the official New Year in the British Isles was changed from March to January 1, which had always been the day to celebrate by the common people.

With the coming of the new year, the resolution urge strikes. A resolution is a promise, a pledge we make to our self to achieve a desired result. Unfortunately, the feelings of rebirth and renewal of a new year encourages many of us to enthusiastically set unrealistic aspirations or goal(s). This is especially true of the New Year’s resolutions we make concerning fitness and walking goals.

Setting specific goals for yourself is an investment in you. You are creating success by mapping out an action plan. This enables you to visualize where you want to be, to prepare for upcoming events, adventures, or desired changes.

A goal is a dream with a deadline. It is something you are committed to achieving and willing to work toward. Whether your goal is to lose 5% body fat, complete a marathon, lower your blood pressure, or enter a walk relay event, the goal is uniquely yours. It is something you “want to do,” not something you “should do.”

As we start 2004, here are goal-setting tips on how to make your New Year’s walking and fitness resolutions last:

One of the best ways to set new resolutions is to review and re-evaluate your previous year’s resolutions and/or accomplishments. Did you set goals? Were they realistic? Did you create an action plan? Did you monitor your progress during the year? Did you accomplish your goal(s)? If not, why?
Next, decide what goals really are important to you, and which are realistic in terms of your time, abilities, and motivation. If you work long hours, training to walk a marathon may be unrealistic. Give yourself permission to find a shorter distance.

Make each goal specific and measurable: To walk three miles three times a week, within the next four weeks.

Write down a goal or goals for today, for this week and for the year. Then write down smaller steps to help reach the goals. Daily goals are steps towards weekly goals that are steps towards yearly goals. For your written goals:
• Prioritize goals.
• Write them down in the present tense;
”I am/now have....”
• Place them where you’ll see them often.
• Set a reasonable time frame for each
goal, because linking your goal to a
specific time may help your commitment.

If you miss a goal, don’t give up! Missing your goal for the day, week, or even month doesn’t mean failure. Remember, this is your goal for the New YEAR. It takes time to break bad habits and begin good ones. Everyone slips up from time to time. Examine what factors caused your slip up and learn from the experience.

Encourage, compliment, and reward yourself upon accomplishing your daily goal(s)! In keeping with the Babylonian belief that what a person does on the first day of a new year sets the tone for the year ahead, I begin each year by participating in the First Run and Walk. Since my husband and I began this tradition 29 years ago, we have only missed three First Run and Walk events. It’s a great way to re-confirm our commitment to walking and fitness for a lifetime.

Happy New Year and may 2004 be the year you make your walking and fitness goals come true!