As I sit down to write this, it’s the third week of January, rumored to be the most depressing week of the year. While not exactly scientific, it isn’t difficult to understand why we might be feeling down right about now. Christmas is over, spring is nowhere in sight, it’s dark and cold outside.

Another reason for feeling down may be that we’ve already fallen short on the New Year’s resolutions we made for ourselves and are feeling frustrated.

As a fitness professional, I have many thoughts about New Year’s resolutions. They often get a bad rap as many people don’t manage to follow through on them and may even give up fairly quickly – like by the third week of January! I’m here to say that it doesn’t have to be that way and it’s not too late to rock your resolutions for this year.

If you’re one of those people that has no problem achieving the goals you set for yourself, this article isn’t for you. For everyone else, the large majority, let’s talk about SMART goal setting.

We know that fitness related resolutions are very popular. With that in mind, I really love the idea of signing up for a Mankato Marathon race as one of your 2020 goals.

Rather than simply saying you are going to “get in shape”, a race is a SPECIFIC goal.

It is also MEASURABLE. Whether your goal is to run your first 5k or your 10th marathon, you’ll know when you’ve achieved it. The miles don’t lie.

When choosing your race, make sure the distance is ATTAINABLE. This means taking into account your current fitness level. Where are you starting from? Also, consider your lifestyle. How much time do you have to fit in training? You want to challenge yourself but you also want to be REALISTIC.

The best part about signing up for a race is that it’s a TIME SENSITIVE goal which is extremely helpful for staying on track. You’ll have a date on the calendar, a deadline. And since the race isn’t until October 16th, you have plenty of time to take action towards your goal.

Speaking of taking action…

We tend to think that “tomorrow” is the best time to start working towards a goal when the truth is that now is always the best time to start.

The obvious first step is going to be choosing your race and signing up. Whether it’s your first 5k or your 10th marathon, spending the money and getting the date on the calendar will make it real.

Next, you’re going to need the proper footwear if you don’t already have it and somewhere to run! It’s January in Minnesota so that likely means a gym membership.

We are blessed with a vibrant fitness community in Mankato so you’ll have many places to choose from. Of course, I’m biased towards the Y – especially for busy parents. We’ve got you covered with 90 minutes of free child watch daily so you’ll have one less barrier in the way of your training. But you’ll need to take into consideration the place that will best fit your budget and your lifestyle.

You’ll also need a plan.

Hiring a personal trainer to help you come up with your training plan is a great option. Not only will they be able to design a running schedule for you but they can also teach you how to cross train with weights, making you a stronger runner overall. Trainers also help provide that external accountability that so many of us need.

Finally, as you take action towards your goal you will need the right mindset. I suggest making moderation your mantra.

Start Slow. Stay Steady.

Let’s say your goal is to run the Mankato Half Marathon in October but right now you can only run for five minutes at a time. Make it your goal to run every other day, increasing your time by just a minute or two each time you run. Know that you will occasionally have setbacks where you go several days without running. Expect that. Keep moving forward.

Sign yourself up for a 5k or a 10k sometime in the spring. Continue to increase those miles throughout the summer. By October, 13.1 will be well within your reach!

So this year, instead of resolving to stop doing something or to fix some perceived flaw in yourself, why not set a goal for something you want to achieve! Positive resolutions are so much more motivating and you can never fail as long as you set SMART goals and keep taking those slow and steady steps forward!

Stephanie Fischer

Director of Healthy Living
Mankato Family YMCA
NSCA-Certified Personal Trainer
Les Mills, MOSSA and NETA Certified Group Exercise Instructor
Busy Mom 😊