HAPPY new year to my fitness and wellness family. Now that the festive season is over, it’s back to the harsh realities of everyday life: the bills will still arrive like clockwork, the kids are a handful like they’ve always been, and yes, it’s still going to take a consistent, diligent effort to achieve and maintain good health.

Traditionally, this is the time of year when we tend to make resolutions about things we want to do or achieve during the year. Hopefully you’ll do a better job this year of keeping them than you did last year, and hopefully one of those resolutions is to step your game up in terms of your efforts at a healthy body and lifestyle.

ASSESSING THE DAMAGE

The majority of us, including the more diligent among us, may have overindulged at Christmastime. But all that great-tasting food and liquor means all those calories. Well, hopefully you didn’t go too crazy. However, if you did, the first thing to do in the aftermath of any ‘disaster’, whether natural or man-made, is assess the damage.

How many of the pounds that you sweated and worked off during the year did you regain over the holidays? How many of the lost inches did you pack on?

UNDOING THE DAMAGE

Now that you’ve evaluated yourself, you know how much work you have ahead of you. This is not the time to get depressed, after all, it is your own doing. Instead, it’s time to get back in the gym and set about undoing it.

Some of us tend to overspend at Christmastime and then find ourselves broke in January. Then we start looking for more expenses to cut from our already limited budget in an attempt to balance the books as quickly as possible. Many of us will choose not to renew that gym membership for January in order to save some cash. Please, if at all possible, avoid doing so. If you really do have to suspend going to the gym this month, ensure you replace it with another structured physical activity, instead of with inactivity.

Lack of activity will only compound the problem of unwanted weight gain. Maybe it’s time to visit that football field nearby and complete a few laps; start walking or jogging that very hill you live on instead of only driving home; take up swimming a few times per week. Anything that will facilitate some cardio as well as give you some muscular strength and endurance will do.

MIXING THINGS UP

Also, remember that our bodies are very adaptive and that old routine from last year might not bring the same results, because your body has got used to that particular stimulus. A new routine and a new workout schedule may cause you to approach the task with renewed zest and will also prevent you from reaching your fitness plateau too quickly.

MAKE MEANINGFUL FITNESS RESOLUTIONS

I also recommended that you base your workout resolutions on something more long term and meaningful. Many will be running to the gym in February or to Socacise with the goal of looking good for carnival. If you must, make that a mile marker on your way to achieving your fitness goal and not the goal itself.

EATING RIGHT

Last but not least, get your eating back on track as what you put into your body is still probably the most important factors determining what you get out of it.

Bear all these things in mind, sharpen your focus and it should be a fulfilling year.

Face your 2015 goal head-on.

Marlon Ebanks is a personal fitness instructor who has been certified by the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America since 2009.