using reflection to achieve your fitness goals

So the New Year is right around the corner, and you're thinking... this is the year. The year where I meet all my goals, exercise, and get my diet in order.

I love the drive behind this thought process. Now let's make sure this happens for you.

At the heart of this mindset is the need for a change in behavior. In both public health and fitness, there are many theories regarding how people can go about changing their behavior, but one understanding is the need for self-efficacy. This refers to the belief in yourself and your ability to change your behavior. Often, self-efficacy comes with motivation and wanes over time, which is why many in the fitness industry push for consistent patterns of behavior even when someone isn't motivated to follow through with said behavior. Put simply, when you start to think about how you don't want to exercise anymore, you often lose belief in yourself and your abilities.

This is where I'm a big advocate for self-reflection. Self-reflection not only allows you to monitor the status of your goals and progress, but how you feel over time. More recent studies have shown that the use of self-reflection after workouts means you are more likely to not only continue working out but to work out more often. Why? Because people who self-reflect have an intimate understanding of themselves and their behavior, in both good an bad moments, with both high and low levels of motivation.

I like to use the example of journaling. When you journal, you naturally reflect on how you're doing, how life is going, etc. Applying this in a fitness context has similar effects. You can ask yourself; How did that run make you feel? Was it enjoyable? Do I need to find a better type of fitness for me? Is this diet really sustainable for me in years to come?

And if you think I'm talking a bunch of crap, I'll have you know that I still do this after years of being in fitness. Not with every workout, but at least once a month.

The science behind this is simple. If you can check in with yourself, you are more likely to understand where you are and how far along you are on your way to accomplishing your goals. There are other ways to do this as well, like tracking your weight, but emotions and thoughts are powerful tools that can be used to your advantage. Sometimes are uncomfortable, sometimes they are rewarding. Over time they allow you to see how far you have come both physically and mentally.

To get you started, here are some prompts for reflection:

• What are my goals related to health and wellness for the coming year?

• What goal should I start with first?

• How do I want to accomplish this goal?

• What is my favorite type of movement?

• What progress have I made towards improving my health already?

• What do I need to develop consistent healthy habits?

• How do I feel about my health?

• In what areas of life am I doing well in?

• How does exercise make me feel?

• Do I need an accountability partner or someone to exercise with?

• Do I enjoy attending fitness classes?

• What do I appreciate about myself?

• What are some barriers to improving my health

• How can I reduce or remove these barriers?

Remember that health is more than just the physical. Health is about the mind, body, and soul.

I hope you consider incorporating self-reflection in your health and fitness journey.