Tips to keep 2020 fitness goals in focus

Alana Van Slovis
Tue, 14 Jan 2020 02:50:23 +0000
Arts & Life, News, 2020, campus, exercise, fitness, goals, gym, new year, new years resolution, ohio state, osu, RPAC, workout

The RPAC sees a rush of students at the beginning of the new year. Credit: Cori Wade | Lantern Photographer

A new year brings with it the promise of a new beginning for people looking to make a lifestyle change, but resolutions to get in shape physically can fade fast.?

Campus fitness facilities often flood with students looking to get fit for the new year, but the numbers drop fast, according to previous Lantern reporting. However, fitness instructors and enthusiasts at the university can offer advice on how to stick with goals for the new decade.

For Mitchell Miceli, personal training coordinator at the RPAC, making plans and establishing consistency is a way to stick with fitness.??

“With whatever program you set out for, set goals and benchmarks,” Miceli said. “As long as you have something to strive for, it helps you actually reach those goals.”

Alexis Loebick, a third-year in arts management, is following this tip. She said she plans to maintain a routine as opposed to toning specific body parts. She said her mentality is focused more on her overall health.

“The new year symbolizes a fresh start and a new semester,” Loebick said. “If I add fitness as a priority to my routine at the beginning of the year, I’m making a point to see it through for the rest of the semester.”?

She added that she has a goal of working out four to five days a week during the semester in order to build her endurance. Ultimately, she said she wants to be able to run for more than 30 minutes without stopping by spring.

“The new year definitely pushed me to get back into a fitness routine,” Loebick said. “I love using the new year as a motivator to jumpstart what I might have let die down in the past year.”

Mara Sanderow, a first-year in industrial and systems engineering who recently became a fitness instructor at Ohio State, said resolutions can become long-term fitness habits if set for reasons centered around making your body healthier.?

“These goals tend to last longer when people find a healthy balance and fitness exercises they enjoy,” Sanderow said.

Miceli said it is recommended that people exercise for about 150 minutes a week, which could be distributed Monday through Friday for about 30 minutes a day. Exercises such as walking, jogging or going to the gym can accomplish that goal.

“I get all of the client requests and see what kind of goals people are aiming for in the new year, the biggest ones being body composition, losing weight, as well as people trying to stay healthy,” Miceli said. “This can increase their immune system, help them sleep better and help them have a healthier lifestyle, which I think is a really good trend for people.”