NORWICH – Every January, as the calendar turns to the New Year, people around the area vow to stop smoking, lose weight, and get in shape. But, as we all know, the optimism of January often fades in the months that follow.
“We generally see a fairly large increase in the number of people joining our ‘Y’ in January, but by March it’s business as usual,” says Shannon Gawronski, Health and Fitness Director. “Making a commitment to a healthier lifestyle is more important now than ever, and making this commitment together as a family or with a supportive group greatly improves success.”
Studies confirm again and again the vital role that interaction and connectedness play in the long-term health and well-being of individual family members. The Norwich Family YMCA, which has been helping adults and families achieve their personal health and well-being goals for more than 147 years, offers some important advice to those interested in keeping New Year’s resolutions fresh throughout the year.
• Prepare resolutions together as a family. Make the time to sit with your kids in order to set some fun goals for the New Year. Reflect on last year and talk about dreams for the future.
• Make “well-rounded” resolutions. Make a commitment to balancing spirit, mind, and body. Consider areas outside of fitness, such as improved nutrition, increased community service, and additional time spent together as a family.
• Make resolutions specific, realistic, and measurable. Choose resolutions that consider the entire family. Set goals that are measurable and that guide the whole family toward healthier living.
• Accentuate the positive. Make more resolutions which focus on adding healthy activities rather than restricting unhealthy ones.
• Don’t “over resolve.” Consider what’s realistic given the realities of your family’s current daily life. Making small incremental changes are oftentimes more attainable, than a drastic overhaul of life as you know it. Remember, not everything can be changed overnight.
• Celebrate with positive, healthy rewards. Honor small successes with positive, fun, and healthy rewards that meet the needs of the entire family. Check in with each other regularly and celebrate achievements, big and small.
• Be realistic -- prepare for setbacks. A bout with the flu might get the family off track for a week. Setbacks are not failure -- they are times to call in the troops for reinforcement.
• Work together as a team to overcome barriers. If a family member is having trouble meeting a goal, brainstorm together to develop a new strategy.
“We can help you bring your New Year’s resolutions to fruition in many ways, whether that’s in the pool, the gym, or in the fitness center,” says Gawronski. “I hope families in the community know that the YMCA staff can help them meet their goals for greater fitness and connectedness in the New Year.”
For more information about YMCA programs, contact the Norwich Family YMCA at 336-9622.