Most people make New Year’s resolutions and 97% fail; which is why I’m here with the top 4 New Year’s fitness resolution tips that will help you in your journey.

Resolutions are great. They really do work if they are implemented properly and the goals are set correctly, but the brain usually gets in the way.

There are certain tools, tips, trick and hacks to make resolutions succeed, and this post will reveal the very best I have found over the 37+ years I have been researching them (since 1981).

Here are the top 4 struggles people face and my top hacks to solve those struggles.

It probably won’t surprise you to hear that the number one New Year’s resolution is to get healthier. It’s been said, “When a man has his health, he has many wishes and dreams. When he doesn’t, he has only one wish and dream.”

The number one action item people choose for their goal of better health is to start exercising. So, let’s get going on those fitness resolution tips…

#1 Struggle: The number one biggest hurdle to exercise is that people don’t have enough time. Most people cite work obligations as their top time suck.

Solution: Ask yourself, “Do I have 21 minutes, twice per week?” If your answer is yes, then look into training with X Gym, either at our location or online. Or heck – just start with 21 minutes of walking! Getting started with ANY activity is the key because regular exercise will support all your other habits (here’s your first brain hack).

If your answer is no – that you really don’t have 42 minutes a week to squeeze in exercise – then ask yourself, “Is that really true?” If you watch TV or movies, surf the web, engage in social media, or any other unnecessary activities, calculate how much time those take each week and I bet it’s more than 42 minutes. If it is, you have time for the X Gym workout or going for walks.

What if your water heater broke and flooded your house? Could you move things around to accommodate taking care of that emergency? It’s called priorities. If your health and fitness is a priority, you’ll find the time. Think of it as an emergency like the water heater because it really is. If you don’t get a handle on your health now, it will be a true (and very expensive) emergency later.

If you really don’t have 42 minutes you can spare out of the 10,080 total minutes in your week, then stop reading here because you’re not ready to make changes. It’s not a high enough priority in your life. Plus, you’ve just claimed that you don’t have time to read stuff like this either, so you’d better stop reading and get back to your “crazy busy life.” See what I mean? Just the fact that you took time to read this far proves you have the time to exercise. Get over yourself, get past your pity party about how busy you are and get moving! This pointer is arguably the most difficult of the fitness resolution tips for people to get over, but also the most important.

#2 Struggle: The number two biggest hurdle getting in the way of the exercise resolution is depression and anxiety. If my “tough love” statement above made you feel depressed or anxious, you are probably dealing with this hurdle.

Solution: Here’s your brain training hack for this one: The EFT Technique. It’s the single most effective method I’ve ever used or taught. It works for food cravings too, so learn this ASAP!

Another great technique is practicing gratitude.

And another (especially for anxiety) is the Square Breathing Technique.

#3 Struggle: Forming a hydration habit. Remembering to drink enough water can be a real struggle and proper hydration is VITAL to your health and fitness goals, not to mention your fat burning ability.

Solution: Set alarms, reminders, post-it notes, download an app, get a water bottle to keep in the car, tell your friends and family to nag you, set triggers, etc. It’s that important!

#4 Struggle: Not enough time to prep and cook to eat healthy. Yeah right. See the comments above about not having time. You’re still reading, so you definitely have time.

Solution: There are plenty of great, fast recipes on HardBodCafe.com. Or hire a personal chef. Either way, you need to get in your kitchen or pay someone to get in your kitchen for you because that’s taking control back for your life, health and fitness.

Here’s proof this works: The next time you are at the beach, try to find someone over 40 who is in amazing shape. That will be really hard, but if you do find that person, ask them how much time they spend in their kitchen. I guarantee it’s more than the fridge and microwave time most people spend, making it one of the most crucial fitness resolution tips out there.

Here’s another thing for your brain to chew on. Let’s go back to the 1950’s for a moment. The average time people spent in their kitchen cooking and preparing REAL food was OVER an hour per day. The percentage of the population who was overweight was 14%. Now let’s go back to the present, with our packaged food, fast food and microwaves. The average time people spend in their kitchen cooking and preparing REAL food now is less than 9 minutes per day. The percentage of the population who is overweight is now 67%. Things that make you go “hmmmmm…”

I’m not saying we need to spend an hour a day in the kitchen like we did in the 50’s and prior. We have better tools and strategies now, but we do need to get back in there and prepare REAL food, so it’s fresh, nutritious and good for our gut, soul, brain, health and fitness. There’s just no way around it. Bev and I spend about two hours per week shopping and preparing food, but divided up between 7 days and that comes to about 17 minutes per day. That’s a lot less than the 1950’s and it’s good enough for us to have the health and fitness we desire.

The hack for this one is open your mind. Realize this is how it is and if you’re not ready or willing to make this change, then learn to be content with where you are because that’s where you’ll stay. And then stop complaining about it because the only way to change it PERMANENTLY, instead of the yo-yo most people ride, is to commit to it and follow these hacks.

There you have it. No more Xcuses! Get on it with these fitness resolution tips and you will find yourself moving in the direction of those goals and resolutions once and for all, putting you in the 3% who actually do succeed!