It’s Not Too Late to Revive Your New Year’s Resolution…

Goals waning? Need motivation? Turn to your colleagues.

January is over, and your health and fitness resolutions might be waning. Maybe you resolved to work out three times per week or lose 30 pounds during the year. Don’t worry if you are starting to struggle or find yourself lacking motivation. You are not alone.

Ask around your office and you will probably find that some of your co-workers are in the same boat. Why not band together and help each other with your 2014 resolutions?

Here are some ideas to keep your goals and efforts alive and well:

Start a “Biggest Loser” challenge.

If losing weight was a goal for many in the office, why not start this type of program? Make sure the winner is determined by percentage of weight lost, not total pounds lost. Set a timeframe of four to eight weeks, with check-ins weekly or every other week. See if your company will offer up a prize, or have everyone chip in a couple of dollars for the winner to receive.

Talk and walk.

Can some of your meetings be held while walking? Do it! Even a 10- or 15-minute walk during the day can help with your goals. If your meetings cannot be held while walking, try taking the long way or the stairs every time you walk to various destinations in and around your office.

Squat.

Squats are one of the easiest exercises to do in dress clothes. Grab some of your co-workers and start a squat challenge. Start with 10 squats three times per day, then add a squat daily (11 squats three times per day, 12 squats three times per day, etc.), working your way up to 100. Just make sure to keep proper form, and don’t go too fast. You might aim for the start of the workday, lunchtime and right before everyone goes home.

Take turns bringing a healthy lunch and/or snacks.

Gather a group of five, and have each participant bring a healthy lunch or snack one day a week. You will experience new foods, only have to fix lunch or snacks once per week and get to know your coworkers better. Make sure to ask about allergies and dietary restrictions.

Join a gym.

Maybe a group of you having been talking about a gym near your office. See if the gym will offer a discount if everyone joins at the same time. Your Human Resources Department may have contacts to make this happen, so check with them.

Bring the gym to you.

No gym near your office? Look into whether the company will spend a little money on some dumbbells, resistance tubing, stability balls and the like. Or maybe the bring in a trainer two or three times a week (before work, during lunch or after work). If the company won’t foot the bill, see if your co-workers want to split the cost.

Do you work from home or work solo in your office? Get online. There are plenty of fitness and weight loss-related Facebook groups, Pinterest challenges, Twitter chats and more out there. Maybe you know another person who works from home and might be interested in joining forces. Become accountability partners.

What ever you do, don’t give up on your New Year’s goals. Small steps lead to big changes!

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Glenneth Reed is a certified Holistic Health Coach, blogs at Let’s Talk and Walk. She is 44 and is trying to get healthy through walking, cycling, making healthier decisions, and having fun.  She loves technology and always has the latest gadget.  During the day she is an AdWords specialist for an internet marketing company.