January is that time of year when people are talking about their resolutions. New year, new you. There’s a lot of merit in a resolution. We all should be striving to change something about ourselves and make our livelihoods better. For some it’s a financial change. Maybe it’s improving relationships with others. The most common area people talk about is improving their health. Eating better. Losing weight. Exercising more. Those health goals are where we are more involved as physical therapists in Colorado Springs.
Making Changes & How to Start
Making a change where you are getting into the gym more often, hiking Red Rocks Open Space twice a week, or maybe getting involved in riding a bike can be a huge spike in activity level. Spikes in activity level need to be handled properly. Going from the couch to daily high levels of exertion can actually be a bit dangerous. Our bodies need time to acclimate to a new normal. This is where Backcountry Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs can help you prepare.
A sedentary person near Colorado Springs doesn’t have the tissue adaptation that is used to all of these demands. It’s much better to increase gradually. The amount of time for each workout or the number of days per week working out needs to go up a little at a time and give the body time to adjust. Not doing so puts you at risk for injury. This could be muscle damage, tendinitis, bone stress injuries, or other problems that we, as physical therapists, would categorize as overuse injuries. Make sure you have a plan to gradually ramp up your resolution. Start small and build from there.
How Your Goals Affect You Mentally
The other reason that it’s good for individuals near Colorado Springs to start small is from a mental aspect. It’s so daunting to try to walk into a gym and start lifting weights every single day. That mental hurdle makes it harder to start. That feeling of having to go so many days a week also can put you into an “all or nothing” mindset.
Many people feel if they aren’t hitting a certain volume and intensity, there’s no point in doing it at all. Nothing could be further from the truth. A short workout is better than no workout at all. A run at 50% effort is better than skipping it all together. The all or nothing mindset is going to lead to burnout very quickly. Gradually increasing your workout routine is going to help to keep you from getting burnout.
Avoiding Burnout & Setting Benchmarks
Be sure to give yourself some time away from that resolution altogether as well. That is going to help you avoid burnout. If you need a week away from working out in Colorado Springs to take care of other things in your life, that’s fine! If you’re trying to eat healthy and need a cheat meal a couple of times a week, that’s also fine and actually encouraged! The occasional chicken bacon ranch pizza isn’t going to kill your resolution.
Set a goal and keep track of benchmarks along the way to work toward that goal. Celebrate when you have a victory. Give yourself grace when you have a setback. Making changes in your lifestyle isn’t about quick gains. It’s about the long haul and creating changes for the rest of your life. That’s actually the same kinds of things we talk about with our patients in Colorado Springs each and every time they come to us to set up a physical therapy plan of care. You need to think about health for the next 30 years, not just the next 30 days.
How Accountability Plays a Role in Your New Goals
Accountability when it comes to working toward your new goals is important. There’s a saying that goes “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” It’s so true! It’s easy to just say, I’m going to do this and start things right away. It takes a little more energy to set up an accountability partner and come up with a plan together. However, your accountability partner is going to make life so much easier down the road.
When times get tough and you want to give up your resolution, you need somebody there. It may simply be a person you check in with. You are sending a quick message to a family member to let him/her know you did what you said you were going to do. You could have a support group of sorts, such as a group or page on social media where you are sharing updates. Celebrating wins and giving each other advice. While there’s a lot of problems out there with our insane amounts of use of social media in society, here is a situation where social media can actually be a huge positive!
Your source of accountability may also be someone who is in the trenches with you. That is the best accountability partner! When you have a friend that is going to meal plan with you, go to the gym to sweat with you, and track goals together, that’s amazing! You are making the sacrifice together. If you give up, you are going to feel like you’ve let them down. That person is going to help you stick to your plan and, again, hold you accountable for your actions. Don’t be shy about asking a family member, friend, coworker, or even your physical therapist near Colorado Springs to take the leap with you and change both of your lives.
Working toward pain relief in active individuals in Colorado Springs.
Final Thoughts & Considerations
The bottom line is to make sure you have a plan. Build a plan that gives you wiggle room, gives you a chance to rest, chances to reward yourself, and makes sure you stay mentally committed to reaching your goals. If you commit to a goal that is attainable, you will reach it. If you only focus on the negatives and stress yourself out about the sacrifices you are making, you’re likely to give up before you get there.
Whether you’re getting stronger, losing weight, improving your mental health, or finally taking care of that nagging injury that’s held you back for so long, there’s no better time to handle your problem than right now. Your future self is going to thank you for making these changes. When you need help, the folks here at Backcountry Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs have your back. We can help you set goals, hold you accountable, or get you back on track if pain or something else in your life makes your plan go off the rails. If you want to talk about your goals with us, we are here and happy to listen!
We help active individuals in Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Briargate, Falcon, Rockrimmon, and surrounding areas!
📞 Call us today or 📧 book your evaluation with us to get started with your Physical Therapy in Colorado Springs (719) 285-9670
