Speaking of resolutions...

In order to make New Year's resolutions seem real and reachable, I think it helps to write them down. That way, you can hold yourself accountable and remain committed to your goals. So although this blog is the resolution that I really want to keep, there are a few more that I'd like to stick with as well. Like I said in the last post, I would like to put my gym membership to good use. I'm awful at keeping a consistent workout pattern, and I often find myself making excuses for why I can't make it to the gym — It's too cold, I'm too tired, I'll go tomorrow, etc. Instead of focusing on the excuses, I'm trying my best to focus on how I feel after I've finished a workout. It improves my mood considerably, I have more energy, and I can feel my attitude about everything else improve. If exercising more is also on your list of New Year's resolutions, here are a few tips that I find helpful for reaching my goals.

I like to wear comfortable, fitted workout clothes. Buying new workout clothes gives me an extra incentive to get to the gym. Target sells Champion brand exercise gear, and the pieces are both inexpensive and cute. I just bought a pair of Champion stretchy, full-length black pants for $28 and a bright blue T-shirt for only $9. I also bought several neon-colored pairs of socks from Target, which I wear to work out in as well. Bright-colored sports bras also do the trick for me. All of these bright colors make me feel good, and you know what they say — if you feel good, you look good (or something like that). Whatever your motivation is — working out with a friend, rewarding yourself after a particularly hard workout, or planning ahead for setbacks — find it, and stick with it.

C9 by Champion Women's Short-Sleeve Power Workout Tee 

C9 by Champion Women's Seamless Racerback Bra

I just read in the January 2012 issue of Shape magazine that a Duke University study found that 45 minutes of cardio only three days a week may be as effective as prescription drugs for treating depression. During these cold winter months, you can help beat seasonal depression by fitting in some exercise. Forty-five minutes of cardio three times a week is completely doable, even for someone like me who doesn't have a high endurance. Shape also said of the 40 percent of Americans who make resolutions at the beginning of the year, half relapse within the first three weeks. By keeping myself accountable, it's my goal to not let that happen to me.

We're only given one body to live in — we better not waste it.