Three Simple Ways to Work on Your Fitness in 2018

I don’t do resolutions.

The thing is, I have enough on my plate without worrying about inevitably breaking the promises I’ve made to myself. Plus, if you’re like me, you tend to create resolutions that are highly ambitious (translation: never going to happen) and the last thing I want is to start the year off feeling bad about myself.

So, I work on things. I better myself. Instead of creating a goal to lose five pounds, I make a pact to eat better. Forget about purchasing a gym membership I’ll never use; I simply use apps that fit my lifestyle and celebrate the small victories. Instead of focusing on the end result, I focus on the journey.
However, things don’t just fall into place; I need to have a plan and hold myself accountable for sticking to it. Here’s what I’m doing in 2018 to work on my fitness and to make better lifestyle choices along the way. 

Start with Carrot Rewards. I love this app! Carrot Rewards helps me make better lifestyle choices for myself, my family and for the planet – all while earning Aeroplan Miles, SCENE Points, More Rewards Points, Petro-Points, Drop points and more to come soon! It was named Canadian App of the Year in Mobile Syrup’s 2017 Reader Choice Awards and is currently used by nearly two thirds of a million Canadians! Curious? Here’s how it works:

Download Carrot Rewards for iOS or Android. Choose your rewards program such as Aeroplan, SCENE or Petro Canada points, Drop points (and many more to come!) Start earning rewards right away.

You can earn points two ways:

1) Sync Carrot Rewards with Apple Health or Google Fit to track your steps and earn points every day as you meet your activity goals. Once you’ve had a chance to get used to your daily step goal, you’ll be offered a “Step Up Challenge.” Complete the challenge by meeting your daily step goal 10 out of 14 days, and you’ll earn bonus points in addition to the points you earn for meeting your step goal each day!

2) Carrot Rewards sends offers through the app on a regular basis, in the form of quizzes or surveys. They’re designed to educate and empower you on various health and wellness topics and will usually take only 2 to 5 minutes to complete.
In general, a new offer is available every week, and you can complete as many or as few of the offers as you like! Of course, the more offers you complete, the more points you earn!

Find a Fitness Buddy. It’s no surprise that teaming up with a friend or family member with similar fitness goals is one of the easiest ways to keep accountable and on track. Back in the day, I’d take power walks with my neighbour after the kids were in bed. But now, finding extra time to meet up at the gym or take a yoga class is becoming more and more difficult. Thank goodness for technology!
I’ve invited my girlfriend to join Carrot Rewards so we can “Step Together”. Every day we’ll be able to view how we’re progressing toward our activity goals, allowing us to encourage each other to be the most active and healthy that we can be. And, since we’re both earning Aeroplan Miles while we do it, maybe our ultimate reward will be a vacation in paradise!

Start Small. There’s no such thing as “one plan fits all”, and one of the quickest paths to failure is setting fitness goals that are too aggressive. I know the rule of thumb is 30 minutes, 3 times per week – but don’t be afraid to mix it up.

This year, I focused on meeting my daily step goal (10,000) and incorporating light exercise once per day for 10 minutes. I know, amateur, right? But the feeling of accomplishment for fitting in that 10 minutes inspired me to increase the intensity to 20 minutes per day. Now, one month in, I’ve maintained that activity level! So, starting small has definitely paid off.

How are you working on your fitness in 2018? For more information, visit Carrot Rewards on Twitter or Facebook, or follow along via #CarrotRewards, #WellnessRewarded and #WalkLearnEarn.

This post is sponsored by Carrot Rewards. The opinions on this blog, as always, are my own.