Give Yourself a Strong Finish This Year!

As I've mentioned before, Spinning is one of my favorite workout classes, whether I'm taking the class as a student or leading the ride myself as the instructor. I love to teach Spinning, and I try to draw on various motivational techniques and phrases to keep the students going during the toughest parts of the class, such as all-out sprints or steep hills that never seem to end. During these times, I can tell when my class is working hard and struggling, wishing for a break in the intensity so they can recover.

Sometimes, when I let them know that the end of a sprint or top of a hill is just 15 seconds away—so close that they can "see" it—I notice that my students do one of two things: They either slow down right away, coasting to the finish without much effort – OR – they buckle down and push on through the end with strength and heart. Which person are you?

When you mess up on your diet, do you give up for the rest of the week, or get back on track so that one slipup doesn't get in your way?

When life gets busy, do you skip your workouts entirely, or do you squeeze in whatever you can, even if it's only 10 or 15 minutes?

When the holiday season hits—with all its glorious food and parties—do you resign to gain weight and restart next year, or do you continue pushing forward with all the effort you can muster?

Climbing a hill in Spinning class isn't that much different than any other challenge or goal in life. You have to decide that you want to do it, work hard even though resistance is working against you, and then follow through until you reach the top.

Two common phrases I repeat to my Spinning students are, "Give yourself a finish that you'll be proud of," and, "Finish just as strong as you started." And that's what I want to encourage you to do as you're facing the most difficult time of year for sticking to healthy eating and exercise habits.

You will never regret choosing to work hard and climb to the top of that hill, no matter how challenging it may be or how much resistance is trying to hold you back. But you will regret giving up early, putting it off, and simply coasting to the finish line (which is a lot like backpedaling). In a race, a runner doesn't start to walk once the finish line is in sight ("Whew, I'm almost there, so I'll just relax now!"). That runner kicks it in and gives everything he or she has left until they cross that line. So why should you treat your own goals any differently? Your personal finish line is no less important, and you owe it to yourself to get there without giving up. Use whatever effort you have left so that you, too, can finish out the year—that final hill—with a sprint to the finish. A finish you can be proud of.

Have you committed to a strong finish this year, or are you going to give up and start over in 2011?

By: Nicole Nichols, sparkpeople