Five tips for keeping your New Year's fitness resolution

For many people, the new year is a chance to get fit and live a little healthier.

CBC News spoke with Dan Bosco, the owner and head coach at Windsor CrossFit, about the the best ways to keep those fitness resolution for 2016. These are his top five recommendations.

Be realistic

The key to keeping a particular goal is to set achievable results and a timetable that will make sense, Bosco said.

"Be realistic with your fitness goals and the time you have to commit to them," he explained. "If you say you're going to go to the gym seven days a week, but you barely have time to brush your teeth, that's obviously not going to be realistic."

Seek professional advice and help

Some people with a background in fitness may be able to hit the gym right away. But for others just getting into fitness, the process can be daunting.

"Don't just dive into this on your own," Bosco said. "Look for coaches for trainers that know what they're talking about and are ready and willing to help you."

Develop support systems

With support from other people your fitness goals become possible, Bosco said. Talk about how you're doing. Did you hit a personal best? Bosco said it's important to tell someone.

"Support systems could be your family, your friends, the coaches you meet at a specific gym," he said. "Support systems are going to be great to help you succeed."

Recover

Taking time off isn't just rest — it's also recovery. Your body needs time to set itself up for the next workout, especially if you're new to a certain program, Bosco said.

"If you don't recover enough between exercise sessions, you're going to have a little bit of a difficult time attacking the next one," he said. "That's going to slow you down a little bit and stop you from achieving your goals."

Have Fun

If you're not having fun, why would you keep going to the gym? Things should be fun, so that you stay motivated to stay in the gym throughout the year, Bosco said.

"Have fun and enjoy the process, the results will come and if you're patient, good things will happen to you."