This year again, many people are eagerly starting with brand-new resolutions: losing weight, quitting smoking, drinking less alcohol, eating healthier - you name it. Maybe you’ve set one of these goals yourself, or perhaps your care institution has worked on establishing new objectives. After all, creating a movement plan, an activity schedule, etc., are essentially also resolutions. In that case, it’s important that your clients end up among that 19%. We took a closer look at the core of the issue and how you can achieve your goal!

Planning

Of course, everyone wants to be healthy and fit, but that feels like a huge and sometimes impossible goal. If your resolution is to “get moving this year,” that’s quite vague and demands a lot of willpower. Our behavior can be divided into two types:

1. Conscious and planned behavior (5% of the time)
2. Unconscious and automatic behavior (95% of the time)

This unconscious behavior can seriously hinder your ability to achieve a goal. That’s why it’s essential to make your resolution as concrete as possible through a plan. If you create a movement plan for clients, they know exactly what they will do daily or weekly to reach their goal. This not only makes the process more manageable but also makes it easier to avoid slipping back into old habits. It also gives the “willpower muscle” a break. According to sports psychologist Afke van der Wouw, a lack of motivation is closely related to this willpower muscle. All day long, you’re making healthy choices skipping cake, leaving the bonus chocolate in the grocery store. These decisions all require willpower, which eventually becomes fatigued. So when the end of the day arrives and you still have to decide whether to exercise, it often doesn’t happen.
Instead of asking yourself the question, make a deliberate choice as part of your movement plan. This way, you spare your willpower and know from the start of the day when you will engage in which activity.

Motivation

Okay, the movement plan is set but now you actually need to get moving. For your patients or clients, you play a crucial role in motivating and encouraging them. But how do you approach that? A strong first step is involving the client in creating the movement plan. This ensures that the exercises truly fit the individual and that they feel excited about the goal, which is important for aging happily. Enjoyable activities are essential for achieving goals. Riding a stationary bike may feel boring, whereas using virtual bike routes can make the experience much more enjoyable (they may even stay cycling longer than expected!). The same applies to walks (do them together instead of alone) or stretching exercises (music makes everything better).

So this year, choose to set goals rather than resolutions to ensure that you get the most out of your year and help your clients, patients, and residents do the same.