It’s tempting to think of fitness resolutions as the beginning of a whole new you, but that vision alone won’t carry you very far. Old habits don’t succumb to moments of resolve, and willpower tends to be unreliable.

Setting goals and thinking long-term are important, to be sure. But overreaching is setting yourself up for failure. Because even if you start strong with a new regimen of healthy eating and regular exercise, sweeping lifestyle makeovers are devilishly hard to sustain. And it’s not smart to jump into a strenuous exercise routine your body may not be ready for. That’s risking an injury that could sideline you for weeks or months.

If you truly want to become more fit, embrace the Japanese principle of kaizen—the pursuit of small, continuous improvements. As a foundational first step, start building the exercise habit. Ease into it with a program of regular walking and stretching, even if it’s  just a few minutes at a time. Keep at it, working up to five or six days a week, and you’ll be amazed how much better you look and feel in just a few weeks.

Or maybe your goal is to build strength, improve mobility, or work on balance. No matter what your aims, you’ll be more likely to accomplish them if you start from where you are and focus on the next step, adding exercise time or intensity in small increments. That way your interim goals will be attainable and each one will pave the way for the next.

Six tips for success

Make your goals concrete and measurable. Instead of saying “I’m going to exercise more,” say “I’m going to walk 30 minutes a day, three times a week and do two strength-training sessions.” Another kind of goal might be to do one proper push-up. Start by doing one or two from a kneeling position and go from there.

Harness the power of habit. Write your exercise sessions down on your calendar as appointments with yourself. Sign up for a Pilates, yoga, or circuit-training class, or make a regular date to work out with a buddy. Remember, consistency is key to any fitness program.

Focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. Don’t let your body type or your physical issues hold you back. Anyone who’s mobile can still become more fit. Just keep putting your best effort toward the next small increment of progress.

Keep it simple. You don’t need to glom onto the latest fitness fad or learn complicated exercises. A few basic movements and some attention to good form are all you really need.

Allow for setbacks. Don’t let a bad cold or a family emergency derail you. Simply pick up where you left off, scaling back a bit if need be, and keep going. You’ll quickly make up for lost time.

Make it fun. I like the energy I get from working out in a gym, but that’s not for everyone. Maybe you’d prefer the camaraderie of a group class or being active outdoors. Get adventurous and explore some new options! The more you can discover ways of moving that you enjoy, the greater your chances of reaching your goals.

Making the shift to a healthier, more active lifestyle isn’t quick or easy. It requires genuine commitment and some ongoing effort. But it doesn’t have to be daunting, either—not if you take a realistic approach, one manageable step at a time.

“Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well,” the aphorism tells us.

I have my own version: Any exercise worth doing is worth doing completely…with a little added push at the end.

The reason why gets back to the scientific principle of progressive overload. While helping soldiers rehabilitate after World War II, U.S. Army physician Dr. Thomas L. DeLorme observed that they became stronger and more functional when he gradually increased the physical demands of their training. The  realization that we make physical gains by asking our bodies to do just a little bit more than they could before is the basis of resistance training.

Think about what this means: your best opportunities to gain strength and endurance are right at the edge of your comfort zone, and a little beyond.  If you can capitalize on this idea in your strength workouts, you will get more payoff from your efforts and advance at a faster pace.

Gradually pushing your limits

Here are some ways you can tap the power of the last 5%:

• Extend each repetition through a full range of motion. That way you’ll be engaging small muscles and the tapered areas of larger muscles that might otherwise stay unchallenged. If you want a better sense of what full range feels like, start by doing one or two reps with little or no weight. Exhale with the movement, letting your breath carry you through.

• Be relentless about holding your form through the entire movement. For example, keep your chest held high as you do a squat or a lunge—don’t let it waver a fraction of an inch as you approach the lowest point. Your movement may not extend quite so far, but you’ll be creating more muscular tension than you would by dropping your chest to get lower.

• Consciously squeeze your muscles as you push or lift, and give them an extra squeeze as you complete the rep.

• Rather than counting repetitions, keep doing them until you begin feeling muscle fatigue—and then try to do one more with good form. (If you feel your form breaking down, consider that set done.)

• If you can repeat an exercise 10 to 15 times with full range and excellent form, then—and only then—you may want to add a small increment of weight. Do one or two test reps to make sure you’re not straining.

So keep the last 5% in mind whenever you work out. That mindset will not only boost your results, but also increase your focus—and that can only be a good thing.

Image: Masterfile