A New Year presents many challenges…some different and some similar to 2022

#FitToHunt field team member Ricky Karbowski understands time crunches. As a busy dad who works nights and coaches his kid’s sports teams, he has to utilize time management, planning, and discipline to keep his mental and physical health at a high level. Here are his thoughts on how busy parents can tackle the New Year…or any year!

A New Year means new challenges for some people

2023 is here whether you are ready for it or not. For each person, a new year brings different things. For one, it could be a whole new set of fitness goals that many will give up 3-5 months into the new year. For another, it could be figuring out how to get by and manage day-to-day no matter what year it is.

It’s easy to slack on fitness goals with excuses. “Not enough time” or the crutch of “I’ll just start over next week.” Been there with these goals. For the person who is just trying to get through the day-to-day activities of daily living, it’s not so easy. You have to get up and go to work to keep the bills paid, and you have to make time for your wife/husband and children but where is the time to work on YOU? This is what so many people fail at, is taking care of YOU. If YOU aren’t functioning at a high level mentally and physically, everything around you will suffer. Your mental state is more powerful than a lot of people think.

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Challenges and Counterattacks

The same challenges and barriers will always present themselves. Here are some of the most common and a counterattack to neutralize the excuse!

• “Not enough hours in the day” to exercise. (Counterattack) Almost everyone, if you analyze your day. can find something they do for 30, 45min, or even an hour that is not beneficial to their overall well-being such as scrolling on social media or binging Netflix. FIND those wasted minutes and trade it out for physical activity. Start an exercise program 3 days a week. If you exercise 30 min a day, 3 times a week that’s an hour and a half of time out of your week in only 30 min blocks…or one half-hour show on Netflix.

• WHEN (when will I work out during my day?) WHERE (where will I work out? Gym, home, hiking trail, etc.) HOW (how will I work out? Come up with your own, start a program, weights, body weight.)

• If you choose to start a program find one that is the best fit for your goal. We at Fit To Hunt have plenty of DIY workouts with videos, coaching, and custom programs that are budget friendly and will get the job done from the comfort of your home.

• Depression. It’s a real thing, believe it or not. This challenge can knock anyone down for long periods of time. Depression comes in many forms. It could be work life, home life, a previous relationship with children or even your own mind. Remember nobody OWNS you, so take care of yourself. Sometimes this one can be a huge blow to your life! Some people can fight through this but for ones, like myself, depression has beaten me down for years and there is no shame in asking for help. For myself, the outdoors has helped me tremendously. I love hunting, running my dog, taking a walk on a trail, or even just sitting on my tailgate out in the country and relaxing! A lot of stress and not being able to turn your mind off can be solved with a one-on-one conversation with the man upstairs in the beautiful outdoors that he created. Try it! Your mind is your most powerful tool. Keep it sharp!

• SELF ACCOUNTABILITY! Not everything wrong in your life is someone else’s fault. Again, analyze and you will see most negative habits are by your own doing. Accept it, own it, and push forward!

• Diet. I love food and you can still eat foods you like. Just consider different amounts. As you get older watch salt and look for low sodium alternates like my wife does for me. I eat usually smaller portions four times a day and I may throw in intermittent fasting twice a week where I will fast for 16 hours. On those days I eat 3 times in 8 hours and fast for 16. Seems to work pretty well for me. Dieting, to me, is the most time-consuming, overthought, and overlooked process for your well-being. Meal prep at the start of the week or on a day off and everything is set for the week. All you have to do is throw it in your lunch box, microwave it or eat it cold. Again it all comes down to ANALYZING your life and choices.

• We all had to crawl before we walked. Take this new journey step by step. Create the end goal and attach steps that will lead you to it. Then apply action. Get those 15 or 30 min 3 days a week in for a month and then move it on up 30-45 min 3 days a week. Whatever fits you and your life, make it work!

• If you have done this before, you can do it again! Analyze what barrier hit you and why. If you have a question or need to strategize, shoot us an email at info@stayfittohunt.com.

How can we help?

Fit To Hunt is not just a business. It is a lifestyle and a growing community of men, women, and kids that are looking to get the most out of their outdoor pursuits, establish healthy lifestyles and enjoy life to the fullest. We would love to connect with you. Got a question about exercise, nutrition, hunting, etc., please shoot us a message at info@stayfittohunt.com.

Happy New Year and Stay #FitToHunt

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