It’s a few weeks into the new year and most people have health and fitness goals they’re working towards. Some people have already quit and others are close to it. The problem with New Years Resolutions is that most people would much rather sit around and talk about them instead of actually doing the work necessary to make the change.
Since it is the beginning of January many people have started at the gym ... again. While it’s awesome to see a full gym the fact of the matter is it’s the same people who did it last year and the year before and the year before that, only to quit shortly after. In fact, stats show that after only 3 months 50% of the people who just joined the gym will be gone and by the end of this year 85% will no longer be using their gym membership. Those are not very good stats and believe it or not it gets even worse. Statistics Canada says that the average person will last only 4-6 weeks with ANY new habit.
I believe there are two main reasons people fail:
1. Unrealistic Goals
If you never exercise and you plan to start back at the gym 5 days a week you WILL fail because this is setting the standard too high for yourself. The key is baby steps. Start with 2 or 3 times per week at the most, build the habit, and don't do too much too fast. Remember, if you overload yourself with something new you WILL feel overwhelmed, you WILL become discouraged and you WILL fall off track. Also, give yourself some grace. You are going to miss workouts and even have days where you feel your progress is too slow, don’t let that weigh you down, keep moving forward.
2. Unwillingness
As a culture we're only into the quick fix. We take a pill to lose weight, we buy electronic ab belts from infomercials to build a 6 pack, and so on. The bottom line is we look for the easiest way out because we are unwilling to do the work. Yes, you WILL have to get off the couch. Yes, you WILL get sweaty. Yes, you WILL have sore muscles. Yes, it WILL change your daily routine and Yes, it WILL transform your life!
Don’t let January be another disappointment. You can do it. You do have the time. You’re not too busy and your family can survive for an hour while you’re at the gym. Set small realistic goals, schedule your workouts in your calendar, know why you want to improve your health and you WILL succeed.
