5 Tips to Win Your New Year’s Resolutions Fitness Goals

The majority of people don't accomplish their New Year's fitness goals - Here's how you can crush them!
By: Jeff Turbett

​It's a tale as old as time. New year, NEW YOU. It is the start of the New Year and like most individuals, it is the start of New Year's Resolutions. According to Time.com “about 11% of gym memberships are purchased in January, and a recent YouGov poll found that, of the nearly 30% of respondents who said they are making New Year’s resolutions, 50% said their top resolution was to exercise.”


While it is an exciting time of year, there gets to be a certain buzz in the gym during this time of year, I’m here to remind you that taking it slower is generally better. Having spent three years in a gym as a well-being specialist, I know just how fast people start to fall off from their goals. On average, 80% of New Year's resolutions related to health and wellness are ditched by January 31st. Good habits, especially ones drastically different from your typical lifestyle, are hard to get started and even harder to keep. Research shows that on average, it takes approximately 66 days for a habit to become automatic. People jump into the deep-end and it’s sink or swim.

All that being said, there is hope. Even if your resolutions didn't go according to plan last year, the New Year still gives us hope moving forward. Here are 5 tips to keep you from becoming another New Year casualty statistic and how to flip the script:
​

• 1.  Find a Workout Buddy - While 2020 may have made this a bit of a challenge in undertaking, if you can find someone to workout with - do it! Studies show that having someone help hold you accountable to fitness goals increases your likelihood of reaching your goals by 95% compared to doing them solo. If you cant find a buddy and are feeling particularly brave, post your progress online (for virtual workout buddies to see or social media account followers alike). Social media can help people feel like they need to hold themselves accountable to those who follow them. This ultimately ties into my next tip: ​

• 2.  Selfies for Success - Hear me out. One of the biggest flaws I used to see during this time would be individuals who want to lose “X” amount of weight, or be “X” percent body fat, etc. While this is great in theory, I feel it ultimately may lead to disappointment  (I once heard a guy sigh to his wife that he was up 0.5lbs for the second day in a row). Don't get caught up on the numbers! Most people don't know that the average person’s body weight fluctuates by up to 5lbs on an average day. Don't always use the scale to measure success - take pictures instead! This helps you actually see progress instead of worrying about numbers on a chart. 

 

• 3.  Set-Up Mini Goals (within an overall goal) - There's nothing wrong with having huge hopes and dreams. The goal is to make it realistic and then further break down that goal into smaller, achievable, target goals to help you get to the big picture. If your goal is to actually lose 30lbs (refer to tip number 2 about weight goals), break it up! Try and lose 5lbs by the end of January and so on. This helps you celebrate mini achievements and keep motivated on your path towards the overarching goal. Remember the age old adage, you can't eat an elephant in a single sitting. 

---

​​

• ​4.  Don't be Afraid to Seek Help - If working out with a buddy isn't an option and you don't know where to begin, try looking for help. When I worked at a gym, that was what I was there for; to be a knowledge source and help those achieve their goals. Try and find a personal trainer or other gym workers. Talk to someone who may look like they know what they're doing. The key thing is don't be afraid to ask. It may feel extremely intimidating and you may feel they don't want to be bothered, which is a big misconception, go ahead and ask away. I have never met a gym goer who didn't want to help another individual on their fitness journey. If you're still on the fence, go online! With the prevalence of social media, there is an endless supply of online knowledge - just look for credibility when doing so. 
  ​
  
• 5.  Don’t Beat Yourself up - If you slip up, overindulge on the weekend, miss a workout, fret not; that happens to us all. In fact, slipping up a bit does a person good in my opinion. Going all out in the first three weeks of your fitness journey tends to lead to burn out. The key is to realign and get back on the path. Take it day by day.
  ​ 

Hopefully these fitness hacks will help you create sustainable, long-term goals to help keep you on track even after that first week, New Year honeymoon period. Life happens and when the going gets tough, you'll have a playbook to stay on top of your commitment to making yourself healthier and, most importantly, happier. If you’re ready to take on that challenge, be sure to check out BellaVita’s different offerings: from virtual classes, 1on1 sessions, to meditation and pilates; we offer something everyone is sure to love!