It’s no secret that January is the busiest and most lucrative month for gyms. Of the top New Year’s Resolutions Americans make, Get Healthy has been #1 for as long as anyone has kept track. This year, it is estimated that approximately 45% of the adult population (around 116 million people) will once again be putting their health at the top of the list. It’s interesting to note that this number increases slightly every year and that it nearly matches the obesity rate, but that’s a subject for another post.
Here, I want to talk about how to be a successful “resolutioner.” Let’s start with some other interesting stats. Of the people who resolve to get back to the gym every New Year…
- Only half will attend twice a week or more.
- Only 23% will attend consistently.
- 80% won’t make it past 5 months.
Why?
Many (ex) gym members cite atmosphere, or the feeling they don’t belong, and time constraints. I talk about both of these in my eBook, so I’ll just say here that the feeling of not belonging in a gym usually stems from being self-conscious about your current state of fitness. But that’s like thinking you can’t go to medical school because you’re not already a doctor. Don’t worry about everybody else — you’re there to get fit, not fit in.
The main reason people give for quitting — as you can probably guess — is lack of progress or results. But if you look back at those stats I listed above, it should be apparent why a lot of people don’t succeed. If it’s taken you 20 years to gain 50 pounds of body fat, for example, why would you expect to lose it in a few months of inconsistent effort? This is not to say you need to work out for hours every day (I cover that in the eBook, too), but that you need to be committed and consistent, which brings me to my tips on how to be successful this time around.
- Have a Goal: Whether it’s gaining muscle, losing fat, or both, have a goal and write it down. There’s nothing wrong with being ambitious (I want visible abs!), but be realistic about the time it will take to get there. Divide that into short-term goals. For example, if you want to lose 60 pounds, a goal of 5 pounds per month over the course of a year is perfectly reasonable.
- Have a Plan: Get a workout log or app and use it. Learn what kind of training is best suited to your goal (hint: it’s resistance training), and plan workouts ahead of time. Know what you’re going to do before you even walk into the gym.
- Hire a Trainer: Another interesting stat — only about 12% of gym-goers (new or not) ever hire a trainer. Whether it’s long-term or just a few sessions to learn the basics, hiring a good trainer can save you a lot of trial-and-error, and having someone to hold you accountable doesn’t hurt.
- (most important) Make the Time: Notice I didn’t say “find.” Time is not hiding in between the cushions of your couch. You can get a solid workout in less time than it takes to watch a movie or sip a couple beers with your buddies after work. And consider this: There are 168 hours in a week. If you worked out for one hour a day, Monday through Friday, that’s less than 3% of those available hours. You can “find” that, right?
One last stat: More than 50% of gym regulars admit to dreading January because of the influx of “resolutioners.” But just remember that at some point, they were newbies, too.
Good luck, and thanks for reading.
Dan
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