Why do most fitness New Years resolutions fail?

Owners of gyms love the month of January. All those new members, using the exercise equipment, making this the year to get fit! On the flip side, members who use the gyms throughout the year HATE the month of January. All those new members, using the exercise equipment, making this the year to get fit! If you talk to members they know they have to make it through January and part of February before the resolutions go south and they get their gym back.
Why do so many people make these resolutions only to have them fail within the first couple of months? I think there are a number of contributing factors to this.
First, people simply set goals that are unattainable. There is no reason to think that you will all of a sudden fit 7 days of exercise in every week when for the previous years you didn’t do anything. In fact, if you don’t start slowly you risk injury and then you will really be pushed back.
Second, they don’t meet with a trainer to discuss their goals and how to go about reaching them. This is very important because if you are spinning your wheels by not being efficient with your workout that could certainly be a downer and getting simple tips from a trainer can make all the difference in the world.
Third, getting bad advice from a trainer. A lot of times trainers don’t want to be honest with someone who hasn’t worked out in the past and wants to train everyday. The reality is that as a professional, it is my responsibility to set you up to succeed and say listen, its not about what you can do for the next month but what you can do for the next part of your life. You may need to start off 3 days a week and gradually build up. That would be safer and is almost a guarantee that you will still be exercising in October and November.
Good luck on those resolutions and as always, I am here to help!

Until next time…

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