Every New Year, gyms get flooded with new members looking to finally make that change this New Year and be a healthier version of themselves. But come the end of January, many of these individuals are no longer going to the gym. They’ve fallen off, lost motivation, or simply stopped going all together. But why does this happen? Why do people start with so many great intentions but don’t follow through?
Let’s take a step back and think about why we got started in the first place. Most of us start a physical activity routine because we know we should in order to lose weight, lose inches and be healthier. We want to look and feel better than we do now. So, if we want it, why don’t we stick with it?
It’s quite simple, but we have a hard time admitting it. The reason why we don’t stick with it? It’s not a priority to us, compared to other things in our life.
We need to prioritize the time we spend on ourselves to go to the gym. We need to prioritize getting that gym session in before or after work when all we want to do is hit the snooze button, or head home to chill out on the couch (and most of us aren’t getting up once we get there!). It means eating more fruits and veggies rather than chips and ice cream. Drinking more water than pop, juice or beer. All of which can be a very tough change.
So how the hell can we end up sticking with it all?
It starts with really diving deep and thinking about what we want from being active, and why it’s important to us.
Here’s a quick example (and trust me, sometimes this conversation goes a lot longer, and is much harder to admit too):
I want to get started so you can lose weight? Awesome! Why do you want to lose weight? “To fit better in my clothing.” Why do you want to fit in your clothing better? “To feel better about myself.” Why do you want to feel better about yourself? “Because I want to feel confident, healthy and happy about my appearance.”
Boom!
So, what is more motivating for us to go to the gym? Is it because they want to lose weight, or is it because they want to feel more confident, healthy and happy about themselves? When we are honest about what we want to achieve, we will be more motivated to go and get it done. Relying on motivation won’t keep us going all the time but using those motivated times to establish strong habits will.
We need to remember why we want to make this change and why it’s important to us, not just doing it because we should, but also doing it because we want to see a change in our lives. When we do that, we can stay motivated, and make this New Year resolution one that works.
Rich Hill
CSEP – Certified Personal Trainer (2011-Current)
RK Athletics – https://linktr.ee/RK_Athletics
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