‘New Year, New Me’: Keeping the motivation

(ABC 6 News) – You’ve probably heard of “new year, new me.” This time of year, there’s an increase in gym memberships for those looking to meet their New Year’s resolutions. But how can you keep the motivation going?

“Find a reason beyond just aesthetic, right?” said Paul Yerhot, a member of Roca. “Like I think everyone wants to work out to like get that six-pack and all that stuff. But finding a reason, whether it’s community or whether it’s you know, someway to stay warm in the winter. Something beyond kind of superficial.”

It takes three weeks to develop a habit. Maybe that’s eating healthy, or maybe that’s hitting the gym. While that might be the case, Mayo Clinic says January 17 tends to be the moment of truth for New Year’s resolutions. It’s the day when on average, most people give up on their good intentions for the New Year and fall back into old habits.

“You’re going to find this time of year that a lot of gyms, a lot of fitness, it’s New Year’s resolutions and trying to get back into working out,” Lindy Mathis, operations manager at Burn Boot Camp said. “We really come from a standpoint and a mindset of establishing routines, not resolutions. So it’s how can you make this part of your lifestyle?”

When taking steps to make healthy habits a part of your lifestyle, think SMART. Specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-framed. When will you do this? SMART can help you with long and short-term goals. Or another way to kick start a healthy New Year is to try something new.

“This time of year we definitely get an uptick in new members. Just people curious on checking it out. We found a lot of people are coming in the door, wanting a more fun way to work out and something a little bit more engaging,” Jeremy Schaar, owner of Roca said. “The biggest thing is find something that’s fun. Something that you don’t dread going to go do. After a long day at work or something, if it’s something that’s going to be fun for you, it’s much easier to keep with it.”

“Establish this is just part of your lifestyle,” added Mathis. “Fitness, working out, eating clean, and taking care of your body is a year-round commitment.”

Even the smaller steps like eating a piece of fruit with a meal can help kickstart new habits for a New Year.