Several people may want to hit the gym at the start of the new year as part of their new year's resolution. While this may sound like a good opportunity to get healthier as the year starts, experts actually advise against this, as it could just be a waste of money.
"New Year, New Me" Gym Plans
In 2020, a study covering 1,700 individuals discovered that the crowd that adheres to the "new year, new me" trend is less likely to stick to a consistent fitness regimen in comparison to those who began their fitness journey during the fall or spring. This crowd covers those who surge to the gym as part of their annual resolution in light of the excesses of the holiday season.
The findings were detailed in the "Why do new members stop attending health and fitness venues? The importance of developing frequent and stable attendance behaviour" study.
Those who joined the gym during the winter only went to the gym an average of 2.9 times each month. This was compared to those who started during the spring or fall and went to the gym an average of 4.5 times each month.
Researchers also discovered that only around one-fifth of these individuals follow through with their fitness goals for over a year after signing up in the gym. On top of this, the commitment time for each will typically go down dramatically between the first two months.
Dr. Matthew Rand, the lead researcher of the study, who is from the University of Sheffield, notes that they were able to see that several individuals, despite making the decision to become fitter, were paying to not hit the gym.
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Why Fitness New Year's Resolutions Aren't Always Sustainable
Dr. Rand explains that there is a strong message at this specific time of the year. The "new start" and "new me" trends could prompt people to get a gym membership.
However, motivations rooted in start-of-year sentiments and social pressure could not be strong enough compared to the motivation of those who start at a different time of the year. In the case of the latter, individuals concretely and individually made the decision to become healthier and fitter.
Dr. Rand adds that some individuals may lose their drive to hit the gym once January is over. Hence, because of this, it is best to hit the gym when winter signup is not yet trendy.
The doctor adds that for several individuals, joining in the spring could mean that they could go to the gym more and have a higher likelihood of sticking to the regimen, as it is not a simple New Year's resolution. With this, Dr. Rand suggests starting fitness habits before January starts in order to get in rhythm when January 1 comes.
Ideally, individuals should want to hit the gym as part of something they typically do on a particular day and time. Repeating such activity at the same time could make the practice more habitual, making it more likely for the person to stick to it. This, then, makes it automatic behavior.
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