You start the year off with good intentions, motivated to start exercising and eating healthy. However, after a few weeks, the motivation dies down as you fall into old habits.
Sound familiar?
Most people are likely to give up on their New Year's resolutions by Feb. 1, according to a 2020 study of 2,000 people, conducted by OnePoll.
And many don't even make it that long. About 68 percent reported giving up their resolutions even sooner than that, and one in seven Americans said they never actually believe they'll see their resolution through in the first place.
Leslie Bryant, a fitness instructor at the Jefferson City Area YMCA-West Y, said her New Year's resolution -- along with not eating anymore Christmas cookies until next Christmas -- is to maintain what she's doing to stay healthy.
She said the key to sticking to your New Year's resolution is to start with small, realistic goals instead of large goals that are difficult to attain.
"Once you reach that small goal, go to the next one until you reach the bigger goal," she said.
For example, if you want to start going to the gym five days a week, start with the goal of going once a week. Then, once that becomes a routine, build it up to twice a week, and slowly add on more days until you reach your overall goal.
Valerie Robinson, longtime fitness instructor at the Jefferson City Area YMCA-West Y, said her New Year's resolution is also to stay consistent in her healthy habits.
"I believe that if you eat right, get enough sleep and exercise daily, you will have a productive lifestyle," she said.
While it's easy to get overambitious and set big goals at the start of the year, actually sticking to them is hard to achieve. Even just a daily walk is a good step toward a healthy lifestyle, Robinson said.
But if you want some motivation to exercise, Robinson encourages you to attend the YMCA's group exercise classes where you'll be encouraged and feel a sense of belonging.
"A lot of people feel like they can't do it, but if they have the encouragement and they know that someone cares about what they're doing, they'll come back," Robinson said. "The YMCA has a lot of people who are very social and positive, and there's a sense of connectiveness."
Robinson said she loves teaching fitness classes because she makes true connections with the people who attend.
"It's kind of like a big family, and everybody helps everybody," she said.
Becoming a part of something like the group exercise classes is a great motivator because you're around like-minded people who lift you up, Robinson said.
"If you stay in a positive environment and you stay with positive people, you get positive energy -- and that's what fitness is all about," she said.
YMCA member Keyna Reed said she attends fitness classes three times a week to stay fit and maintain her energy.
If you have a New Year's resolution, Reed said she encourages you to make yourself stick to it until it becomes a habit. And shortly, you won't even have to think about doing it.
"When I first started these classes, that's what I did," she said. "Plus, you make friends, and they draw you here, too, because you don't want to disappoint them."
To learn more about the Jefferson City Area YMCA, visit jcymca.org.
