Is your fitness resolution fading?find out what’s wrong

Every year, at the beginning of the year, a wave of enthusiastic resolutions washes over us. Prioritizing reading, travel, mental health, fitness, and weight loss seem to be at the top of everyone’s list. When motivation is at its peak, gyms always see a spike in membership. The promise of a healthier lifestyle, chiseled physique, and gym-honed resilience is etched into our collective consciousness.

But beneath the neon glow of fitness ambition lies the inevitable phenomenon of inconsistency. In February, the gym that was buzzing with January’s excitement falls silent, and his determination shifts from promises to the quiet echoes of unfulfilled promises to himself.

How do coaches keep their clients on track?

blank slate

“When people make New Year’s resolutions, they’re not thinking realistically. They see the new year as a fresh start and think about all the great things they can accomplish,” says The Quad co. says founder Raj Ganpath. He added that this applies not only to fitness-related resolutions, but also to other things. “Eventually, your motivation wanes because real life catches up to you. You have work, you’re feeling stressed and tired, and you realize you can’t actually do the things you set out to do.”

Raj says that when people are presented with a blank slate, they tend to bite off more than they can chew, often based on false motivations. He has two reasons for this. “Firstly, this is caused by guilt. From November until the end of the year is the festive season, so people think that once all this passes, they will make up for it with health and fitness.” “Motivation levels peak at the beginning of the year because stress levels drop towards the end of the year, which makes you feel like you can accomplish great things,” he says. He added that this is the main reason people immediately sign up for a year-long gym subscription. This is also what many gym owners expect.

“I signed up for a one-year subscription to a gym near my house in January, thinking I’d be able to go every day without fail. I’m embarrassed to say, but I haven’t been as consistent as I thought I would be. Three or four times a week at most. But up until that point, I didn’t exercise at all, so I’m glad I did. I’d like to maintain this pace and increase it slowly, but looking back, I think it’s worth paying for the whole year at once. We shouldn’t have,” says Priyanka Fernandes, a marketing professional who works from home.

However, the longest membership period at simpleSTRONG, a city-based sports and fitness facility, is quarterly. “It takes this much time to show changes in a person’s habits and performance. The concept of resolution plays a big role in the fitness industry, so a one-year membership is like a business strategy.” says Ashwin Ramdas, co-founder and head coach of simpleSTRONG.

At simpleSTRONG, fitness extends beyond the walls of the gym. They organize fitness retreats and vacations called ‘Recharge’ in amazing locations in India and abroad where learning, community, food, adventure and play are at the forefront. “These retreats add fun to fitness, reduce boredom, and foster a sense of community. What I took away from these trips was that I learned something about fitness and training philosophy.” says Ashwin as he prepares to leave for Sri Lanka.

realistic goals

The resolutions you make during January’s peak of motivation are more like a wish list than a list of achievable and realistic goals. “People set unrealistic goals, and this is also fueled by social media. People put out a lot of training plans and diets that don’t work for you. Set smaller, more realistic goals. “Being set and focusing on habits and consistency rather than numbers is key,” he adds.

“Solutions are often goal-motivated and don’t require people to put in the effort it takes. You just have to break it down and figure out the ‘how’ and create habits around it.” Raj says.

For those just starting their fitness journey, training five days a week is unrealistic. “Whether it’s Zumba, running, strength training, swimming, or sports, training three days a week is enough. Then you can slowly increase the number of days and daily effort each quarter. It helps me focus,” says Ashwin.

Every month, the number of people who consistently stick to their resolutions is steadily decreasing. According to a research paper by the US-based National Library of Medicine, a large-scale experiment on New Year’s resolutions found that one week into the new year, 77% of participants maintained their resolutions. I found out that That number dropped to 55% after one month, 43% after three months, 40% after six months, and 19% at the end of the year.

One of the things that helps people reach their goals is having a coach to guide them through their fitness journey. It can be easy to find workout plans from social media and follow them blindly, but having a good coach will keep you motivated and help you realistically assess your progress.

“A coach is your biggest motivator and keeps you accountable,” says Divya Rolla, head of training and development at CultFit. She further added, “They track your progress and help you stay on course. Apart from that, there are leaderboards, pop-ups, prizes you can earn by keeping your winning streak, and There’s also a Cult app with a step counter to give you a boost. Cult also organizes events like yogathons and dance fitness parties in outdoor public arenas, so you’ll never get bored.”

“At The Quad, the situation is different depending on the programming structure. Training is carried out on a yearly basis. We plan your year based on a plan called a macrocycle. This is divided into four quarters. Split into 2 mesocycles. Every cycle has a beginning and an end, with a one week break every quarter. This way you can have a fresh start every quarter. That’s the secret sauce. Each quarter consists of 12 weeks of workouts of varying intensity. Each quarter includes engaging community workouts to help break up the monotony. ” says Raj.

Fitness extends beyond training. A major part of wellness includes diet and mindfulness, and Nature Movement Training Center Fit-O-Crazy helps with this very aspect. Outdoor training with a five-element approach: air (balance and awareness), water (flexibility and mobility), fire (speed, agility, aerobic exercise), earth (strength), and space (outdoor training) The arena and the independence corner where you can cook your own pre- and post-workout meals and ice bath sessions will help you change things up.

It’s unrealistic to expect to be motivated on a daily basis. “It’s easier to choose a form of workout that you enjoy, do it twice a week, and then do something that you don’t enjoy as much but that you need from a progress standpoint. For example, I like yoga. But I have to do cardio as well, even though I don’t like doing cardio,” Divya adds.

She says another way to keep your plan on track is to create an accountability partner or training group. Gentle peer pressure to get someone involved in your goals is key to staying consistent in the gym. When you expect someone to come to you, you develop a sense of responsibility. An added bonus is that you get to be part of a fitness-minded community. Knowing that you are not alone is the greatest motivator.