Ahh, January – the month where no matter if you go to the gym at 6am, 6pm, or noon, you’ll be acing to grab a bench, squat rack or treadmill. Yet, by December, so many are left sitting on the sofa saying “Next year will be different”. Fitness journeys often fail not out of laziness, but out of burnout. As cheesy as it is, it’s a lifestyle change.
With that, here are my top five tips to stick to your fitness routine in 2024.
First and foremost, find what exercise you genuinely enjoy. Don’t go to the weight room just because you see girls on TikTok claiming hip thrusts are the ticket to perky glutes or just go to pilates because you see all the influencers looking cute on the reformers in their workout sets. While it’s okay to have multiple motivations for picking a specific workout, find one that genuinely works for your specific body. What gives you those good post-workout endorphins? What makes you feel empowered? Which space do you feel supported in? This being said, don’t feel the need to put yourself in a box with one type of workout. You can squat 75kg one day, spin and dance your heart out the next, and then zen out with a yoga flow!
The second big tip (which applies less to classes) is to have a good playlist – I cannot stress this enough. As silly as it sounds, I finally got consistent with the gym when I started listening to my pre-going out playlist during my gym sessions. I was used to feeling happy and upbeat whenever those songs would come on, so with a little Pavlovian psychology, I soon came to fall in love with the gym.
Third, nutrition. If you haven’t previously exercised and then start adding on a lot of physical activity, your energy needs will increase (and likely your hunger will as well). If you do not properly honour this, chances are you aren’t going to perform well, will probably feel irritable and fatigued throughout your workout, and will be immediately put off from going back. While nutrition is tricky and can feel overwhelming, a good rule of thumb is to try to make sure every meal has a source of protein, carbs, fats and fibre. Tick these four boxes three times a day (and then add snacks as needed), customise them to your taste preference, and you’ll be good to go!
Lastly, results take time. You will hear this time and time again in the fitness community, but it’s true. If you are seeing results too quickly, it’s probably a sign that your current regimen isn’t sustainable. Slow but steady wins the race.
In the same breath, this also means if you skip a day, or even a week, or a month, don’t give up and start from square one. Chances are after a couple of days you’ll jump right back to where you left off. Similarly, during times when life gets busy and messy, sometimes a little something is better than nothing. We live in a culture that preaches an all-or-nothing mentality, but sometimes a little ten-minute ab workout in your living room, or a brisk walk outside, can be all you need.
Listen to your body, have fun, be patient, show up for yourself, and 2024 will be your year.
“The gym” by combust is licensed under CC BY 2.0.