Fitness resolutions slipping away? Know where you are going wrong

Discover the reasons behind the waning consistency of New Year's resolutions and how to stay motivated in achieving fitness goals.

At the beginning of every year, a wave of zealous resolutions emerge. Reading, travelling, prioritising mental health, fitness, and weight loss seem to make it to the top of everyone’s list. Motivation peaks and gyms invariably witness a surge in memberships. Promises of a healthier lifestyle, chiselled physique, and gym-honed resilience are etched into the collective consciousness. 

However, beneath the neon glow of fitness ambitions lies a phenomenon — inevitable waning consistency. Come February, gyms that once buzzed with January’s fervour fall silent, as resolutions shift from commitment to quiet echoes of unfulfilled promises made to oneself.

How do the coaches keep clients on track?

“When people make resolutions for a new year, they are not thinking realistically. They are looking at the new year as a fresh start and thinking of all the great things they can achieve,” says Raj Ganpath, co-founder, The Quad. He adds that this applies not just to fitness-related resolutions, but other things as well. “Eventually, the motivation wanes because real life catches up. You have work, you’re stressed and tired, and realise that you cannot practically do what you set out to do.”  

When people are presented with a clean slate, Raj says they tend to bite more than they can chew, often under a false sense of motivation. There are two reasons to this. “First is that this is driven by guilt. From November, until the end of the year, since it is the festive season, people let go and think that they can make up with health and fitness once all this passes. Second is that your motivation levels are at a peak at the start of the year because your stress levels are low towards the end of the year. This makes you feel like you can achieve great things,” he says, adding that these are the main reasons why people sign up for a whole year’s subscription at the gym immediately. This is also what a lot of gym owners bank on.

“I signed up for a year’s subscription at a gym close to my house in January, thinking I can make it every day without fail. It’s embarrassing to say, but I have not been as consistent as I thought. I go thrice or four times a week at most, but I still think that’s a win because I had no physical exercise prior to this. I aim to keep this pace and slowly increase it, but in retrospect, I shouldn’t have paid for an entire year in one go,” says Priyanka Fernandez, a marketing professional who works from home. 

However, the longest membership period at simpleSTRONG, a city-based sports and fitness institution, is quarterly. “That’s the amount of time we need, to show change in a person’s habits and performance. The one-year memberships are more of a business strategy because the concept of resolutions plays a big role in the fitness industry,” says Ashwin Ramdas, co-founder and head coach at simpleSTRONG.