Was Jan. 1, 2025 supposed to be the start of your fitness journey?
Well, it’s been about three weeks since the New Year began and, according to some studies, you’ve probably given up already.
For most of the year, the gym I go to is pretty quiet. When I walked in on Jan. 6, the first Monday of 2025, the place was packed.
There was a lineup at the front counter, where people buying memberships. I had to wait half an hour just to snag a treadmill and spent most of my workout on the cursed Stairmaster, waiting for an opening.
But I have noticed the new crowd has already begun thinning out.
I am not a fitness expert by any means, but in 2024 I vowed to improve my fitness level and met a few major goals — hiking every weekend in the summer, taking a three-hour canoe trip with my best friend, and getting my money's worth out of my neglected gym membership. To meet those goals, I really had to force myself to get active for 30-minutes five nights a week, make exercise a regular part of my day and get back on the horse when I fell out of the saddle of my routine.
These days, I'm feeling better and I'm happy to share a few things that helped me get more active, both indoors at the gym and outdoors with friends.
Have your bag ready to go
It might seem obvious, but sometimes the difference between getting to the gym and spending the night cozying up on the couch is having your bag together.
And excuses are easy to find: Is my water bottle in the dishwasher? Where did I even put my running shoes? Are my headphones charged? I can’t find my key card for the gym! Might as well stay in tonight.
Having everything ready to go makes going to the gym take less time out of your evening. It's also convenient and, most importantly, helps you build a routine.
Hydrate before, during and after
It’s a no-brainer to bring water with you to the gym, but I find it very helpful to make sure I drink a glass of water before I leave the house.
Canada Food Guide suggests drinking water before, during and after a workout to stay hydrated.
In my personal experience, going to the gym without drinking water beforehand leads to cramps, stitches in my side and sometimes even a headache.
Little things like preparing for the gym by getting hydrated ahead of time also get me ready mentally to transition to the gym once my workday is over.
Start slow
If you’re going to the gym for the first time, or returning after a long break, start off with something simple.
You don’t need to climb 300 steps or run 5 km or do a deadlift. Canada’s public health authority says two hours and 30 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise leads to positive health benefits.
I suggest starting with a 30-minute walk on the treadmill once a day. It might not seem like much, but setting a low bar for a workout, for me, makes it easier to show up. Once I'm there, I often choose to do something more intensive, like climb stairs, lift weights and use the elliptical machine.
And make sure to listen to your body. Are your hips hurting when you walk too fast? Slow it down. Feel dizzy when you pick up the speed and resistance level on a machine? Take a break.
Hurting yourself by pushing too hard will only discourage you from exercising.
Wash those gym clothes right away
This might seem like an obvious tip, but tend to your gym clothes when you get home from the gym. When I first began, I had a bad habit of throwing my gym clothes in a hamper after a workout - and forgetting about them.
I have a few different sets of gym clothes, but when you workout regularly, you run out of activewear fast.
I've found it helpful to check whether my workout clothes are washed and ready to go for the next day as soon as I get home from the gym.
Small goals, bigger payoff
Having a grand vision of your fitness journey can be helpful, but making small, achievable goals along the way is something I have found to be very helpful.
My first goal when I started getting more active was to do a one-hour hike. The next goal was an hour-long canoe trip. Once I did that, I set my sights on a three-hour canoe trip.
Everyone is different, but I found it helps to take a moment to think of a small (and fun) fitness-related goal that I can achieve within a few weeks.
Now that it's winter I find my motivation in setting goals for the summertime, when the weather is more cooperative. Right now, I'm planning to hike The Crack at Killarney Provincial Park in August. The five-hour hike for beginners has a steep trail and sections where you have to climb rocks.
When I'm trudging away on the Stairmaster or lifting weights, I try to think about how much easier it will be for me to finish the hike if I keep at it.
Cut yourself some slack
Did you miss a week of workouts? Did you walk more than you ran? Did you plan to start a fitness journey for 2025, and have only gone once or twice?
That’s fine!
One workout is just a drop in the bucket. Everyone starts somewhere, and the most harmful thing you can do to yourself is say you failed. You aren’t always going to be able to follow through. Life gets in the way and sometimes you just don’t feel like it.
Building a routine takes time, and a bump or two that gets in the way doesn’t mean it's gone forever.
And the date on the calendar doesn't really matter; being good to yourself can start any day of the year.
