New Year, new you? Maybe not.
2019 is here and with a new year comes new promises to ourselves. If those promises include being more intentional about your health, you’re not alone. People who haven’t been to a gym in far too long are facing their fears and going for it, again.
Yassss, let’s work!
These New Year Resolution Go-Getters may not know how to use the new equipment and their form may be awful on the free weights. They may be overdressed in their new workout gear or they may have put on whatever they can find to just make it in the building.
But with each new year, new me season, social media gets a new round of memes poking fun at the gym new comers.
TRUTH BOMB: Why do so many New Year's resolutions fail?
In 2019, more of us showed grace to the newcomers. The fact they’re there, in the gym for the first time in forever is a huge hurdle for some. Overcoming that anxiety and worry is a true accomplishment and they’re proud of themselves for going for it.
Yes, that lady may be on YOUR machine, the machine you’ve claimed all 2018 that everyone else knew was yours. Ugh, that sweaty guy doesn’t know the treadmill etiquette and didn’t wipe down the machine when he was finished.
Everyone must start somewhere, right?
So, in 2019, we could all make the effort to be a little more patient, a little more kind and a lot more supportive of people who made promises to conquer this healthy and fit journey.
Research shows it’s incredibly difficult to keep those resolutions. Some 80 percent of resolutions fail each year, according to U.S. News and World Report.
“By the second week of February, some 80 percent of those resolution-ers are back home with a new kind of remorse staring back at them in the mirror – the remorse of disappointment.”
They give other reasons for this failure and remorse, but it boils down to a change in thinking.
But maybe showing support and grace to the gym newcomers could help.
Kristen B. Reed is the managing editor of 11Alive.com in Atlanta. She occasionally blogs about lifestyle headlines and is one of those 2019 gym go-getters asking for grace this year.