There is no event like the New Year to inspire droves of people to go to the gym and start on a “new you.” This idea is cliché but definitely still in effect. What I find difficult, and depressing to consider, is that the gym slowly returns to just its regulars within a month or two. This time of year is special to me though, because it’s right about when I became serious about lifting weights.
The increased gym activity for the first two months of every year is an observation from my own personal experience. I have been a member of about seven different gyms in my adult life (currently three different ones, just to keep things interesting). I also have some insider information: my husband has been in the gym business for years, as either a personal trainer or a manager, or both. They plan on New Year’s bringing in new people, it’s their Christmas.
Now, some of that is hoping for increased cash-flow sure, but most of them really do want to see people making positive changes in their lives, it’s refreshing for us gymrats (the word can be derogatory or honorary depending on who says it, but it means someone who spends all their free time at the gym). Some of his best long-term training clients with the most incredible transformations have been New Year’s Resolutioners. As I said, I’m all for it.
I first started dabbling in weight-lifting right before Christmas in 2013. My husband (boyfriend of seven months at the time) would be over on the weight floor lifting while I was on the treadmill. We’d been going to the gym together on and off since we started dating, we were both active people. I worked out because I wanted to be “fit” but in all honesty, I hated cardio with a passion, and it wasn’t really getting me anywhere.
Let me explain, I went to the gym about three days a week. I was active, but I didn’t like the way I looked. I carried fat on my waist, and no matter how much I ran/swam/whatever, the fat stayed put and the curves I wanted to keep started disappearing. I joined a new gym at the end of January that year when I started a new job (I got a good deal) and it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made.
There are numerous events that gyms host at this time of year, and if you are looking to get started, it really is a good time to join a gym. They offer deals on memberships, training packages, extra classes, and all sorts of enticements for the prospective member. You’ll find a free week pass isn’t hard to get your hands on either. If you are serious about walking into a new gym, this is an excellent time to try one out.
This article in Health offers a list of gyms that offer New Year deals, often running from early December through the end of January: https://www.health.com/fitness/gym-membership-fitness-deals-2018
Here is an article that references my last post about five steps to get started. It specifically references women making New Year’s resolutions, but it really applies to any new goal, any time of year: https://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/setting-goals-and-sticking-them
Balance the Lift 