Its that time of year, New Years Resolution! 
This is when the gyms get overly crowded. All the trainers and sales staff are rubbing there hands together ready for a new customer but slightly smirking at the same time. They know that half of these overly excited, pumped up new comers swearing they are ready for real this time aren’t gonna make it past March.
I know, its a harsh reality. Especially for the ones who really believe in their hearts they are gonna do it this time.
But the ones who really suffer are the dedicated gym rats who have been coming faithfully 2-5 times a week since last year and the year before that. Look at their angry and frustrated faces as they unsuspectingly walk toward the next machine with their heart-rate still racing, only to be let down when they realize its being used by someone who clearly doesn’t even know how to use it. “Their range of motion is way too wide for that machine!” The gym rat yells to themselves. The poor gym rat looks around to find the alternative to that machine, only to see that its also taken. “Ah!” “I’ll just use the free-weights. Sure my heart-rate has gone down a bit but I can get it back. I should be free-weighting it out anyway. Let me quit being lazy.” The gym rat thinks. But just as they go to the barbell rack, they notice everything is taken. After scanning the room in frenzy, they see 2 skinny teenage boys struggling to use the size barbell they wanted. “Oh come on! Are they even old enough to be here?” They look towards the dumbbell rack. “Taken!”
“I hate January.” They Gym rat bellows. “I’ll be glad when March comes and everyone gets over their stupid New years resolution!”
If your a trainer, gym employee or gym rat, you know what I’m talking about. If you’re a January-March fitness buff, you should know this is whats is going on behind the scene.
Don’t let this turn you away from the gym or your resolution. Maybe you can just let this be motivation for you not to be so predictable this year. Keep your commitment. Be strong, then come June, look that gym rat right in the eye come and give them a nod like “Yeah Homie, break yo self, I’m here to stay!”
You can do it!
Tip to not being a January-Marcher:
Pace yourself.
If you haven’t been doing hardly any working out the previous year, don’t try to be a super hero now. You are not gonna make up for what you did over the holidays by going crazy at the gym all of a sudden. Start with 2 days a week. Sustain that for a month, then go to 3. If you do too much too fast you will only burn yourself out. This goes for nutrition too.
Don’t diet.
Simply come up with healthy manageable adjustments. Start planning ahead what your gonna eat. Before you get hungry.
Introduce yourself to a healthy new dish once a month. Experiment with different spices and vegetables.
Also try out a new way to get active. Maybe a dance class, swim lessons, ooh how about 
YOGA!
And if you need help with what to do or accountability, then get it! Be honest. Invest in yourself. You are worth it!
Don’t be that person done with their goals after 3 months.
Be better than you were last year.
~Ayana The Nataki Wellness Center
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