At the beginning of each year, the word “resolution” becomes synonymous with “go to the gym.”
Of all new year resolutions, health-related goals are the most common.
As the clock strikes midnight on January first, most of us renew our commitment to play more sports, lose weight, eat healthier, and live a more active lifestyle.
People are likely to agree that there’s nothing wrong with prioritizing our health, and that taking better care of our bodies is a good goal for the year.
Wanting to be fitter isn’t worrying.
Here’s what it is: Becoming healthier and more active is a resolution that we keep resetting, which means that many of us fail at it each year.
Most resolutions focus on three major topics: health and exercise, finance and spending, and personal growth, like reading or pursuing hobbies and skills.
A staggering 95 percent of all resolutions revolve around health and weight, but only eight percent of people who set this goal end up succeeding.
Within a month, around 80 percent of resolutioners will have given up.
Why do we keep failing at goals related to physical health, which is such an important aspect of our lives?
One word is enough to capture a huge chunk of the problem: overcommitment. Many resolutions involve losing a double-digit number of pounds, or fitness goals that would take months (or years) of training to achieve, like long-distance races, or suddenly gaining mastery in a sport or athletic endeavor one has never tried.
While there’s nothing wrong with setting ambitious, large-scale goals, we often get too excited for these milestones, ending up discouraged when we don’t meet them right away.
Losing that first kilogram or running that first mile feels feeble and embarrassing compared to completing a marathon or losing 20 pounds, but it’s the former set of goals that are far more achievable, especially for those coming from a long break and a slew of holiday meals and nights out.
We’re rarely in our best physical condition at the beginning of the new year, which can make our big health goals feel impossibly out of reach.
Starting smaller, then progressing onto larger goals by month, or by quarter, is a way to ensure we don’t give up on ourselves by February.
Besides starting with smaller goals, taking small steps accordingly is also likely to ensure consistency and progress.
An extra glass of water, a simple swap in snacks or meals, and a short walk at the end of the day solidifies our commitment to being healthier, rather than starving ourselves by watching TikTok or Instagram Reels of people flaunting what they eat each day to maintain their figures.
“Skinny” frames have started regaining popularity in recent years, which is also another pitfall for those starting the year with health resolutions in mind.
Rather than seeking ways to improve their physical health, their gym goals become reoriented towards being as thin as possible.
While small steps and small goals make our health resolutions more achievable, aiming to be as small as possible may cause more physical, emotional and mental damage in the long run.
Health is not always about eating or weighing less. Health is meant to be functional and empowering — we may set gym-related new year resolutions, so our clothes fit better and improve our self-image, but it ultimately comes down to the quality of life that one will have as the years pass.
Looking after our health allows us to be around longer, and enables us to live life to the fullest: to walk unassisted, to sit and stand without pain, to travel and eat freely, for as long as possible.
So, rather than focusing on the scale or on sports-related achievement at the cost of physical health and longevity, the best way to approach gym- and health-related New Year’s resolutions is to start small, without obsessing with becoming smaller. (ABS-CBN News)