The top two New Year’s resolutions people make are to exercise more, and to lose weight. Unfortunately, studies have shown that most people give up on their New Year’s goals before the end of January. We want you to be able to keep your resolutions not only through January, but through the whole year to come.

Whether it’s January 1st, February 1st, or the middle of the year, if you’re a new gym goer, here are some tips to be successful in the gym, to see progress, to stay consistent, and to avoid injury!

Tips:

1. Get in a routine: Find a time of day that works best for you and try to stick to it. Whether it’s early in the morning, during your lunch break, or after work, getting on a schedule of going around the same time every day can help with consistency. 
2. Perform a good warm up:  This can be relatively short (about 6-12 minutes) and is your time to get your body and mind ready to workout. Your warm up should include activities that raise your heart rate, increase your mobility, and activate the muscles that are key for your workout.
3. Go to the gym with a plan: Making a simple, general workout plan (either daily or weekly) can help keep you on track. With a plan, you’re less likely to dilly dally around the gym and it will keep your gym time as efficient as you need it to be. (Isn’t just getting to the gym hard enough?!)
4. Don’t be Superman: Just because John Doe next to you is using super heavy weights to do his exercises doesn’t mean you should, too. Use weights that allow you to perform the exercise correctly and comfortably with good form.
5. Stick to the simple stuff: As cool as that super-complicated exercise that your favorite fitness Instagram model posted might look, it probably isn’t worth being in your workout. The basics (squats, lunges, bicep curls, overhead presses, etc.) are just as (if not more) effective!
6. Don’t neglect sleep, nutrition, or hydration: In order to maximize your performance and recovery, be sure to get 6-8 hours of sleep, eat well balanced meals that include a healthy protein, fat, and carb, and drink 0.5-1 oz of water per pound that you weigh. 
7. Take days off: It’s very important to allow your body to recover from and adapt to your training. Don’t be lazy, though! On your rest days, go for a long walk or an easy bike ride instead of laying around and watching tv. It’s important to get your body moving daily.
8. If you get hurt, seek help: Don’t try to push through too much pain, or simply give up! Injuries are annoying, but should be temporary. Seek help to get the necessary care you need so you can get back to your usual training. 

“Get in a routine: Find a time of day that works best for you and try to stick to it. Whether it’s early in the morning, during your lunch break, or after work, getting on a schedule of going around the same time every day can help with consistency.”

Above all, in our opinion, the most important aspect of making progress in the gym is consistency. A “perfect” plan that never gets done is worthless. Try starting small with a 10-15 minute commitment each day, or 30 minutes just 3x/week. Doing these simpler routines consistently over time leads to great progress. 

Pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle is so important for your wellbeing. We hope these tips help you keep your resolutions throughout the year, and eventually even lead to a lifestyle change!