This is an article written for two very different audiences. I’ve been on both sides of this, and I hope to shed some light on some positives to help both groups of people in the New Year.

“I made a resolution to get fit/healthy this year.”

Congratulations! Now that you’ve made a resolution, it’s up to you to follow-through. Some things to remember:

• Eating healthy will make you lose weight; exercise will make you strong/fit.
• Don’t use the scale as your only measure of success; how you feel, how well your clothes fit, how you look, how clear your skin is and other non-scale victories are all very important measures of your progress and success.
• Cheat days are a myth and should be avoided. They are more like sabotage days.
• Perseverence is the key. You will face difficulty and challenges. Meet them head-on and keep going.
• You may slip and fall off the wagon. That’s okay. What defines successful people from those who fail is getting back up and on the right path.
• You may feel silly in the gym on the first day/week/month. That’s okay; all the other people in the gym felt the same way.
• The first meals you make in your new lifestyle may not be that tasty or delicuous. It’ll get better as you learn to cook within the new lifestyle.
• There is pain and discomfort in changing your lifestyle. Embrace it and know that the discomfort means you have chosen to do something about your health and fitness.
• The pain of fitness is better than the pain of regret (of not starting a fitness routine).
• Seek the advice/guidance of others who have started a similar journey as you, whether it’s people at the gym who are more fit and stronger, or people who have lost a lot of weight or gotten healthy.

“Oh no. It’s New Year which means new ‘Resolution’ people in the gym.”

Try to remember that you were new to the gym once, too. Whether these new people succeed or not may, in large part, be a result of how welcoming and helpful you are in the gym.

• Smile. The power of a simple smile is greater on someone who is scared, nervous, and feeling out of place is more powerful than you can imagine.
• Be helpful. If you see someone struggling with an exercise, a lift, or equipment, give them a hand and show them the right way to do it.
• Don’t be judgmental; don’t laugh at them. We all start somewhere. Some of us have to start with more of a handicap than others.
• Resolution people can turn into gym partners and friends if you let them. Just be a good person and foster comraderie in the gym.
• Share your enthusiasm for fitness with the new people. Give them tips/pointers. Get them pumped up.
• Be patient. The new people won’t know gym etiquette and explaining it to them nicely will make sure they get the message and follow the unwrtitten rules. Being mean or snippy about it only breeds resentment and hostility.

For both groups, remember that we’re all people looking for the same thing, just at different junctures of our journey. While some of us are more fit than others, we are all wanting to be on the same path: healthy and fit. Let’s help each other get there together. You never know when the tables may turn and those you helped are the ones who will help you.

Happy New Year!