Fitness resolutions are about to die. Here's how to revive them

Congratulations, fitness-resolution makers. According to some of the nation’s leading fitness chains, you folks who joined gyms during the January rush are still going in droves, making the next couple of days likely to be among the busiest work-out days of the year.

Not so great: it’s basically downhill from here.

The coming drop-off in gym visits is so predictable that Gold’s Gym has dubbed it the “fitness cliff” and, for the past few years, has been announcing exactly when it will happen, based on data from previous years.

This year’s day of doomed resolutions: Tuesday, says Dave Reiseman, vice president of marketing at Gold’s, which has about 500 U.S. locations. “After February 9, check-ins will drop and will never be as high again for the rest of the year,” he says.

Anytime Fitness, a chain with more than 2,000 clubs in North America, sees a similar pattern, says CEO Chuck Runyon. In 2015, check-ins peaked on Feb. 10 and stayed high through March, before beginning a steeper slide towards the lazy days of summer, he says.

While there’s no national data on gym check-ins, sales of gym memberships peak in January and hit low spots in April and July, according to the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.

Many newly minted home exercisers also are about to plop back onto their comfy couches, experts say.

“The fundamental reason is that we go about making these resolutions without keeping in mind that life also happens to us,” says Cedric Bryant, chief science officer of the non-profit American Council on Exercise.

After a few encounters with life — sick kids, blizzards, work deadlines and such — “people become frustrated when they can’t do exactly what they set out to do on January 1,” Bryant says.

That’s when a lot of people give up. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how to reboot your fitness routine now — and keep it going year-round:

Do what you like.

Maybe your friends convinced you to sign up for the latest high-intensity class — and you hate it. Drop it now, guilt-free, and choose a workout you like. “Don’t force yourself to do something just because it’s hot and it’s trendy,” Bryant says. And don’t get your exercise in gyms if you hate gyms, says Heather Hausenblas, a physical activity researcher at Jacksonville University in Florida. “A lot of people are intimidated by the gym, especially if they are not in good shape,” she says. If you like the outdoors, she says, walk outdoors. Gym-lovers will thank you for freeing up a treadmill.

Do it for the right reasons.

Exercise can contribute to weight loss and maintenance — if you do enough of it and combine it with a good diet. But that’s just one reason to keep moving. “Physical activity improves every aspect of your life,” Runyon says. According the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the benefits include reduced risks of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, colon cancer, breast cancer and premature death, improvements in mood, thinking and sleep and stronger muscles and bones. To get all that, you should aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (such as brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (such as running) each week, plus some muscle-strengthening exercise a couple times a week. “But people need to remember that every little bit of movement they do offers some benefit,” Bryant says.

Get a plan.

You’ve decided to take a daily 30-minute brisk walk. But are you going to do it before work, at lunchtime or in the evening? And what will you need to do to make it happen? Pack the kids’ lunches the night before? Bring your sneakers to the office? Delegate dish-washing to your spouse? “Try to eliminate as many reasons not to do it as you possibly can,” Bryant says.

Get real.

“A lot of people have unrealistic expectations,” especially when it comes to weight loss and body sculpting, Hausenblas says. A month at the gym will not turn an average Joe into a Men’s Health cover model, she says. If you are significantly overweight, “it’s going to take a long time to lose that weight,” she says. In the meantime, she suggests setting modest goals, such as increasing your daily step count and fitting in more “unintentional exercise” by taking stairs and walking when you talk on the phone. And don’t beat yourself up for lapses. “I tell people to strive for progress, not perfection,” Bryant says. “So get out there and get moving in whatever way your busy schedule allows.”

Get help.

Get active in a way that connects you with at least one other person — someone who will hold you accountable, Bryant says. For some, that person will be a professional trainer. For others, it will be an “exercise buddy” who expects to see you at that yoga class or join you on your neighborhood walks.

Celebrate small victories. 

Made it to the gym five days in a row? “Treat yourself to some new workout clothes,” Reiseman suggests. And do give yourself a high-five if you get to the gym this Wednesday, he says:  “Just making it past the fitness cliff is a small victory.”