I’ve been a fitness professional in the Eastside since 2004 (with 10 years in the industry), and many of my clients and people who know me well understand that I don’t agree with most people’s New Year’s Resolutions in regards to their fitness goals.

There are many reasons why I don’t agree, but I’m going to share my top three with you today. First, allow me to ask you a really big question: What is honestly going to be so different in your life next year that you cannot take action today? Maybe I’m being a little harsh during the holidays, but seriously, I think most resolutions are an excuse and a means to justify and delay action steps that we all know deep down should be acted on today.

Here are my reasons:

1. Psychological justification.
Most people will do whatever they want for the rest of the year in order to justify that next year they’ll be focused and finally achieve the fitness goals they dream of. The unfortunate reality is that the average weight gain from Thanksgiving till Christmas is 12lbs. That’s enough weight gain to ruin your whole year’s efforts. Is it really worth it?

2. Not revisiting your health and fitness goals every 2-3 months.
It’s a good idea to make the necessary adjustments to your health and fitness routine with the changing of the seasons. We tend to decorate our homes with the change of the seasons and it’s great for the psyche to do the same with your health and fitness goals. Restructure and reorganize your routine to meet the daily needs of the upcoming season.

For example, just about everyone is out and about during the summer months reaping the rewards of our efforts in the earlier part of the year. When fall comes we tend to slow down because the year is winding down and then when winter hits we pretty much proceed into a mental hibernation. However, this mental hibernation is usually not supportive of their fitness goals. This is why it should be a priority to revisit your goals with each season to make sure you restructure it accordingly for you to manage and engage appropriately so that you always stay on track.

3. Because you ALWAYS have an opportunity this very moment.
It really doesn’t take much effort to make a dramatic difference in your health right now. If you haven’t exercised in a while, start with a 15-minute walk three times per week for 2 weeks, and then crank it up to 30-minute workouts including strength training starting the third week. Don’t be fooled by the “Exercise at least 5 hours/week of cardio and 2+ days of weight training”. Anyone can easily become more fit in just 15-30 minutes three times per week. That’s 1.5 hours per week at the most! Who wouldn’t want that kind of fitness schedule?

Anyway, there really is no reason to wait until the New Year . You’re good enough RIGHT NOW, and you’re worth it!

PS…Click here to learn some damage control strategies for the rest of the holidays.