“New Years Resolutioners”

As a Personal Trainer, this is one of my favorite times of year.  A time for one of my absolute FAVORITE things: Goal setting.  I also love it, because I am bombarded by new clients.  So obviously for business that is good, but more importantly I love love LOVE seeing people take charge of their health and make the choice to join a gym, start eating healthier etc.  It is so inspiring to me.

Now, that being said there is a LOT of gripe from my fellow fitness freaks about all the “New Year Resolutioners” hogging up the gym.  I get it, you have been busting your butt in that gym, or spin class, yoga class, whatever it is- all year.  And now there is somebody in your spot or messing up your routine. They don’t know the rules and are using the squat rack to do bicep curls or talking during savasana in yoga.  Again, I GET it, I would be lying to you if I told you I was not sometimes annoyed by these things too.  BUT before you start giving them dirty looks and wishing they would just give up already and go back to their couch and eat cheetos, remember where YOU came from.

Perhaps most of you reading this have been into working out for a long time or are even athletes, so you will say to me “Jill, I have always worked out so this has never been new to me”.  Well, excuse me but I call BULL.  I am pretty sure no human ever shot out of the womb and immediatley starting doing bicep curls or running 5 miles.  And if you did, please call me because I would like to meet you.  Every single one of us had to start SOMEWHERE.  Even if that somewhere was your very first football practice at age 7.   You are NOT above anybody that walks into a gym on January 1st.

Still having a hard time with it?  Fair enough, tell me a time where you were trying something new -does not have to be fitness related.  Your first day on a new job, first day of high school, first time traveling internationally, anytime where you were completley out of your comfort zone. Think back to that kid in your class who invited you to sit with him/her at lunch, the person who finally spoke english to you because they could sense you had no idea what was going on, the new co-worker who smiled at you to make you feel more welcome.  Think of how much relief that person brought you just by that simple act.   THAT is the person I am charging you to be to all these newbies.  Be the person that makes a difference, just by smiling at them, befriending them, encouraging them.  We want to encourage our society to be healthier, not discourage it so that we can have the treadmill to ourselves and then complain how unhealthy everybody else is.  Because of your simple smile or encouragement, they just might change their life.  That, my friends, is a good way to start a new year.