Ditch the 'New Year, New Me' Pressure
A Gentler Guide to Sustainable Fitness
Hey friends! 🌟
You know that feeling when the holiday cookies are barely gone, and suddenly your social media is flooded with before-and-after pics and 30-day transformation challenges? Yeah, me too. I’ve been seeing them for weeks! And can we talk about how those gym commercials somehow make us feel simultaneously guilty and pumped? 😅
As someone who consistently rides the high of New Year’s resolutions and goal-setting, I want to share a different approach to New Year fitness goals – one that feels good and, more importantly, lasts longer than your new gym shoes.
The Problem with "New Year, New Me"
There's nothing magical about January 1st. Your body doesn't suddenly become a blank slate ready for transformation just because you bought a new planner. And honestly? You don't need a "new you" – the current you is amazing and worthy already.
Recent studies give us some interesting insights about New Year's resolutions:
According to research published in PLOS ONE (2023), people who set approach-oriented goals (like "start exercising") are more successful than those who set avoidance-oriented goals (like "stop being lazy")
The University of Scranton found that while about 77% of people maintain their resolutions through February, this drops to about 40% by June
Most importantly, the research shows that how we frame our goals matters tremendously for success
A Better Way: The S'more Fitness Approach to Fitness Goals
Layer 1: Start Where You Are Instead of trying to become a completely different person overnight, let's assess where you are right now. And I mean REALLY where you are – not where Instagram thinks you should be.
Quick reflection exercise:
How does your body feel today?
What types of movement bring you joy?
What's realistic with your current schedule?
Layer 2: Set Intention, Not Punishment You know what's wild? Exercise motivation based on self-compassion leads to better long-term adherence than motivation based on self-criticism. So instead of "I need to lose 20 pounds because I hate how I look," try "I want to move more because I love how strong it makes me feel."
Layer 3: Make It Sustainable Remember my marathon fiasco? Here's what I learned: sustainable progress looks more like:
Walking 10 minutes daily instead of promising to run 5 miles
Adding one strength training session per week instead of committing to daily HIIT
Finding movement you enjoy (dance parties in your kitchen definitely count!)
The Science Because I'm Still a Librarian at Heart
Here's something cool: researchers have found that our bodies respond better to gradual, consistent changes than to sudden, dramatic ones. When we make drastic changes:
Our stress hormones spike
Our immune system can get compromised
Our metabolism becomes less efficient
Our risk of injury increases
But when we take it slow?
Our bodies adapt more effectively
Our nervous system stays balanced
We build sustainable strength and endurance
We're more likely to maintain healthy habits
Your Action Plan Because You’re Still A Goal-Getter, Just A Smarter One!)
Pick ONE Thing: Instead of overhauling your entire life, choose one small change. Maybe it's:
Adding a 10-minute morning stretch
Taking the stairs instead of the elevator
Joining my Tuesday evening gentle flow class 😉
Make It Ridiculously Doable: If your goal feels scary, make it smaller. Then make it smaller again. It should feel almost too easy.
Track Your Wins: Keep a simple note on your phone of every time you follow through, no matter how small. Celebrating small wins creates new neural pathways that make habits stick!
Build Your Support Squad: Whether it's joining me for a S’more Fitness yoga in the park session, finding a neighborhood walking buddy, or hitting the new Crunch Fitness Kyle Location, having support makes everything better.
A Self Love Reminder
You don't need to transform your body to be worthy of care and respect. You deserve to feel strong and healthy exactly as you are, right now. Any changes you make should come from a place of self-love, not self-criticism.
Put It Into Action
Drop a comment below sharing:
One ridiculously doable movement goal you're setting
How you'll celebrate when you achieve it
With love and zero pressure,
S'more Fitness & Wellness
