It’s New Year’s Eve, and you are at the party with your family and friends. You are all about to watch the ball drop, and soon you all will be welcoming in the new year. There is excitement and anticipation in the air; it’s palpable. There is chatter all around, people talking about how this year is going to be a 1,000 times better than the last. New year, new me, right? This new year is the time to do that things you could not bring yourself to do in the last, like staying on top of your shrubbery or taking your savings account to new heights or finally reaching that goal weight.

Oh, the often attempted and somewhat dread new year’s resolution of reaching that goal weight. Every year people decide that this is the year they are finally going to buckle down in the gym. After 365 days of procrastinating, starting on Jan. 1 they will go to a gym and reach their milestones in as few months as possible. Upon arriving, they realize that it is not as easy as they thought it would be. In all honestly, they do not even know what half of the machines are or what they are supposed to do.

The first mistake a person makes when starting their new year’s resolution is believing that they will get it done in five or six months. There is a reason why you start over every year trying to get it. When jumping into the fitness world, one phrase to live by is, “This is a journey, a lifestyle, and mountains do not get climbed overnight.”

Even though it sounds intimidating, it’s not as impossible as it seems. Walking in those doors is the worst part; after that, it’s all trial and error. No one goes into the gym knowing exactly what they are going to do, even the regular gym-goers.

So, hop on a treadmill and walk or grab a couple of dumbbells and do some biceps curls. If you are looking to get a good workout regimen but you do not know where to start, watch a few fitness videos on YouTube. Some YouTubers not only they film their entire workout sessions, but they explain how to do every movement and provide a variety of scaling option according to your fitness level.

To the regular, year-around gym-goers, remember, there was a time when you walked into the gym for the first time. You also had no idea what a squat rack was or what those preloaded barbells were used for. Everyone starts from somewhere, and everyone has to learn to progress, especially in the fitness world.

Be kind and try helping someone if you see that they are struggling or look a little lost. If you see someone who does not know how to put the ankle strap attachment on the cable machine, give them a hand. A few words of encouragement aslo go a long way. Even though it is a small gesture, you might have become an integral part in their fitness journey. Not only that, but you could have helped turn their new year’s resolution into a full-blown lifestyle.

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Written by: Kaylee Kopke