By Jack Firneno
Wire Staff Writer
Thanksgiving’s a distant memory, Christmas came and went and New Year’s was a blur. Now it’s January, and you’re feeling those extra holiday pounds while thinking about how to improve yourself this year.
If you conclude that going to the gym is a great idea, you’re not alone.
“We call them the New Year’s Resolutioners,” said Guy Dontas, club manager at Retro Fitness in Southampton. It’s the affectionate nickname for people who sign up or come back to the gym as early as New Year’s Day. But, not all those people keep their commitments once the weather gets warmer.
“A lot of people fall off around two months down the road,” Dontas continued.
John Yeager, owner of Nirvana Fitness in Bristol, noticed similar winter trends. “It’s cold and dark, and there’s not much to do, so people put on weight,” he said. Along with the five or 10 pounds many gain at the end of the year, “People want to get ready for summer.”
But, giving up before you hit the beach won’t get you the results you desire. “You have to be consistent — you can’t store fitness,” explained Matt Rankin, general manager of the Spring Mill Athletic Club in Warminster.
People like Dontas, Yeager and Rankin hope everyone who signs up for a gym stays there year-round, but they also understand why people’s resolutions often slip away.
Fortunately, they also know how to make them stick.
“You have to have a regimen that’s a regular part of your life,” explained Yeager. You don’t shower or brush your teeth only every couple of months, he suggested, so
why stop going to the gym?
“You don’t need to kill yourself, but you do need that three or four times a week consistency,” he explained. It may sound like a lot, he admitted, but with the right program, “You can get it done in 45 minutes.”
Building that program has a lot to do with what you want to achieve — and what’s actually feasible. “People want to come in and lose 60 pounds right away — but they didn’t put it on overnight and they won’t take it off that way, either,” noted Yeager.
And when that doesn’t work, people get discouraged. “It’s a slow process, and your friends will notice the changes before you do,” offered Dontas. People just starting out should look at a mirror instead of their weight. “You notice the changes more in inches than pounds,” he said. Muscle definition, a slightly slimming waist or a thinner face start manifesting before your weight drops. “The scale won’t show that.”
Focussing on something like losing a pound a week is a better start, suggested Yeager. And, to picture that, grab four sticks of butter: “That’s what a pound of animal fat looks like.”
Imagine that much mass leaving your body, or carry around two gallon containers of water for five minutes if your goal is to lose around 20 pounds in the long run. When you put them down, you’ll know what it feels like to suddenly drop that much weight.
“You put on the fat so gradually, you don’t even realize what you’re doing to yourself,” said Yeager.
With clear, realistic goals in mind, your next step is making a routine that keeps you wanting to come back.
“The tricky part is finding something you like so you’ll stick to it,” said Dontas. “You’ll quit if you find your workout tedious or it’s out of your wheelhouse.” That’s what makes something like zumba so popular: “People like to dance, so it’s fun and exciting.”
And, ready to change it. Your body gets used to the same routine, explained Yeager, so doing something different, or increasing the workout’s intensity every month or so yields more results.
“If you’ve been doing the treadmill, get on the bike or the crosstrainer. Tell your instructor what you’ve done and your results, and ask what you can do better.”
If you make it that long, that is. That’s about the time most people start giving up on the gym, but making it a routine will keep you coming in.
“Go with a friend, or schedule it like a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment — at 4:30 on Wednesday, I’m going to the gym,” offered Rankin. “You’re more likely to go than by just saying you’ll go at some point the next day.”
And, you’ll be glad you did — even if you can’t see improvements right away, you’ll quickly start to feel them.
“One of the biggest things is the euphoric feeling you get from working out,” noted Dontas. The brain releases endorphins when you exercise, he explained, and regular workouts give you more energy, confidence and an overall better mental state. “Exercise is the cheapest form of antidepressant.”
And even if you can’t keep going to the gym, that doesn’t mean you can’t still exercise. “Just do something — stay active,” urged Rankin. “Take a walk, shovel the snow.” You’ll burn a few calories, and stop yourself from gaining new ones: “It’s tough to eat a hamburger when you’re shoveling,” he laughed.
