At my first yoga class of the new year. the studio was packed to capacity and the crowd was much younger than I am used to seeing in this class. The instructor noted that this was three times as many folks she expected. While everyone was there to improve something about their physical or mental health, some might have had an epiphany over the holidays about taking action. The fitness trends of 2024 are interesting in that more people want to take care of themselves even if they can't stay committed. The magic number is the 6 month mark - if a person is able to cross that chasm then chances are that the habit will remain with them.
Years ago a personal trainer at a gym I was a member of (and much like the statistic left within 6 months) gave me a piece of wisdom that finally help settle my fitness routine. I was telling her how I can't predict my travel schedule so breaks happen not by my own choice and I just have not been able to persist long enough to form the habit. Things just fall apart.
She smiled at me and said you know walking is very underrated and takes no effort at all. Just make it a habit to walk an hour the days that you can't come in. If you drop the membership just go for a walk everyday - wherever you are. I did exactly that and it worked like magic over the years. Once the walking habit settled, we wanted to have some variation in our fitness routine and so other things were added to the mix so that we had a choice of activities.
I wondered that morning in yoga class if some of the folks needed that same piece of wisdom - walk when all else fails and just don't quit. For some it may be running but about the same idea just that the barrier to taking a walk is even lower - it can be done even without specific clothing and shoes. Running takes a bit more preparation.
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