The "January Effect"

[Trig]

The gym is crowed this time of year. It happens every January with everyone rushing out to start their "New Years Resolution" lifestyle. Unfortunately, 90% of all the new faces I see in the gym will not be there in 3-6 months. The cycle repeats itself, year after year after year.

I would just like to offer this point - no matter what type of exercise routine you take up, remember that consistency is the key to success. This is true of cardio work as well as strength and flexibility training.

When I have lapses in my training, my golf game suffers. My back starts hurting and I get more tired on the course.

So keep doing something! And if you find yourself falling short of your master fitness plan remember:

"Just do what you can do in the moment".

But don't quit. Don't become part of the January Effect.

[Matt]

I've experienced this effect for the past couple years. Back home, my YMCA (which I love) was inevitably packed for the first month or so of the new year. I hated it because people would always be strolling around, getting in the way, using things you needed, etc. when they had no idea what they were doing.

Give it a few months and the 'spring break' college crowd here will also move in for about a month. Somehow they think that doing 16 sets of bench and then 12 sets of bicep curls three times a week will cut them up for the beaches of Jamaica.

Absolutely, the key to acheiving your goals is consistency. I do the best I can, but it's easy to get lazy. Especially when I have to walk a couple blocks to our rec center here and it's freezing cold. But I stick with it because I like the results I'm getting.