Crew Training has seen the usual influx of people since the start of the new year. Did you and your New Year's Resolutions make it past Quitter's Day? (Photo Courtesy Bob Schneider)

By Chris Brown

How to get you and your New Year’s resolutions past Quitter’s Day

Jan 20, 2022 | 3:26 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – If you’ve set New Year’s resolutions you might be starting to lose your motivation three weeks into January. You’re not alone.

A study by the fitness app Strava says Jan. 19 is the day most people give up on their resolutions. Strava calls it Quitter’s Day.

Another study says close to 80 per cent of resolutions are abandoned by mid-February.

One of the most common New Year’s resolutions is to get in better shape. That means every January gyms and fitness centres are a little busier as people run into the new year with new goals

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“We’ve been open for almost a year here so this is our first January open and with that, we’ve of course seen some new faces and we’re super excited about it,” says Chelsea Purves, owner of Crew Training.

But Purves says there tends to be almost a negative connotation to the idea of a New Year’s resolution and going to a gym.

“I see extra nerves often come in in January,” she explains. “So we’re just trying to scrape that away as well and make this experience right now positive no matter when that month is.”

She and her team try to make it positive by putting culture and community first and foremost.

As a small studio people can be assured that the staff and instructors know those coming in and they’ll even check in on you if your attendance has fallen off. Workouts are booked in advance to help with accountability and routine, staff work as personal coaches to help you set goals and there’s swag available for reaching milestones as motivation.

But sometimes even all of that is not enough.

Counsellor Ben Coxson of Keys To Hope Counselling Services says there are four main roadblocks that lead to people giving up on their resolutions.

Sometimes goals are poorly described, your social and physical environment, the difficulty in achieving it and your general state of affairs can all hamper you.

“It might be a great goal but are you ready for it and are you ready to make that leap,” he says.” And it’s really difficult to know ‘OK, this might be the 10th time, is this now the time for me to actually succeed with my original vision.'”

So how do you get through those days when you’re thinking about quitting?

Coxson says planning, a routine and efficiency will help. Most important might be human connection.

“If you surround yourself with people who are excited for you to pursue something that you find worthwhile that’s so helpful.”

And even if New Year’s resolutions don’t work for you, don’t let that stop you from trying again in a few months, says Purves.

“We will try really hard to help you set specific goals right now. So what does that look like this week, what’s that look like in a month and what’s that look like maybe in six months,” she says. “So if we can narrow down what your expectations are for what you want right now that will help you in the long run and that might mean coming back when life changes, and that’s great.”