Everyone has New Years Resolutions, right? Most often a portion of those resolutions are to better our health in one way or another. This is why January welcomes an over-abundance of new gym members who ultimately fade away around spring time. Likewise, January is when you see all the new fad diets pop up on social media or the Today show.

But why wait until January?

Your health matters every day of every year doesn’t it?

This is why we’re begging you to make December your fresh start! Start today. Start small. Make many small conscious decisions that will eventually add up to good habits.

According to the book “The Power of Habit” written by Charles Duhigg, habits are formed by a loop. Whether it is a good habit or a bad habit, they all follow this same loop.
Cue —— Routine —— Reward

An example in the topic of health:
Cue: You get hungry around 2:00pm at your desk
Routine: Go to the vending machine to grab a Snickers
Reward: Sugary goodness hits your Insula (the well-being center of your brain) and you satisfy your hunger

Clearly a Snickers bar can be replaced with anything else more healthy, right? But why do you eat the Snickers bar instead? Is it because it is easier/more convenient than packing a snack of nuts and an apple?

According to the book all you need to do to change a habit is consciously change the ROUTINE portion of the loop for 6-12 events and your habit will start changing. Yep, that’s it! Simple right?

Your cue doesn’t have to change whatsoever. The reward you get is theoretically the same.. theoretically because I would argue that the reward you get mentally AND physically by eating a healthy snack would probably be MUCH greater than eating a Snickers.

What about starting a new fitness routine?

Did you know that most big box gyms would go out of business if they had over 50% attendance? Yep! They bank on hoping that you sign up for your fancy 12 month contract and NEVER SHOW UP. This is why they hound you on New Years with big discounts!

Instead of fading off your attendance or workout plan a few weeks later, keep the Habit Loop in mind. In this instance, I think it is important to figure out what your Cue is on why you choose to go to the gym in the first place. By knowing your BEST Cue you are able to find out the times that your workout is going to yield the best reward. What do I mean by this? If your Cue to go to the gym is “just because it’s 8:00pm and the kids are in bed” you most likely aren’t going to stick to it. Why? Because at 8:00pm you’re equally tired and probably would rather be spending time on the couch with your spouse! So try to figure out when another Cue would work better in your day. Sure, you’re probably going to have to trade-off some other tasks in your day, but you will get SO much more out of that Workout Habit!

We beg you to START your “New Years Resolution” NOW. Don’t wait. Your health is crucial all days of the week and all weeks of the year.. for your entire life!

Don’t know where to go to find a good gym, nutritional specialist, or anything else health related? Visit our Trusted Partners page of local businesses that we’ve already vetted out for you!