By Leigh Farmer

Like it or not, a new year is knocking on our door, waiting to bring us a fresh 365 days of potential.   

How enthusiastic are you to open the door?  

While some are silently whimpering under the covers, others are ready to swing the door open with gusto and welcome the new year with grand plans of trimming their waistlines.  In fact, 79% of New Year’s goals involve improving health. 

Are you one of those people? Are you going to slide on your headphones and turn on your favorite workout playlist?

According to the experts, you might want to pump your breaks a second.  If you don’t, you could overstretch your goals and your body.

Being an enthusiastic go-getter is great. But that effort often loses steam after just a few weeks, says Seth Cheatham, M.D., medical director of VCU Health Sports Medicine.

“That's the big thing that we see – people start off strong for the first couple of weeks or even a month or two, and then things fall off because life happens, right?”  

The kids, the job, and the shin splints – it can all derail us.

But not all hope is lost.  VCU Health News spoke with Cheatham recently about the best way to ensure you stick with your fitness goals.  He has some practical tips that will help all of us begin a new routine that has a better chance of going the distance.

Put your workout goals on paper

A good plan always starts with a pen and a notebook. First, write down your goals. Want to lose weight? Write down your starting weight. Want to lose body fat? Measure the places on the body where you want to see improvement.

“It's a good measuring stick to look at improvements down the road,” Cheatham said. “You want to see gains in order to motivate yourself to continue to stay active.” Let your body be your cheerleader.

Don’t put the pen away yet! If it’s important enough to be a New Year’s resolution, it’s important enough to have space on your calendar. Schedule your workouts.

“You have to build in time in your schedule to exercise if you want it to consistently happen,” Cheatham said. “Otherwise, things come up.”

Limiting the room from excuses also means making sure you have all the right equipment. Write down a list of potential items you’ll need.

“You don’t need to go break the bank,” Cheatham said. “But some basic items are always good to have on hand.” Think new shoes or socks. If you plan to workout at home, a nice set of free weights could be a splurge.

Keep a variety of routines available

By themselves, variety and routine can sound almost contradictory. However, both can benefit your ability to continue consistent physical exercise. Simply put, don’t do the same thing every time you work out. Cheatham says there are two distinct reasons for this: “One, you get burned out and two, you’re just not getting all the benefits that you can of exercise.”

Aerobics is great, but make sure to include different types. The bike, elliptical, and treadmill are all easily found at the gym. Fitness classes can also do the trick. Flexibility and strength training are also important to work into your routine. Make sure some days are just designated for weights or yoga.

Warm up and cool down

This may seem like the simplest, dare we say easiest, part of exercise. However, it’s the most crucial.

Your warmup alerts your muscles to a change in status. Just five minutes of walking can get them ready for a slightly more intense exercise. Most importantly, it can help you to stay safe. According to Cheatham, so can the cooldown.

“Stretching is great physiologically, but it also just helps to avoid injuries and things like that,” he added.

Listen to your body

Being able to push your body is important, but knowing your limits is also crucial.

“There's an old adage of “no pain, no gain.” And I think that's both true and false,” Cheatham said. “You have to push yourself in order to get the results that you want and notice improvements.”

But beware of the “itis.” Bursitis and tendonitis are very common workout injuries that can be treated with an anti-inflammatory, but they also mean you could be pushing a bit too hard.

Stress fractures are also common, according to Cheatham. When you go from doing nearly no exercise to running several miles a day without working up the endurance, you can see fractures in the tibia or feet. So, who is most guilty of this? Cheatham says he sees these types of injuries most commonly in 30- and 40-year-olds.

“There are changes physiologically,” Cheatham said. “It is harder to stay in shape. We are busier because we have jobs and a lot of us have kids.”

Cheatham says there are plenty of online programs that can help you develop a routine. Additionally, gyms often have trainers that can assist you.

“If you have access to a professional that can help you design an exercise program that can be very helpful,” Cheatham said, adding that professionals can teach you how to work out without hurting yourself.

Find a friend to keep you honest

Want this whole workout routine to stick? Find someone who is going to hold you accountable. During the holidays, start talking about your newfound 2025 goal of getting in shape. There’s bound to be a buddy who is aiming to do the same thing.