Why Can’t We All Exercise?

The motivation of wanting to work out – including eating right – often attacks me in full force before the New Year begins. I refuse to start new routines of any kind on January 1st, as I know they won’t stick no matter how hard I try. Instead, what actually seems to work for me (at least for the past two or three years), is fully committing to and beginning my resolutions in November and December. By fully committing myself to waves of motivation when I happen to be inspired, I am able to ensure that these new goals will stick. 

The furthest I’ve ever gotten on my personal “record” was that I successfully managed to work out from December through March of 2021. During that time, I was able to truly stick to my desired routine by starting out slowly with working out for thirty minutes everyday, twice a day. I found that living with this positive mindset improved both my physical and mental health.  Seeing as how I hadn’t experienced such clarity since high school, it truly seemed like this New Year’s resolution was going to stick with me. Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way at the most inconvenient times, and one day I broke the cycle that led to the end of the resolution. 

But now, as we reach the end of 2025, the final three holidays of the year are once again upon us. Regardless of how you celebrate, I do know that having a “resolution” of any kind seems to be a mandatory individual choice for someone to follow to “better themselves” once the dawn of a New Year passes. 

Looking back, the concept of having a New Year’s resolution was originally brought on by my parents, who encouraged me to think of something new to improve myself for the next year. This is similar to my  participation in Lent where I’ve easily given up chocolate, junk food, and even tried to have less screen time. However, while my endeavors to eat healthier and reduce screen time had succeeded when I was a teenager, the resolution that now seems the most important to me is physically moving my body and trying to get in better shape than I already am. 

Despite turning 26 on December 31st, I am still relatively young and healthy (or at least, I try to be healthy). As such, as I get older, I want to take on every day to the fullest and that includes feeling great about what I eat and drink. I also know that staying on top of your motivation no matter how big or small the change may be, you should act on it. While the motivation always lies within me, I unfortunately do not have the action. Moving forward, the “acting steps” are what seem to be most challenging for me, hence my inability to actually commit to starting out slow with a new workout routine. 

Now, as the New Year is once again upon us, I know that (especially considering the current state of the world and all the challenges that come with hosting family for an extended period of time) pursuing this resolution will be an excellent change. I know that this resolution is considered the “easiest” and the “one that fails the most” among people, but I’m positive that this won’t stop me. I’m also aware that most people try to avoid keeping up with this tradition or end up coming up with something different for the New Year. I know I have! I even skipped it a year in high school because I genuinely could not think of a single thing to bring with me to improve myself as a person for the New Year. 

Exercising is one of the most important activities you can do for your body. It not only feels great, it can potentially help you live longer. Moving our bodies is something that no single person should avoid unless they want a huge pile of problems to struggle with later on in life. I have not fully taken the time to workout in 2025 (minus a few stretch routines), and I can already feel that “beginning layer” of complications. My diet is off, and I’m not as flexible as I used to be. Even my creativity manages to slip away from me every so often. 

I sometimes think back to my high school days, when my physical and mental clarity were much sharper because of my place on the rowing team. I was more energetic, I could focus better in school and on my assignments, and my diet was the best it had ever been. Now, I’m hoping that as this New Year approaches, I can reach that same level of clarity I once had. I’m not asking for it to make me perfect — who is? — but sticking with this will at least give me some level of stability moving forward with my ever-changing adult life.