While I wasn’t exactly happy about paying $180 for an East Gym membership, I will say that the payment motivated me to exercise frequently. If I have paid for this painstaking torture zone, then I should probably go there five to six times a week. I made it a habit and got into a routine, including the one day a week where I mainly just stretch and exercise my thumb by scrolling on my phone instead of actually doing sit-ups. So, it surprised me seeing so many new faces when I went for the first time this spring semester. I even had to wait in line a few times due to the capacity.
I will admit the amount of people did make me a tad angry — I am not trying to gatekeep the gym, but I will get feisty when all five StairMasters are taken. What was the reason for this new influx of people? Was it the transfer students? Was it because the gym is free on the first few days of the semester? Maybe, but I also considered that many people might be making 2022 their year for gains. 2020 was a dumpster fire, to say the least, so a lot of people hyped up the year of 2021 hoping it would bring change. Unfortunately, with the Delta and Omicron variants, it proved that 2021 could also be tossed into that same dumpster fire. The symptoms of Omicron aren’t as severe as past COVID-19 variants for people who are vaccinated, and the high spread rate helped increase herd immunity. Additionally, vaccine boosters were administered to many who qualified. It is safe to say that people are feeling more comfortable getting back into the swing of a “normal” life. The new year is a great opportunity for people to return to the norm and even set new goals for themselves.
I will be honest — I am not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I don’t think I have ever made one. My thought process on this is if you want to start doing something, then do it. I know, I know — it is easier said than done, but the reason why Mondays and the month of January give off the same dull yet annoying energy is because people use these times to start something. If you want to start journaling, there is no issue with beginning it at 11 p.m. on a Thursday. It is great to set goals for yourself, but putting such an emphasis on starting them on Jan. 1 can be detrimental to the longevity of your resolution. It is estimated that 80 percent of New Year’s resolutions are broken. However, if you need a reason to get out of a rut and start on a new path, New Year’s has proven time and time again to be a great time to do so. Just make sure when setting goals to tailor them to your needs and try to find unique ways to make these resolutions fun, rather than focusing on the dates.
Be realistic. Old habits die hard. That’s the saying, right? If you never exercise, don’t expect to go to the gym for two hours, seven days a week. Ease into it, find what works for you, take breaks and try to maintain a schedule. It is like the opposite of the saying, “Don’t quit cold turkey.” Wow, I am full of cliches today. If you want to spend less time on your phone, then start by not looking at it for five minutes after you wake up. And then, after a few days, increase that period to 10 minutes. Before you know it, you won’t be on TikTok until lunchtime!
When it comes to gym resolutions and the possibility of finding the motivation, you can always buddy up. It is hard to hold yourself accountable, but if you have a friend who also wants to start meditating, then keep tabs on each other. For example, the last thing I wanted to do after my Friday classes was go to the gym, but one of my friends said we should just go for 20 minutes. The brevity made me say yes, and before I knew it, we were there for 45 minutes. Chatting with each other in between sets of exercises while we wiped down the equipment made it more enjoyable.
When it comes to resolutions, don’t be too hard on yourself. As TikTok would say, we Generation Z people are empaths, and if we can sense when someone is feeling a certain way, we should also be able to sense when things don’t seem to be working in our own life. If you wanted to get outside more, and one day you couldn’t peel yourself off the couch, don’t dwell and sulk on it. There is always tomorrow. And I hope that when February rolls around, I still have to wait in line at the gym because it’s filled with fit and motivated Bearcats!
Annie Dineen is a freshman majoring in chemistry.