NoCo Fitness owner Chris Silvernale remembers feeling “anxious, unsure and uncomfortable” as he sat in the parking lot before entering a gym for the first time.
Before fitness became a lifestyle for regular gym-goers, personal trainers and fitness coaches, all walked into the gym as a newcomer at one point in their lives.
For community members who want to take that first step toward a wellness or fitness journey for the new year, Silvernale advises them to be patient with themselves as they enter uncharted territory.
“My suggestion would be for people to give themselves some grace,” he said. “Give it a try. Be OK with not knowing everything. Be OK going in and exploring.”
Across the nation, a wave of people decide to prioritize fitness as a resolution, creating a surge in gym memberships in the first weeks of January. A Health & Fitness Association report found that nearly 11% of health club members join their gym in January, yet 80% of resolutions are abandoned by February.
To flip the script on sticking with New Year’s goals, local health and wellness experts provide tips on how to turn a resolution into a lifestyle, whether it’s fitness-related, cutting back on alcohol or learning a new skill.
People hit the treadmills while inside NoCo Fitness in Greeley on Friday. A surge of new customers return to the local gyms, to get back into shape as part of their New Year’s resolutions.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Visualizing attainable goals
Jamie Preuss, program director for North Range Behavioral Health’s Access and Hope Teams, suggests reframing how society views resolutions. Rather than a “pass or fail” perspective that must start on Jan. 1, Preuss recommends framing resolutions as a year-long commitment and process. Erasing this pressure not to “fail” eliminates shame and critical internal voices when working toward goals, according to Micaela Sanchez, director of marketing and community outreach of North Range.
Preuss suggested committing to a resolution check-in at six months to follow through with the year-long commitment. This allows people to see their accomplishments and reflect on what’s attainable or rework their goals if needed.
“I can’t tell you how good that feels to be like, ‘I set out to bake more this year, and I did it. I had a lot of bad pies, but now I have this beautiful thing that I worked for all year,’ ” Preuss said. “Whether it is the gym or learning a new skill … you have all year to do it. And I think if you go into it with that mindset, you’re kinder to yourself, and it’s more encouraging.”
Research shows people experience more success with resolutions when they set measurable, tangible goals because structure can build confidence, Preuss said.
Silvernale, who co-owns NoCo Fitness with his wife, said those new to a health or fitness journey often make the mistake of jumping right into exercising without a plan or defining attainable and measurable goals. These goals can focus on lowering body fat to a particular percentage, reaching a certain waist size or drinking a set amount of water every day.
To accomplish the transition from a New Year’s resolution to a more consistent lifestyle, Silvernale urges people to form a plan with the idea that they will be working on these goals in the long run. For fitness paths, he said, start by trying to dedicate a few days a week to the gym instead of every day of the week.
“Two or three days a week focusing on their health via fitness … is more beneficial than going five or six days a week, two weeks out of the year,” he said.
When working on measurable goals, Preuss also encourages the use of visualization — whether using an app, a sticker chart or vision boards — to track and measure progress throughout the year. She also finds humans do better when they replace a behavior rather than extinguish one.
Steve Mills, 71, of Greeley works on his upper body inside the NoCo Fitness gym on Friday.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)To reduce “doom-scrolling” — the process of scrolling on social media for hours — Preuss said people should create a goal, like reading more, to replace the habit. A resolution could urge people to read for 30 minutes before bed and then allow themselves to go on social media.
This allows people to reward themselves with screen time after they accomplish their goal while building trust in themselves that they can do it. This may also result in reducing the amount of time spent doom-scrolling.
Even small lifestyle changes can bring notable benefits. The willingness to try new experiences, according to Preuss, will create new neural pathways in the brain and release dopamine to boost overall mood and well-being.
Trusting oneself to follow through on something also creates a healing component and a confidence boost, she added.
Find social support, community
Stepping into a gym can feel intimidating, so Silverline encourages researching machines or workouts beforehand, going with a workout partner or turning to a fitness coach to make the environment more comfortable.
NoCo Fitness owner Chris Silvernale is preparing for a surge of new customers to hit his gym, as people prepare to take advantage of their New Year’s resolutions.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)As a personal trainer and fitness coach, Silverline believes a coach is the best approach to help people stick to their resolutions because coaches can bolster motivation.
“We’re the keeper and the guardian of people’s vision for themselves,” Silverline said. “Like every New Year’s resolution, as soon as the motivation dwindles or the excitement fades, people tend to fall off their goal. But if they’ve hired a coach … our role is to keep that vision top of mind and keep actions in line with the vision.”
Those jumping into this lifestyle change must also find a gym space they feel comfortable in, according to Silverline. Greeley has a large selection of gyms for people to explore.
NoCo Fitness prides itself on being a “welcoming, community” gym to easily navigate because of its 24-hour access, 365 days a year, and month-to-month memberships, rather than long-term contracts.
Those who decide to hire a coach will have three coaches dedicated to their results and success at NoCo Fitness, Chris said. The success coach ensures the program produces the results the client wants, and the nutrition coach helps the client follow the diet that matches their goals. Personal trainers create exercises to help build “a stronger, more resilient body.”
“At NoCo Fitness, we really have a full, more encompassing approach than just hiring each of these services individually,” Silverline said.
NoCo Fitness personal trainer Katie Arvizo, right, helps Bill Chestnut with his workout on Friday.(Jim Rydbom/Staff Photographer)Outside of fitness resolutions, people who want to make lifestyle changes relating to mental health or substance use can turn to engaging in their community or utilizing social supports, Preuss said. This could include leaning on friends who can help find a new hobby together to replace going out for drinks or participating in community-based mental health supports, like North Range’s services.
Preuss leads the Access and Hope Teams, a front door of North Range, to help people make the first step toward lifestyle changes by connecting them with the support they need, whether that’s in a one-on-one environment or in support groups.
“What we’re trying to do is, with those resolutions, try to get closer to the life that we want to live and the person that we envision ourselves being,” Sanchez said.
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