How to be in the 20% that stays on track after January

It happens every New Year. Fired up with enthusiasm (and calories!), we set goals, join a gym or buy fitness equipment. But research shows that more than 80% who set a training or fitness goal will have fallen off the wagon by the end of January.

Nobody wants to be in that majority – we all want to be the person who gets in the groove and is still smashing out healthy habits next Christmas. Here’s exactly how to stick with it beyond the January rush so you never have to be a “resolutioner” again.

Make it a lifestyle, not a fad

One of the keys to being in the 20% who stick with it, is making it work for your lifestyle. You might be able to sustain a total personality overhaul for a week, but it won’t last. Any changes you make have to feel easy. How can you make healthy eating, calisthenics (or whatever it is) part of who you are and what you do?

Set realistic goals - start with small, achievable goals that align with your lifestyle. If practicing handstands or mastering pull-ups are your targets, break them down into weekly milestones.

Include rest and recovery – think long-term. Rest days aren’t breaks in your progress but rather an integral part of it. Listen to your body and respect its need for downtime. 

Add more movement - look for ways to integrate movement into your life. Maybe it’s a short amount of cardio to build your fitness, or knocking out max reps on a pull-up bar as part of your evening routine. Small actions become big habits.

Fuelling for performance

Let’s get into the specifics. After a December full of cheese, chocolate, and panettone at odd hours of the day, most of us feel pretty excited about knuckling down to a diet. But diets never last. So how can you adopt better eating habits that will last beyond the end of January – and actually fuel your training goals? 

Use common sense – whether you’re a veggie, flexitarian, or more of a meat eater, just use common sense. Stay away from all-or-nothing fads and aim for a balanced diet of mostly wholefoods plus a little of what you like (for sanity). Science tells us that the best diet is a mediterranean diet – plenty of fruit and veg, whole grains, healthy fats, lean protein.

Plenty of protein – all fitness goals need protein. It fills you up, supports muscle gain and strength, and generally helps you maintain energy and body composition. Choose a variety of protein sources that fit your ethical stance, and don’t get stuck in a rut.

Hydration is nutrition – being well hydrated is a key part of your nutrition plan. Aim for at least 2 litres water (or sugar free squash etc) a day, more if you train a lot or live in a hot or humid environment.

Listen to your hunger cues – develop a good relationship with food by listening to your body rather than eating to a plan. Fuel up when your body tells you it’s hungry, and stop eating when it’s had enough. Avoid eating out of stress or boredom.

Train for a strong foundation

One of the joys of training calisthenics is that the process is just as rewarding as the progress. Training calisthenics isn’t just about building muscle or doing fancy tricks – it’s about cultivating discipline, patience, and finding training you love.

Master the basics - fundamental movements like push-ups, pull-ups, and holds are the foundation of calisthenics. Keep working on them even if you’re aiming for more complex movements.

Add variety – you can focus on the basics without being bored. Use variations, tempo, angles, and rep ranges to keep your calisthenics sessions fresh.

Track your progress – tracking your training is motivating, so keep a record of your sessions and milestones in a training journal or app. If you haven’t tried the Gravity Fitness app yet, what are you waiting for?

Make it a habit

Every fitness fan wants their healthy habits to be a non-negotiable part of daily life. It all starts with small decisions that accumulate into real progress. Remove barriers and make your new habits as easy as possible – you can always build on them further down the line. 

Create a habit loop - set triggers for your new habits, using an established action to stack up the new behaviours. This works for training, hydration, healthy eating, and sleep habits.

Mindset – develop a growth mindset so you see each training session as an opportunity to learn and grow.

Get support – having the support of a real or virtual community makes it so much easier to stick with your new habits. Connect with fellow calisthenics and bodyweight fans in your local area, online, or via an app like ours which has a massive community behind it.

Sticking with your new year goals beyond the January rush will make you feel good, but it goes much deeper than that. When your goals become true lifestyle habits, you’ll change who you are for the better – and that’s something that lasts a lifetime. We’re here to support you, so stay in touch and let us know what you need.