The Best Time of the Year to Start Exercising Is Now.
If you have even the slightest inkling that you might want to get in shape in the new year—or any time for that matter—don’t wait until January. This isn’t even the “winter arc” of self-improvement; these are just facts. The best time to start a gym habit is right now, when you have the space to yourself.
Technically, right now is always the best time to start, but the holiday season is special. If you wait until January, gyms will be packed. For the first two weeks of the year, everyone thinks they’re just starting to learn an amazing new fitness habit… and then by February, most of them have completely forgotten about it. Don’t complicate your life by starting work in a hurry. Classes will be crowded, you’ll have to fight people for the squat rack, and it’ll be hard to really have fun. So get started now.
In November, gyms and classes operate more or less as usual. This is a good time to get a feel for the atmosphere of a new place. But things are getting better: By December, fair-weather gymgoers will be shopping for gifts after work and attending holiday parties on the weekends. In the morning, they also don’t want to get out of their warm beds. The squat rack will be free when you arrive. You will have a choice of treadmills. The gym will be your oyster.
You have just over six weeks before the rush. And this is the perfect short period of time to set a small goal and achieve it. Commit to going to the gym three times a week and you can get 18 workouts in before the new year, even if you take a few days off for the holidays. You can become much stronger in 18 workouts. Or run if that’s the fitness journey you’re most excited about. If you start your couch to 5K running plan now, you’ll be almost done by January.
Yes, December can be busy and stressful, but remember that working out helps our brains cope with stress . Mark your workouts on your calendar and keep them with you.
Don’t worry about missing out on specials: Any gym or studio offering January specials will likely have a Black Friday discount, too. And ultimately, if you get into the habit of going to the gym, you’ll get much more bang for your buck than someone who joins in January and quickly stops coming.