New Year’s Eve celebrations are commonly followed by resolutions.
Around this time of the year, one industry benefits from a common pledge.
"January and February are off the charts,” says Abigail Gibson , a personal trainer at LifeTime Fitness Gym. “We're always completely packed and we get a lot of people wanting to come in and make a new change.”
On a day most people would still be in bed from celebrating the new year, people literally hit the ground running with their resolutions at the gym.
Mackenzie Fox, 15, is determined to make a fresh start this new year, she says.
“Stay fit and to not get lazy, I guess, over the year because I did last year so I want to stay more fit and more healthy,” Fox says.
Some gym members turned their workout into a family outing.
Ryan Shantz is joining her sister’s family, who are members at the gym, to learn techniques for weight lifting.
"They just asked me if I'd be interested in going and I said sure. I didn't do anything last night so I'm good to go,” Shantz says. “Normally, if it was just myself I'd say, 'Yup, Nah, I'll just stay home.’”
Group training helps people stay accountable for one another and meet fitness goals, Shantz says.
Experts say nearly 15 percent of Americans vow to get fit for the new year.
“A lot of times people will come in and hit really hard and end up getting hurt or burned out because they're not getting results,” Gibson says.
While a Time poll show 60 percent of gym memberships go unused by February, Gibson says health pledges fall by the waist side due to a common problem.
In her 11 years as a personal trainer, Gibson says she sees a lot of back and knee injuries due to bad posture while exercising.
For Gibson, slow and steady wins the race and she says beginners should hit the gym two to three times a week and go from there.
