Resolve to stick with a good routine

The change is subtle at first.

A few more people on the treadmill.

A few more people in lap pool.

A few more people in the fitness classes.

Then the next week, you arrive at 5 p.m. and the front row of exercise machines are completely full.

You figure out how three people can swim in a lap lane. You get the last stationary bike in the rYde class.

Welcome to January at the YMCA.

January is the busiest month of the year at the YMCA - or at least it seems that way.

There is the obvious reason: New Year’s Resolutions. People are trying to kick off the new year with healthy habits such as exercising on a regular basis.

These people are there in force at the beginning of January.

But by February, the novelty of this new exercise begins to wane and there are few more elliptical machines open in the evening.

The YMCA also sees a dramatic surge when the weather turns cold.

The slick streets and whipping winds convince people that the treadmills aren’t so bad.

They will remain inside until the weather turns nice or they have watched every episode of Law and Order.

And then there is the YMCA’s Lighten Up Team Challenge, which begins this week with the initial weigh-ins and fitness assessments.

For the next three months, participants will take part in weekly group fitness classes, get in extra sessions in the weight room, or a few extra laps around the indoor track.

But will these new habits last?

The common theory is that it takes anywhere from 21 to 29 days for a habit to become ingrained.

Hence, the dramatic drop-off by February.

So whether you are part of Lighten Up or doing it on your own, figure out how to make a commitment to exercising on a regular basis...and how to make it realistic.

Those new to exercising need to figure out two issues. First, you need to figure a good time of day to fit in a workout.

While I hop out of bed to work-out at 5 a.m., my husband can’t wrap his head around getting up that early. One word:

Naps.

Consequently, I don’t understand how he can run 3 or 4 miles late at night and then fall fast asleep right afterward. My mind and body is still racing for a couple hours after I’m done.

A common practice is to exercise while your child is also at the YMCA, whether for a swim lesson or basketball practice.

Others prefer to stop by on their way home from work, knowing that once they get home, they won’t leave again that evening.

And then there is the tag-team method, where one parents exercises while the other stays home with the small children; then they trade off...hopefully that same day.

The second issue to address is what kind of exercise do you want to do, whether it is a fitness classes, the weight room, exercise machines, or group sports.

The options are endless and can be switched up, but should fit your needs and personality.

For the past year, I followed a triathlon training schedule so I spent a lot of solo time in the pool, on the bike or the treadmill.

I simply didn’t have time for a fitness class. But over the past month, I’ve fit in a couple yoga classes and plan to try the new Zumba strength class next week.

So pledge to try out a new class each week or build your endurance on the cardio equipment for a month...whatever it will take to make that new healthy, active lifestyle stick.

We want to see those fitness classes full and the treadmills whirring, whether it’s January or June.