Santa Monica prides itself on being an active community year-round, but the beginning of the year is a particular fitness frenzy for the city.
Locals will look to make, and keep, New Year’s resolutions when it pertains to fitness, using city gyms as a destination to do so. With research suggesting that 80% of people joining gyms in January quit within five months, new workout enthusiasts can increase those odds with a few select strategies.
As cliche as it may sound, starting small can lead to large gains, even for the most seasoned fitness fanatics. Pvolve Santa Monica Owner Paige Gilson said her team recently had a holiday party, going around the table asking each other what their goals were, and the common thread was consistency from the first step.
“Obviously, everyone wants to feel their best, they want to look their best … but I think it goes a little deeper than that, and it’s all just about committing yourself to something (and) following through on it,” Gilson said.
Starting small can apply to both workouts and habits outside the gym setting. For Gilson, sleep is a priority, having to be at the studio in the early hours, and she uses simple actions like putting her phone away an hour before bedtime to give her a leg up. Putting easier tasks at the forefront can make the more difficult endeavors achievable, she adds.
“You almost feel like you put so much in front of you that you need to accomplish that if you don’t meet those, then you feel like a failure,” she said. “So it needs to be small things … little changes that people can do that will ultimately make a difference in their overall health.”
Gilson suggests that an “accountability buddy” is always helpful, one of the reasons she loves being part of a studio where members know each other’s goals and workout plans. A 2018 report from the Health & Fitness Association states that just two interactions between a gym goer and gym staff member can increase attendance and reduce risk of a cancelled membership.
Balance is also key in any fitness goal, with Gilson saying that people need to “give themselves grace” in their personal lives and that part of health is “being positive, enjoying your day and loving life.”
“(If) you’re going out with a bunch of friends because it’s someone’s birthday or a celebration, don’t feel like you have to leave early and miss out on the fun just to get to your goals … you need to make sure you have balance,” she added.
For those who already have a gym routine, investing some time in the pre and post workout may help boost results.
While a typical workout only takes 47 minutes, on average, gym goer’s pre- and post-workout routine takes nearly four hours, according to a recent study. The survey of 2,000 American adults who regularly work out investigated exercise routines by the numbers as well as predictions and trends to look out for in 2025.
Results found that exercisers are investing quite a bit of time outside of the gym, spending 101 minutes on pre-workout prep and 133 minutes recovering, on average.
Conducted by Talker Research and commissioned by Dymatize, the study broke down a day in the life of morning and evening gym goers as well as essentials for a good workout.
When asked what they consider to be crucial for a good workout, respondents ranked warming up beforehand (59%) and finding an enjoyable workout routine, so you’re inspired to make consistent progress (52%) as most important.
However, they admitted that staying motivated (50%), having enough energy (41%), taking truly restful rest days (29%), getting enough protein (28%) and finding the time to prepare healthy meals and snacks (25%) are all major challenges while staying fit.
In fact, according to results, respondents only consume 68 grams of protein and 48 ounces of water per day, on average.
And while 39% make a point to eat or drink protein before working out and 32% make sure to after exercising, nearly half of respondents (48%) agreed that trying to meet their protein intake goals feels like a full-time job.
“So much of the work that goes into achieving your fitness goals, staying healthy and building muscle and fueling a proper recovery is done outside the gym,” said Ritu Mathur, general manager at Dymatize. “Fueling your body with high-quality, science-backed nutrition is key to finding your edge in the gym and making sure you’re getting enough protein is an essential part of a successful workout and recovery plan.”
According to the study, 64% of those who regularly work out say that the better their nutrition is, the better their workouts are.
Looking at how this ties into their goals heading into the new year, respondents’ top health resolutions are to eat better (56%), drink more water (52%), get more sleep (50%), reduce their sugar intake (44%), work out more consistently (41%) and eat more protein (34%).
Three out of four respondents (75%) said they want to workout more in 2025 than they currently do, and uncovering what activities they have lined up, most popular interests are yoga (15%), swimming (15%), cycling (14%), general weightlifting (14%) and endurance training (14%).
And the majority (88%) believe that strength training is important for their overall health and longevity.
