My New Year's Resolution-Not to make New Year's Resolutions

Evil, deceptive, pointless, and inconvenient all excellent descriptives of New Year's Resolutions. Now I know for some people New Year's resoluitons are very meaningful, important, and provide motivation to change something that probably needed changed a long time ago. I'm not opposed to personal growth and development, as long as it doesn't cause me great inconvenience.

Every January the Y where I work out member activity almost triples. All those poor souls determined that this year will be the year they lose weight come to crowd my gym. They flock to the gym for the first 2 weeks in January determined to make a change. This makes it very difficult for those of us who are regulars to maintain a normal routine. While a few make it and join our regular ranks, there are two distinct types of New Year's resolutioners who quickly fall off the wagon.

The first type is the "Going to the gym qualifies as working out" types. This group feels that simply showing up at the gym has to burn at least 300 calories. The may swim a lap around the pool then relax in the corner or they will walk on the treadmill at a pace that would even disgust a turtle. They take the elevator to the second floor to use the cardio room. Whatever the chosen activity, more calories are burned on their walk to and from the closest space in the parking lot than during their entire stay. After a few weeks, this group has not only failed to lose weight they have gained 3 pounds from their "reward" at McDonald's on the way home. The whole "exercising thing didn't work" and they quit coming.

The second type is the "I haven't done this in years so I need to catch up." Members of this team work out hard. So hard they borderline kills themselves. Instead of setting a reasonable pace for a 40 minute work out, they sprint for 10 minutes on the treadmill until their entire shirt appears as if they strategically stood under a active sprinkler system. Their breathing is so heavy people's eyebrows begin to raise and the YMCA staff are just praying the kneel over on their drive home versus somewhere on their property. This group hurts for a week and figures they have done enough to count for the entire year and hence returns to their normal activity.

I need to be patient and encouraging to all those who are striving to improve their health. The basic principles of healthy living haven't changed since the beginning of man. Eat right and move. I'm not saying this will turn you into a size 0 super model...but you'll feel better all around. I don't get too annoyed at these New Year's resolutioners. Since you have to sign up for a year membership at the Y, I just figure they subsidize my dues for the rest of the year.