Pick a form of exercise that is attractive to you and set moderately challenging goals, expert says.
Every January, people have good intentions of seeing their bold fitness goals come to fruition. Whether it is Dry January or losing weight — sometimes the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
According to registered psychologist Dr. Patrick Keelan, picking a form of exercise that is attractive to you is crucial for success, along with setting specific goals.
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“Starting off, make the goal very specific to what you’d like to achieve,” he said. “For some people, that might be a fitness goal involving exercising regularly or maybe working out three days a week. For other people who are more experienced in fitness, it might be more ambitious, like completing a marathon or breaking three hours in a marathon.”
Dr. Keelan also emphasized the importance of setting moderately challenging goals. When a goal is too easy, people throw in the towel out of sheer boredom. On the other hand, if a goal is too challenging, people become frustrated with the lack of progress.
“If there are days when you don’t feel like working out at all, we often employ the five-minute rule where you say I’m just going to show up,” he said. “That keeps the habit going in those beginning stages; once you’ve established the habit, you can build on it.”
Here are five ways tenacious Calgarians can crush their fitness goals without even knowing it.
When training his clients, the founder of Impact Boxing and Fitness, Louis Raposo, said he starts with establishing a strong foundation — much like building a house.
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“We try to keep the mind, because the mind gets very bored,” he said. “So there’s always something different at our gym. It could be strength, it could be core, it could be conditioning, it could be boxing — we change it up all the time.”
With kickboxing as a new addition to the facility, Raposo echoed that keeping the mind and body going is crucial for success.
“It’s the best fitness you can do,” he said. “We have a deck of cards where each card is an exercise; so we flip a card, and that’s 10 pushups, for example.”
With a lot of angles and plenty of movement, Raposo said you have to be able to carry your own body weight, and whether you are a beginner, advanced, amateur, or child, he is determined to help you achieve your fitness goals.
“The reason we picked ‘Impact’ as a name is to literally make an impact on people’s lives, which we have done for over 22 years.”
With mobility, strength, and intense cardio at its core, Barre West offers 45-minute and 50-minute group fitness classes. Depending on the class, attendees might get more of a strength or more of a cardio component.
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According to owner and Pilates expert Adriana Britton, the number one thing that people are seeking with barre workouts is low-impact combined with high-intensity core strengthening.
“We address that part of the body like no other,” she said. “That is definitely one of our specialty areas for this program.”
The program also caters to pre-natal and post-natal; Britton said a lot of members planning for pregnancy spend a lot of time in the program to help strengthen their pelvic floor and core.
“We have a mom and baby program, which definitely, around the pandemic, went from sort of an accessory workshop to one of our main programs,” she said.
Britton acknowledged that while studio environments, especially boutique-style studios, can lean female-forward, Barre West’s male members enjoy the workouts just as well.
“And then it’s super injury-friendly,” she said. “We have so many really great success stories — clients with osteoporosis — that either they were able to temper it or help build bone density. So our program is really strong but really accessible.”
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Whether you have two left feet or are graceful, Jazzercise North Calgary wants you to dance like nobody is watching.
Owner Robyn Wilson described the program as dance-based workouts in a group fitness atmosphere with top-40 music and no generational gaps.
“We cater to all walks of life; we’re kind of known for that,” she said. “We have everybody, from kids coming with their moms to grandmas; many times three generations working out together.”
Each class is approximately an hour long, and there are a variety of different formats, with the popular flagship format known as ‘Cardio Sculpt’ leading the way.
“That’s about 40 minutes of dance-based cardio, and you’re working your whole body,” explained Wilson. “We’re doing tons of lunges, jumping, and all kinds of dance-based things.”
Inspired by Mambo, salsa, and kickboxing, the workouts target the upper body, lower body, and core, with an added strength component in every class.
“In ‘Cardio Sculpt’, we do 20 minutes of choreographed dance-based strength,” Wilson said. “We use weights, exercise mats, and everything is choreographed to top-40 music where you’re doing some pushups and planks to whatever music is on top of the charts right now.”
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Scaling the side of a simulated rock wall can offer a unique way of reaching the peak of fitness goals.
With over 25 years of experience, owner of Bolder Climbing Josh Muller said climbing offers a unique exercise experience that allows you to get strong and fit without the conventional boring sides of exercise.
“I always joke to people that it’s a good way to trick yourself into exercising,” Muller said. “Because you’re only on the wall trying really hard for about 15 seconds, maybe 30 seconds, and you come to the ground and you’re huffing and puffing for five minutes while you socialize with your friends.”
Bolder Climbing offers two main disciplines: bouldering and rope climbing.
“With bouldering, our walls go 15 feet above the safety pads, and you climb that without ropes,” Muller explained. “We teach you how to fall safely onto the pads.”
Rope climbing, however, might give beginners more knots in their stomachs than in their ropes, as the height has a significant difference with 40-foot walls.
“It also requires more than just strength — it requires flexibility; it requires a certain amount of problem-solving,” Muller said. “Conquering certain fears, balance — it’s an all-encompassing activity compared to a lot of other sports.”
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To help facilitate results in fitness goals, Calgary nutritionist Stacy Yates said Dry January, where one abstains from alcohol, can be a good start.
“Alcohol really doesn’t benefit us nutritionally in any sort of way,” she said. “So I think that’s actually a great challenge for people, especially if they’ve had a little bit of an overindulgent December.”
Yates emphasized that if people are drinking on a regular basis, Dry January is an easy introduction to cutting calories, with the added benefits of financial savings, better sleep quality, and increased energy.
“Sometimes the best thing for someone to start eating and drinking clean is to start moving their body,” she said. “They feel like ‘oh, I’m starting to work out now; I don’t want to put that junk in my body anymore’, which junk includes alcohol. They also might start prioritizing sleep because they want to feel like when they get on that spin bike the next day, they don’t have a headache.”
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For Hobart teacher Mary Holton, health means everything.
She started feeling the squeeze from cost-of-living pressures when fuel prices spiked again.
“Going out for just fitness alone was a bit much,”
she said.
Mary Holton says since joining the group, her fitness across the board has improved. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Many Tasmanians are feeling cost-of-living pressures in a very physical way, with locals saying exercise routines are being dropped, health appointments delayed and wellbeing pushed to the bottom of the list as budgets tighten.
Ms Holton relies on multiple physiotherapy sessions each week, but says paid fitness classes simply are not an option.
“That costs … so to actually go to other classes as well, it’s out of my budget really.“
Ollie Mathewson conducts a free workout session. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
National data shows that almost half of Australians already fall short of minimum physical activity guidelines, and rising prices are making even basic care unaffordable for many.
Consultant clinical psychologist academic Kimberley Norris says this is exactly how unhealthy patterns begin.
“We tend to focus on the most stressful thing first … and health is one of those things we don’t think about until things go wrong,”
Professor Norris said.
Kimberley Norris says humans tend to focus on alleviating stress first and foremost, and warns de-prioritising health can become a cycle. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
For Ms Holton, going to a free workout group in her local community was a game-changer.
“Came down and absolutely loved it. It’s really nice to have a group and it just keeps growing,” she said.
Finding a free exercise group has drastically improved her health, as noted by her GP, and she is part of a growing trend.
At a community exercise class in South Arm, south-east of Hobart, the mood is upbeat, with laughter, movement, and a sense of relief.
Participation has more than doubled in the past year, with more than 100 Tasmanians now involved.
Trainer Ollie Mathewson said the surge was unmistakable.
“It’s free of charge for everybody … and over the last 12 months I’ve noticed a lot more people starting to come along,”
he said.
Ollie Mathewson says attendance at his classes has almost doubled over the past year. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Across greater Hobart, free and low-cost alternatives are multiplying and include walking groups, community-run circuits, and morning and afternoon fitness meet-ups.
Tasmanians are increasingly organising their own solutions.
Mr Mathewson said connections drive outcomes.
“A lot of people talk about weight and strength, which are obviously insanely important, having other people there to push you single every week makes it a hundred times easier.“
Professor Norris said one’s health can be prioritised for free.
“What we know about health is, it’s more about sustainable wellbeing, it’s about quality of life,” she said.
“So rather than focusing on how much you can deadlift, how far you can run, it’s about how your life has improved and how close your life is to the way you want to live it.”
She said free options were vital because once people stop moving, it becomes harder to start again.
“If we develop routines in which health is not a priority, then we almost get stuck in this cycle of health always being last.“
For some Tasmanians, the financial pressure is forcing even tougher choices.
Amy Dakin says she can’t even think about getting a gym membership with all the other costs of living on her mind. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Amy Dakin, who lives with a compromised immune system, often has no choice but to delay essential care.
“My health needs to be prioritised, but your bills come first, really,” she said.
Jordyn Rowbottom says she’s not the only one changing her hobbies to save on costs. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
Jordyn Rowbottom has seen the same pattern around her.
“People are being forced to cut what they can access,”
she said.
Professor Norris warns that these short-term decisions can create long-term harm, not just for individuals, but for the broader health system.
She said the combination of financial pressure and reduced physical activity would create a public health challenge.
Personal trainer Nickola Orr works with clients across different income levels, ages and needs.
She said affordability now shapes almost every program she designs.
“You want to make sure they can get as much help as they can within their price range,”
she said.
Nickola Orr is concerned about access to fitness and health services in the face of rising cost pressures. (ABC News: Jake Grant)
With the median individual spend on fitness in Tasmania sitting at almost $600 last year, Ms Orr said the warning signs were already visible.
“We’re going to see more results of long-term neglect; higher injuries, more need for mental health assistance. It’s going to snowball.”
Her concerns echo Professor Norris’s academic findings that once healthy routines break down, the consequences ripple for years.
“The changes are very small … while they add up over time, there is no immediate impact,”
Ms Orr said.
Mr Mathewson hopes the success of free community classes will inspire governments and private operators to expand accessible fitness programs.
“More free options would be a great thing. There are a few now, but there should be more,” he said.
The Tasmanian government has said it will release its 20-year preventive health strategy this month, titled The Health Revolution.
A Department of Health spokesperson said the strategy “will address the broader social, economic, and environmental factors that influence health and wellbeing”.
“Specific issues about access to health services and programs are being considered through the Access to Health Services project, a Commonwealth-State partnership.
“The Health Revolution will complement that project by addressing the root causes of poor health and the underlying conditions to make it easier for Tasmanians to live well.“
If you’ve been faithfully logging your 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week, you’re getting the recommended weekly about of cardio. But a new study1 suggests that for women in midlife, that standard benchmark may not be moving the needle on cardiovascular fitness as much as we’ve assumed. Here’s what you need to know.
EL MONTE, Calif. (KABC) — A boutique fitness gym in the San Gabriel Valley is focused on women’s empowerment, offering everything from dance fitness to pilates, yoga, zumba and circuit training. It’s called “Beastin Beauties” in El Monte.
“ Boutique fitness spaces here, it doesn’t exist here, so I needed to have this for the people in my community here, where I grew up,” said owner Jay Armada.
Members love working on their health and fitness alongside other women.
“You walk in and you feel like you’re able to let loose and inhibit it in a way that you don’t find in other places,” said member Esmeralda Cabral.
“It takes away the stresses of being in a space where you may feel judgment from others. And there’s a certain level of comfort as a woman that you wanna be able, especially if you’re starting a health journey or you’re reigniting it, you wanna have the comfort of being around under supportive women,” said member Ruby Rose Yepez, who also teaches yoga at the studio.
Women empowerment has been the theme all along, from Jay’s humble beginnings…
“ I want people to feel what I felt when I was going through my own journey. I had lost ninety-three pounds in a whole year and I just wanted everyone to feel that,” said Armada.
…to a huge setback in 2020 when the gym’s previous location burned down in a fire.
“ I thought I didn’t wanna do it anymore. Maybe it was a sign from God that you should just quit. But my community held me up and they just really made me believe in it again,” said Armada.
Now, her business is thriving, and she was just named the city’s Woman of the Year!
“ Community and connection here in this space is super, super important. Jay is not just about bringing people here for health. She brings people here to build the connections so that they feel that they’re part of a community,” said Yepez.
“You build a connection without even really trying. You’re all experiencing the same moments together. There’s always just so much fun happening,” said Cabral.
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As cost of living bites, one of the things slipping may be fitness goals
