BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – With the new year around the corner, many are focusing on fitness and health goals; but they notoriously don’t always work out.

Once January first hits, crowds begin hitting the gym in efforts to get into shape.

Co-owner of Vette City CrossFit Sarah Scali says there are methods to ensure these fitness goals reach past the first few months of the year, including the “K.I.S.S.” principle and tracking progress.

“First is the K.I.S.S. principle, which is “Keep It Super Simple,” she says. “You’re not going to change your body in a month, so start with very small attainable goals and things that you can alter and change and modify in small pieces so that you can be more successful.

“The other piece is to try to write it down or somehow or kind of report how you’re doing.”

Health and Wellness Director at Med Center Health Sarah Widner explained that progress should be tracked over perfection when it comes to consistency.

“Whenever you have a bump on the road, maybe the day didn’t go how you wanted to, you had to eat out versus eating the lunch you brought to the office, where you missed your workout. As long as the next day or the next meal you pick up and just start with that new routine, you’re going to stay consistent,” she said.

“Consistency doesn’t equal perfection. It just means we get up every time we hit that bump in the road, we keep going.”

Widner also placed emphasis on creating goals that are lasting.

“As far as eating better and diets, one of the things that you want to do when starting something new is make sure it’s realistic,” she said. “So, especially if you’re, you’re putting it around health or weight loss, things like that, you want your diet to be something that you can stick to long term.”

Co-owner of Vette City CrossFit Chelsey Bush recommends those beginning their fitness and health journey find a partner to keep each other accountable, and start will goals that are attainable.

“Your first goal shouldn’t be to walk in the gym, lift heavy and run a whole mile without stopping,” she said. “Maybe it’s just to, you know, walk for three minutes while trying to maintain that breadth. Maybe it’s just lifting up the smallest weights just to see what your mobility is and what you’re capable of. And then just slowly building on those with the consistency.”

Bush also shared a perspective to consider that helps prioritize exercising.

“Even people in the gym, you know, when they miss a day, it is an excuse,” she said. “Prioritize the gym as an appointment, you know, if you have an appointment for work that’s at 1:00, go ahead and book an appointment for the gym at 12:00 and hold yourself to that and that appointment.”

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