Let's accept it: we love to dream big. Never is that more evident than on 2 Jan., when gyms and parks across the nation are full of people committing and recommitting to their fitness goals. We've all done it, telling ourselves that this will be the year that we finally learn how to do a pull-up, or complete a marathon, or get into our best shape ever. And, frankly, we love to see it. There's nothing like a new year to provide the motivation we need to go after our goals again.
Motivation, though, is only half the battle. And after repeating the same cycle over and over, the fitness pros at Class Fitsugar have finally figured out why we all fall victim to the resolution Groundhog Day of all-in on 2 Jan. to off the wagon by 28 Feb. It's simple: we're getting ahead of ourselves.
The fact is, most of us don't take the time to figure out where we're at before we dive into a new fitness plan. As a result, we either start too slow and get bored or start too ambitiously and get discouraged, both of which cause us to quit.
Enter: Class Fitsugar's first-ever Fitness Assessment Series. We created five workouts, each one for a key pillar of fitness: strength, speed, flexibility, endurance, and balance. The workouts are meant to help you assess your baseline fitness level and identify the areas you excel in and where you can improve. (Don't worry; the workouts will still make you break a sweat.) The idea is that once you know where you're at, you can create a better plan for reaching your goals. You can even create better goals in the first place — ones that build on your strengths to make you feel stronger, happier, and excited about what's next. You're operating from a place of knowledge, rather than jumping into the deep end with your eyes closed.
If your endurance is at an advanced level, for instance, but you've got the flexibility of a beginner, it's a sign to supplement the cardio workouts you love with plenty of yoga and Pilates to avoid injury and help you sustainably build off your base. If you fall into the intermediate zone for strength, you might feel empowered to try tacking on some extra weight at the gym instead of playing it quite so safe.
One of the best parts about this series is that you can return to it every month or so to see how your fitness is changing. Another reason people fall off their goals is because it can be so hard to notice results; reassessing your baseline is an easy and encouraging way to gauge progress.
The workouts in Class Fitsugar's five-day Fitness Assessment Series are led by masters in their fields: Raneir Pollard for strength; Jasmine Blocker for speed; Danielle Grey for flexibility, Natalie White for endurance, and Christa Janine for balance.
Whether you are committing to a fitness goal for the first time, getting back in the saddle after a break, or just using 2023 as an excuse to level up, this series is your key to turning that new-year motivation into a steady and sustainable action plan that'll last you through to next December.