New Year's Resolution: DON'T MISS A MONDAY

It’s that time of year again, when many Americans make New Year’s resolutions to exercise more. And in six months, it’ll be that time of year when 50% of those who made a fitness resolution, will fall off the horse and stop working out. If you're ashamed about how your resolution went last year, never fear…there are a host of things you can do to stay on track. First up? NEVER MISS A MONDAY!

Sounds silly but research shows that people think about and act on healthy activities more on Mondays than any other day of the week. A study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine revealed that there are more searches related to health topics at the beginning of the week, no matter the time of year, and more folks start exercise routines on Monday than any other day of the week, too. Plus, working out on a Monday is a great start to the week: When you get that Monday workout in, you’re 4 times more likely to get in a Tuesday workout… and that Tuesday workout leads to getting workouts in the rest of the week. Basically, you’ll kickstart good habits for the rest of the week.

On the other hand, when you choose to skip your workout on Monday and eat whatever is quick and available rather than what’s healthy, then you’ve started the week on the wrong foot, and you will spend the next several days backsliding away from your goals.

Understandably, Monday motivation is sometimes hard to come by. When the snooze button is calling your name, it’s easy to think of a million and one excuses not to lace up your sneakers and sweat it out at the start of the week. But by fitting in a workout, you’ll be rewarded in more ways than one.

Here’s why it’ll be worth it:

YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO WORKOUT THE REST OF THE WEEK
Exercising at the start of the week can get the ball rolling for your workout routine, because you’re starting with a clean slate. And this idea of ‘don’t break the chain’ is really powerful. The philosophy can motivate you to exercise on Tuesday, Wednesday or whenever you pencil in your next workout.

YOU’LL SMILE MORE
Got a case of the Mondays? You’re not alone. Research shows that the average office worker doesn’t crack a smile until 11:16 a.m. But exercise could help you beat those Monday blues. One common benefit of physical exercise is that it releases endorphins, the hormones that make you feel happier. Nothing feels as great as a finished workout, right? And science backs us up.

YOU’LL SQUASH ANXIOUS THOUGHTS
Dreading that mountain of paperwork gathering dust on your desk over the weekend? It’s not uncommon to feel apprehensive about heading in to work. But don’t go hiding back under the covers just yet — you may want to hop on the treadmill for a few miles instead. Studies show that aerobic exercise can lessen general anxiety. Plus, high-intensity exercise has been shown to reduce anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety that is often a precursor to panic attacks.

YOU’LL BOOST BRAINPOWER
Need to ace a presentation this week? Hitting the gym could be your secret to success. Physical exercise has the potential to increase levels of BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor), which is shown to help build healthier nerve cells. One study showed that strenuous exercise helped participants perform better on a memory test. Scheduling a sweat session before you put your nose to the grindstone could help you absorb new concepts faster, too. Another study revealed that participants could learn vocabulary 20 percent faster after intense physical exercise, compared to the control group.

YOU MIGHT MAKE MORE MONEY
Lifting weights may not lead to an immediate promotion, but it can’t hurt your chances at some extra cash. One study found an association between gym habits and higher pay. Employees who exercised regularly earned nine percent more than their couch potato peers.

YOU’LL SLEEP BETTER
Resistance exercise can help reboot the internal body clock that controls your sleep cycle. Starting on a Monday will help you be fresh and well-rested for the whole week.

Making the commitment to working out, getting in shape, and losing weight is very exciting. And even if things did not go according to plan last time around, every New Year is an opportunity to move forward. That's the whole point of resolutions, after all. Your health and fitness are particularly well-suited to the practice, even if it feels hard to stay consistent. But what ever you do…NEVER MISS A MONDAY! You’ve got 52 opportunities to make it happen in 2023!

If you need Monday motivation, click the button below for a complimentary assessment with a Success Studio personal trainer. We’ll get you going!