At the New Ulm Rec Center, many worked hard on their New Years Resolutions while the center was open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Snap Fitness owner Leah Widmark said, contrary to popular belief, only around 10% of people who come in for a New Years Resolution give up.

NEW ULM — As 2024 begins, so do the resolutions of people hoping to better themselves in the new year.

New Year’s resolutions are a common way for people to set goals for themselves. One of the most common, in New Ulm and around the world, is to lose weight and/or begin exercising. Doing so promotes both physical and mental wellness.

SNAP Fitness owner Leah Widmark said she has seen this phenomenon first-hand for around 9 years. Every year, there is an uptick in membership numbers from people looking to reach their fitness goals. Widmark said this is the biggest spike she gets all year.

“It’s about a 50% spike in membership numbers compared to June,” she said. “From December to January, it is about a 25% increase.”

Widmark said these numbers are so consistent, that the spike has become a yearly expectation. The only time this trend tapered off was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When COVID hit, we saw a huge spike in people buying their own gym equipment,” Widmark said. “We are getting back to normal levels in terms of the spike during New Year’s resolutions, but it used to be less when people had their own workout equipment during COVID.”

A common stereotype surrounding New Year’s resolutions is they are given up easily and frequently. In Widmark’s experience, this is not the case.

“I would say around 10% drop off,” she said. “We have a pretty good retention rate, but that’s pretty common for most gyms from what I’ve seen. You always have those people who start in January and drop off in March or May because it gets nicer out.”

Just because most have success doesn’t mean keeping a resolution is easy. From what she’s seen in her time as a gym owner, Widmark said there is one definite key to success.

“There’s always great results if someone has a mentor or coach,” she said. “It keeps you accountable when you are working with a mentor or coach who has been down that line. If someone comes in and says “I’m coming in with a mentor, coach, nutritionist”, they’re going to succeed. When people help each other out, there’s accountability too and that’s good to have in the fitness world as well.”

As an example, Widmark said a senior in high school wanted to get fit before leaving high school. He had dreams of entering the Army but needed to get in better shape to do so. With the right support and determination, Widmark said they blew everyone away and have stuck to it.

Many struggle with their resolutions, and others believe it’s not worth making one at all. For those in doubt, Widmark said the key is to start small.

“My biggest advice is don’t set high goals,” she said. “Go in with a different mindset of ‘I want to lose 10-15 pounds’. When you get to that goal it’s much easier to say ‘Oh wow, I can keep going.’ Don’t be so hard on yourself and give yourself grace. Allow yourself to fail but then pick yourself back up.”