It’s late December. The holidays are nearly over, but your guilt is just beginning. You overindulged and the scales are proof. “But it’s going to be okay” you tell yourself. The New Year is just around the corner, so that’s the time you’ll start your new workout program. (And this time you mean it!) Now repeat this familiar mantra right before spring break, swimsuit season, before your friend’s wedding, before your family or school reunions. And on and on. Sound familiar? 

According to a January 2015 study in the University of Scranton’s Journal of Clinical Psychology, two of the top five resolutions are “Lose Weight,” and “Staying Fit and Healthy.” But you’re not alone. By examining two years of Facebook metrics, a January 2015 article in the Wall Street Journal stated there’s a 50% surge in check-ins to “gym” or “fitness” facilities from December to January. But those same gym numbers start to decline by the third week of January until the inevitable comes; you stop working out. And that Scranton study? For those that do make resolutions, only 8% are successful. Eight percent!

The English philosopher, scientist, and lawyer Francis Bacon famously professed, “Knowledge is Power.” So let’s take a look at the top five reasons why you stop working out, and how to best prevent it from happening to you- again.

1. No Comprehensive Plan/No Goals or Unrealistic Goals

Making a resolution or other such “pledge” is not making a comprehensive plan. Without a plan you are destined to fail. And all the other reasons you stop working out listed here, are ultimately dependent on how well you can put together a realistic and comprehensive plan.

Setting realistic goals are vital to success in everything you do, not just your workout. Arguably the most popular way to set goals it to make them S.M.A.R.T. that is Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely (though you can use any type of goal setting you prefer). There are plenty of resources to explain the S.M.A.R.T. approach in much more detail such as books and online, so search for them.

A comprehensive, and ultimately successful, workout plan will include: smart goals (both long and short-term), effective exercise routines, proper nutrition, stress reduction, good sleep hygiene, and other various factors we will discuss below.

2. Motivation/Fatigue/Boredom

Understanding why you are motivated, how to maintain that motivation, and why it wanes is crucial to a reaching your workout goals. If goals are the “what” then discovering your motivation is your “why.”