This might sound a bit cliché, but hear me out—other than being a line that would look perfect on a motivational poster in a principal’s office, it’s actually a solid mantra to live by. And it’s something worth thinking about as you set your 2025 fitness goals and resolutions.
Now, I don’t always buy into the whole “New Year, New You” resolution thing. After nearly 15 years in the fitness industry, I’ve seen the same pattern play out year after year: we overindulge during the holidays, make grand declarations to “get fit” come January, sign up for a gym membership or a fitness class, and then, by February, we’re back on the couch with a bag of chips—because, surprise, getting fit isn’t as easy as the internet makes it look. And that’s okay! It’s not your fault. We all do it. But here’s a little story that might help you choose a 2025 goal that you can actually stick with. Because, as we all know—consistency is key (check out my blog post from last year if you need more on that).
I grew up in a household of runners. My mom was—and still is—an avid runner. My brother ran. My dad ran. So, naturally, I ran too. I was even a bit of a track and field star in high school. But the thing is, I never really liked running. I just did it because I thought that’s what fitness was supposed to look like. Fast forward to my twenties, I discovered yoga, fell in love, and decided I wanted to do yoga all day, every day. I restructured my life and career to make that dream a reality—full-time yogi, right here.
But even after all that, I still had this nagging thought that in order to “get fit,” I had to run. So, every time I went to the gym, I’d start my workout with 20 minutes of running on the treadmill, followed by 20 minutes of weightlifting. Spoiler alert: I actually started to enjoy the weightlifting part, but running? Every minute on that treadmill felt like an eternity. Still, in my mind, if I was going to improve my fitness, I had to run. But because I hated it so much, I’d inevitably stop going to the gym altogether after a few weeks and fall back into my trusty yoga routine—which, let’s be real, I absolutely loved.
At some point, I was venting about all of this to my husband (an avid weightlifter), and he casually suggested, “Why don’t you just lift weights instead of running?” And, naturally, I thought he was joking. Like, who doesn’t run to get fit? It never even occurred to me that I could simply not run if I hated it. It seems so basic now, but at the time, it was a revelation.
So here I am, years later, happily lifting weights, doing yoga, and chasing after my kids (for cardio, obviously). I’ve found my groove, and I stick with it. I look forward to every workout, every yoga class—it’s no longer a chore, but a privilege.
So maybe, just maybe, your idea of fitness doesn’t align with your reality of fitness. If you’re setting a fitness goal for 2025, my advice is simple: Find something you love. Find the kind of movement that makes you feel like your best self—something that doesn’t feel like a punishment, but rather like a celebration of your beautiful body. And that, my friends, is how I believe you stay consistent.
By Prestonne Sehn
Throwback photo to me doing yoga, in my twenties.