You don’t have to search hard to find a plethora of 2020 resolution lists promising to remedy the ills of seasonal overindulgence.
Before guilt and festive weight gain spur you to resolutions that won’t make it past the first weekend of the new year, consider a dose of common sense to guide your efforts.

Rethinking gym membership

While visiting family in Ontario over the holidays I managed a few workouts at a local gym. As I exercised, I watched a trainer guide a nervous beginner through a series of complicated moves. Like most beginners, confusion and intimidation will ultimately crush New Year’s fitness resolutions.

According to Pinterest, recent searches for simple weight training exercises increased by 1423 per cent. Frustrated by a lack of engagement, information and results, many exercisers are turning to the comfort of home exercise and online training.

Recommended resolution: Workout at home. Affordable exercise equipment and online training has made home workouts a reasonable and effective alternative to congested, intimidating gyms.

Boooring!

This one continues to baffle me. From gut-busting HIIT classes to nap pods, popular industry trends typically focus on extremes while ignoring the ever-expanding middle. People like to nibble at the edges of problems instead of meeting them head-on – like choosing an ankle tattoo over exercise to address an aging physique.

With most North Americans firmly entrenched in the overweight or obese categories, it only makes sense that we focus on ‘middle of the road’ health strategies.

Extreme workouts only appeal to the extreme exerciser while naps, meditation and stretching won’t help you lose weight or build muscle.

Recommended resolution: Ignore the bells and whistles. Boring works! Embrace simple but progressive resistance exercise coupled with basic healthy eating regimens. Avoid overly optimistic promises. Find an expert you trust to distill exercise research.

subhed Where’s the beef?

If you haven’t already done so, take a look at The Game Changers, or one of many plant-friendly documentaries. Pounding your chest like a gorilla and demanding a side of beef at your local steakhouse is losing ground to artery de-clogging plant-based alternatives. By the way, gorillas are Herbivores.

Recommended resolution: Patience! Making heart-healthy veggie choices is less about taste (there’s a ton of great recipes out there) and more about relearning how to prepare tasty food.

Signs the vegan apocalypse is upon us: 1. Costco now sells tofu 2. The new Canadian Food Guide stresses plant-based eating while downplaying meat and dairy 3. Fast food chains have figured out how to ruin a perfectly good plant.

She blinded me with science

I hear variations of these misinformed statements all the time: ‘My (overweight, diabetic) friend said that plant-based diets are bunk’; ‘I’m trying to cut carbs’; ‘Only meat provides you with all of the necessary nutrients’; HIIT classes are the best way to build muscle and lose weight’.

The public has become totally confused by slick marketing and thirdhand myths, rumors and pseudoscience. There are way too many ‘experts’ out there muddying the water – few with qualifications, many with personal agendas.

Recommended resolution: Make logical, evidence-based decisions. Consider the advice of experienced medical doctors who specialize in heart health, obesity & nutrition research. Discount studies sponsored by the meat or dairy industry, podcasters, authors with irrelevant qualifications, YouTube stars, social media influencers, chiropractors/personal trainers/nutritionists/dietitians, some guy down the street, your dog – funny, people mock dogs for eating food that can kill them… hmm.

Baby Steps

If you have the time and the patience, check out the new book, How Not to Diet by Dr. Michael Greger. According to Dr. Greger, the fat that most adversely affects your health is the easiest to lose. The risk of disease drops immediately with minor changes in body fat (only 3% weight loss improves blood sugar and triglyceride levels; 5% loss improves blood pressure and cholesterol and may cut the risk of developing diabetes by half).

Recommended resolution: Move more, eat better

Finally, keep it simple. The more complicated your resolution, the more there is to mess up.

Paul Robinson has enjoyed 30 years as a personal trainer, executive, speaker and consultant in the fitness industry. He owns Kneifel Robinson (KR) Personal Training, with his partner Monica Kneifel Robinson, serving St. Albert & Edmonton. KR specializes in helping beginners, Boomers and gym-phobics achieve success in-studio and on-line. You can reach them at info@krpersonaltraining.com;