On Jan. 1, we lay in bed suffering the consequences of last night’s binge drinking celebration. Come Jan. 2, it is time to entirely reinvent ourselves.
The general consensus on New Year’s resolutions is mixed. Some embrace the cliche while others wrinkle their nose at it. In a survey of 30 people conducted by The Daily Emerald, 80% said they support new year’s resolutions while only 50% claimed to have made resolutions that were successful. The spirit of self-improvement is not one to discourage or dismiss, but the method used to fulfill resolutions can be problematic.

“I hate when people shit on resolutions because I love when people want to go into the new year as a better version of themselves,” Ava Baglioni, a junior at UO, said. “I think it’s a great excuse to reflect on yourself in the past and see yourself in the future doing something better.”

Of the 30 people surveyed, a majority of 10 said they have made New Year’s resolutions revolving around fitness and diet. It seems that every January, commercial gyms experience a large influx of new members adhering to this very goal. And every February, March and April it seems membership attendance decreases. Fitness goal setting isn’t inherently bad; it’s the intentions and process behind them that define their harmfulness. Because such resolutions are usually appearance motivated, they are the most toxic.

“Having goals surrounding fitness can be good, but when it becomes appearance-based things get messed up,” Julia Williams, junior, said. “Staying health focused also means staying away from any sort of rapid weight loss plans, fad diets or workouts.”

While the benefits of fitness and a healthy diet extend much farther than the external rewards, losing a few inches around the waist is certainly more concretely gratifying than, say, a hypothetical decreased risk of heart conditions and diabetes. And in a society that encourages pretty privilege and unrealistic body standards, it is easy to be driven by the appeal of the perfect physique.

“People are most easily motivated by appearance, but there is so much more that you could be than just pretty,” Williams said.

While making an appearance-based goal can be harmful, fitness resolutions can also be extremely beneficial in cases of poor physical or mental health. In such instances, goal setting has to be realistic to be lucrative.

“Lots of people attribute feeling good to seeing physical results but the reality is it takes a long time for physical results to show,” Luke Southall, a sophomore at UO who avidly works out, said. “You have to learn to receive gratification from the process of achieving your goals rather than just the immediate results you hope to see on January 3.”

Unfortunately for those subscribing to unrealistic body standards, physical change isn’t always possible at certain thresholds. All bodies are different, so the impact of diet and fitness varies per body type. One can’t hope to follow another’s health routine and be rewarded with that person’s exact body type.

“Having a goal to get your dream body is an impossible box to check because 150 pounds can look seven different ways on seven different people,” Southall said. “If you make your New Year’s resolution to feel good and happy in your body, progress can be celebrated in many ways. Versus if you make your resolution based on a physical feature, progress can only be measured definitively — I am not going to gratify myself until I reach this certain goal.”
Creating healthy fitness habits is an attainable goal when done intuitively. In hopes of creating a more realistic, sustainable routine, Williams advises a gentle fitness plan. 
“I don’t have a strict New Year’s resolution,” Williams said. “But I told myself I’m going to try to move my body around five days a week for my mental health. That could just mean taking a walk or stretching, whatever I am mentally capable of at that time.”