Sterling personal trainer: Tips to stick to your fitness resolutions in 2025

STERLING – Whether you are just getting back into the gym or looking to begin a fitness routine at home, getting into shape is one of the most common New Year’s resolutions.

Many people begin this resolution in earnest only to find their motivation and commitment drop faster than the New Year’s Eve ball in New York City’s Times Square.

Certified personal trainer and licensed massage therapist Ryan Jandrey has some advice to help individuals stay successful in 2025.

Jandrey works at the Sterling Park District’s Westwood Fitness & Sports Center, 1900 Westwood Drive, and specializes in corrective exercise. He has been helping clients reach their personal fitness goals for nearly a decade.

“I like to combine massage work and corrective exercise,” Jandrey said. “I like to get people on the table, loosen up some areas as needed and get the blood pumping. Then, they jump off the table and we do some corrective exercises to iron in the changes that we’ve made on the table.”

Start slow

Jandrey said one of the most common reasons people fail to stick to fitness resolutions is that they take on too much too soon. Many individuals think their workouts should take over an hour and leave them feeling completely exhausted.

However, Jandrey said this leads to the body burning itself out and never fully recovering, resulting in the individual becoming tired and sore all the time and increasing their chance of injury.

“It’s OK to be sore once in a while,” Jandrey said. “But if you’re waking up and you’re sore all the time and it’s hard to get out of bed, or you’re starting to lack motivation for working out, you probably need to dial things back a bit.”

Jandrey recommends trying shorter workouts to see what the body can handle. Then, once an individual adapts, they can safely progress their workouts.

“Meet yourself where you are, not where you wish you were,” Jandrey said. “If that means swallowing your pride and starting with the basic building blocks, then that’s what you got to do.”

One way Jandrey helps clients do that is by suggesting they start with doing physical activity they find fun, like hiking, biking, swimming or playing basketball. This not only helps increase physical activity and calorie expenditure but helps to positively reinforce the mental routine of making time for exercise.

Have a plan

Once someone is ready to start in the gym, it is best to have a plan. Jandrey said it is all too common for people to think they will just “figure it out” when they step into the gym, but are then often overwhelmed by the dozens of workout machines and equipment, leading to indecision and wasted time.

“Just following a basic program and tracking what you are doing is hugely beneficial,” Jandrey said. “However, a lot of people don’t do it. Then, after two months of work, they’re still in the same place because they don’t even know where they started. That’s where a trainer could come in handy to teach you the ropes.”

Sleep equals success

In today’s fast-paced world, it is a common practice for people to sacrifice sleep to get more out of their day. However, this can kill your progress in the gym.

“A lot of your gains come during recovery,” Jandrey said. “Your gains aren’t coming while you’re exercising. They come during your sleep, during your recovery phases, when the muscle is building back up. There’s a lot of things going on in your body while you’re sleeping that people don’t realize.”

Jandrey recommends getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night to properly recover. He said that while some people think that might be a bit much, committing to a full sleep schedule will leave people feeling better and more energized throughout their day.

Dialing in the diet

Changing your diet can be one of the most challenging steps when attempting a fitness regimen. One trick that Jandrey teaches his clients is to make a list of the foods they eat and begin thinking about healthy substitutions they can make for items on the list.

Once the list is complete, clients can make one or two changes at a time to keep things simple and easy to stick to. Jandrey said that after several weeks of healthier eating, clients often find themselves craving healthier alternatives over their highly processed counterparts.

“There is no perfect diet for everyone,” Jandrey said. “You need to be willing to experiment and take note of how certain foods make your body feel. Try to stay away from highly processed foods and instead, purchase food from your local farmer’s market. Deep down, we all know this stuff. It’s just getting your mind on board.”

In the end, it is the small and consistent changes that lead to long-term habits and success. One thing Jandrey cannot stress enough is patience.

“When reclaiming your health, you have to play the long game,” Jandrey said. “You didn’t build this body overnight and you’re not going to heal it overnight.”