It’s here! Happy NEW YEAR! And boy do we have a lot of exciting things in store for you in 2025. A ROCKSTAR new coach, new equipment, and some new offerings in the works as well. We also kick off the new year with new openings for 1:1 personal training well as health coaching.

No Time Like the Present: Your Most Important New Year Wellness Goals Resource

As we step into a fresh new year, many of us feel that surge of motivation to create positive change in our lives. The gym ads are calling, planners are being filled with ambitious goals, and we’re promising ourselves that this year will be different. But there’s one resource that’s more important than any membership or gadget when it comes to our health and fitness goals: TIME.

Time is, without a doubt, our most precious and non-renewable resource. Yet, if you’re like most people, you might feel like you don’t have enough of it to focus on wellness. Here's the thing though—current research tells a different story. According to the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), the average adult actually has about four-ish hours of free time each day. Surprising, right?! While it’s true that much of that time is often devoted to family, obligations, or decompression, there’s still a golden opportunity to carve out space for better health, fitness and self-care.

Now, before you say, “Not me! I’m too busy!” let’s break this down. For many of us, those precious free hours often go toward TV, social media scrolling, or other passive activities. And hey, no judgment—we all need downtime. But if wellness is a priority for you this year, shifting just a fraction of that time toward your health goals can create a huge ripple effect.

Think about this: replacing even 30 minutes of mindless scrolling with intentional movement or mindfulness is enough to begin seeing massive benefits. It’s not about finding time—it’s about making time and protecting it like it’s your most valuable asset (because it is).

Start with the Calendar: Time Blocking for Success

One of the most effective strategies is to treat your wellness time like a non-negotiable appointment. Block it out on your calendar and honor it like you would a meeting with your boss or your kid’s soccer game. Start small—15 to 20 minutes is all you need to begin flexing that scheduling muscle. And here’s the magic: once you start honoring that time, you’ll build momentum.

Why? Because setting and sticking to a consistent schedule not only helps you achieve your goals but also strengthens your cognitive and behavioral muscles. The more you show up for yourself, the more natural it becomes to continue—and even expand—those habits.

The Power of Tethering: Linking Habits for Greater Success

Here’s another pro tip to help maximize your efforts: use a technique called tethering (or habit stacking). This involves anchoring your new healthy habit to an existing one to create a chain of positive behaviors. For example:

• Pair your morning coffee with a 5-minute mindfulness session.

• Link a 20-minute walk to the time you normally listen to your favorite podcast.

• Do a quick bodyweight workout while dinner is baking.

Tethering not only makes new habits easier to adopt but also lays the foundation for stacking other healthy behaviors on top of them. It’s like building a wellness domino effect—one small action triggers another and another.

Why This Year (and This Month) Is the Perfect Time to Start

Let’s not overlook the fact that motivation is sky-high as the new year begins. It’s natural to feel inspired by the clean slate, and that’s a fantastic advantage—but here’s the catch: motivation alone won’t carry you through the long haul. That’s where time and commitment come in. Blocking even small pockets of time into your schedule now can set the foundation for habits that last long after the “new year, new me” energy fades.

If you’re ready to take action, here are five easy and impactful ways to invest 20 minutes of your day in your health:

1. Slow Down at a Meal: Take time to eat mindfully—chew slowly, savor the flavors, and notice how your body feels. This simple act can improve digestion and your relationship with food. This is foundational.

2. Morning Walk: Start your day with a brisk 20-minute walk. It boosts your mood, clears your mind, and gets your body moving. How about some extra circadian tied neurochemical benefits too…

3. Quick Workout: Do a bodyweight circuit of squats, push-ups, planks, and jumping jacks. Just 20 minutes can build strength and get your heart pumping. Calisthenics are also a great way to bolster or balance traditional weight training.

4. Mindfulness or Meditation: Spend 20 minutes in quiet reflection, deep breathing, or meditation before bed to reduce stress and improve sleep quality.

5. Stretch or Self-Myofascial Release: Use this time to stretch tight muscles or roll out tension spots. Your body will thank you with improved mobility and possibly fewer aches.

Your Action Plan: Start Now, Start Small, and Protect Your Time

If there’s one message to take away, it’s this: there’s no time like the present. Whether it’s January 1st or a random Tuesday in March, the best time to invest in your health is always now. Start small, stay consistent, and protect that precious time you’ve set aside for yourself. As you begin to flex those time-management muscles, you’ll notice how much easier it becomes to build—and keep—healthy habits.

Remember: the time you spend on your health isn’t just an expense—it’s an investment in your future. So go ahead, block out 20 minutes today, and take the first step toward the healthiest version of you. You’ve got this!

Got questions or need help? Let us know—We’re here to help lead the charge and cheer you on!

• Introducing Coach Jessica Kilts! Jessica is nothing short of a ROCKSTAR strength/conditioning coach, massage therapist, and athlete. She is extremely well qualified to help you in any and all health and fitness endeavors, as well as manual therapy needs. Serving roles as a personal and group fitness trainer, sports massage therapist, athletic director for multiple metropolitan clubs, and movement director at Nike, she brings a wealth of expertise. She is also just a really cool person ;) More to come as you see her around at the studio in the weeks ahead!

• Fun run in the new year anyone? We are still gauging interest in a fun run. 5k? 10k? Marathon? Let us know and we may get the online program shaped up and run group going

• Health coaching spots open again NEXT WEEK. If you’re interested, please book a free consult with us now.

• Have we helped you to improve the quality of your life this past year? If you are so inclined to share that experience, we would greatly appreciate your positive review/testimony. You can Google or Yelp review us with those links. Thank you!