Resolving to get in shape in 2017: Here’s how to start

Every year, there’s a migration. Gyms overflowing with enthusiastic people eager to put  New Year’s resolutions into motion.

I love this time of year, a sense of renewal lingering in the air.

The reality, though, is that being fired up about launching or reviving an exercise program tends to be the easiest part. Where intentions go awry is the month of February, when it gets harder and harder to stick with a workout program.

The cast of interlopers intent on taking our goals down are legion.

Overloaded schedules. Increased demands at work or at home. Commutes that agonizingly get  longer and longer. That hot new series we just have to binge watch overnight and tell all our friends about the next day.

It’s no wonder resolutions buckle can’t keep up.

So here’s one remarkably simple way to extend the shelf on that New Year’s enthusiasm: Pick the most ideal time for you to work out (there’s always one tucked in there somewhere) and then book it as if it were appointment on your phones, laptops, calendars.

Sound too easy? OK. I get it. Here’s where you need to put in a little more effort; treat it then as an essential element of the day, as important as catching that bus to work. Yes, life intrudes and emergencies happen. And if that occurs, just reschedule.

From there, find a class that not only fits your schedule but is one you really  like. Practice yoga. Try TRX. Don’t like group exercise. Hit the weight room. Go out for a jog. Pick up biking. Dance in your living room.

There are so many options out there. The key is to have fun and to stick with it. Then those New Year resolutions will turn into everyday habits for the months and years ahead.