'Get fit' is the top of the list of new year's resolutions for many people but for most the initial enthusiasm wears off and within weeks they lapse back in to their old habits.
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QuickFit Delacombe manager Dave Hetherington said anyone putting fitness at the top of their to do list for the new year needs to understand that changing habits and improving their health is a marathon, not a sprint.
"Change needs to be sustainable and you need to build new habits - you have to get out of the mindset that it's a sprint because it's a marathon. It has to be a new lifestyle, not something you're going to do for four to eight weeks."
Mr Hetherington has been in the fitness industry for a decade and has seen plenty of people sign up to gyms with good intentions in the new year but quickly fall away.
He has seen an increase in new members in the past week and expects many more in the coming days, but his focus is on helping newcomers create sustainable habits that they can keep.
"That's our point of difference. We do run eight week challenges but we focus on a more long-term sustainable approach to empower our clients and give them the tools to continue on after the challenge," he said.
"You have to make it part of your routine," he said. "You have to prioritise your health first or push it up your priority list. You will have to tough it out over the initial few weeks, they'll be the hardest, but once you start seeing the results and feeling more energetic, less tired in the afternoons, it reinforces the good work you are doing."
Consistency is the key to creating any new habit - whether it's fitness related or any other behaviour change.
Hundreds of Ballarat residents got 2020 off on the right foot taking part in the two parkrun events held to herald the new year.
The new Wallaby Track parkrun headed off first with 219 people hitting the riverside track at 8am, while 239 runners and walkers took part in the later Ballarat parkrun at Victoria Park at 9.30am.
Dozens took part in both events, with some hardcore athletes jogging the 6.9km from Wallaby Track to Victoria Park in time for the second event.
Parkrun events, which are free, timed 5km events for runners and walkers of all speeds, were staged at different times on new year's day to allow people to take part in two runs in their local areas.
The numbers smashed the previous record of 320 parkrunners in the city, which was set when Steve Moneghetti was a tail walker for the 200th Ballarat parkrun.
"parkrun is a pathway into healthy living. Because it is held every weekend it gives people the opportunity to create a new habit - you can't do that only attending it once," said parkrun Australia founder Tim Oberg.
"It enables people to form positive health habits in the new year and create a behaviour change. Participants become more conscious of themselves, but they also meet others who may be on the same journey.
"They can inspire each other on how to be healthy and make positive changes and support each other to become happier and healthier, as well as connected in their community."
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