Most people famously set a New Year’s resolution in January, then try to stick with it. Equally as
famously, many of these resolutions fail because while the intentions behind them were good, the
lifestyle around them wasn’t conducive to success. By March, however, most of us have taken
stock of what went wrong with our resolutions and are much more committed to making a
change.

Incidentally, spring is the perfect time for change if your goal is improved fitness
throughout the year. Several key factors line up perfectly by March that simply weren’t present
when intentions were set in late December or early January.

The Ability To Use It As A Second Chance
March is highly associated with spring and with the concept of new beginnings. It also,
importantly, isn’t tied up with any major food-related holidays or high-stakes social expectations.
It’s generally easier in March to set upon making a lifestyle change due to psychological
priming, the theme of renewal, and an absence of social pressures that might serve to otherwise
make it more difficult.

National Nutrition Month
Starting and maintaining better habits is far easier when the environment and you are conducive
towards them. March just so happens to be National Nutrition Month. This means that state,
local, and federal resources will abound from health departments, all dedicated to helping people
make healthier nutritional choices.

National Nutrition Month encourages people to learn how to make informed food choices while developing eating and physical activity habits that support long-term health, emphasizing that small improvements in daily choices can add up over time (National CACFP Association, 2023).

Research on habit formation also shows that consistent repetition of a behavior in the same context helps it become more automatic over time, and linking a behavior to a regular cue such as a routine or time of day can strengthen this process (Keller et al., 2021). With an abundance of resources at your disposal, it’s easier than ever in March to shift your diet without putting too much mental energy into the process.

Warmer Weather
In late December and early January, the weather is often truly dreadful. So much so that even
with the best of intentions, it can be hard to stick to a dedicated fitness routine. Come March,
however, the weather is beginning to warm and become more conducive to outdoor activities.
It’s much harder to say no to a walk around the block when it’s sunny and warm, versus when it
is dark by four pm and blisteringly cold.

Longer Days And Mental Well-Being
Finally, come March, the days begin to get noticeably longer, and this can go a long way to
encouraging the positive mental health shifts that are upstream from a major lifestyle change in
many cases. Low mood and energy are not uncommon in the winter. By March, this shifts for
many of us due to the increasing light and vitamin D.

Make The Shift This Spring With Swift River CrossFit
Spring is the time of new beginnings, and the time to use those good intentions from New Year’s
to really make the change in your lifestyle that you’ve been waiting for. We offer classes for
those on any part of their fitness journey. There truly is something for everyone, and it’s never
too late to take steps towards a healthier, happier you.

References
Keller, J., Kwasnicka, D., Klaiber, P., Sichert, L., Lally, P., & Fleig, L. (2021). Habit formation
following routine-based versus time-based cue planning: A randomized controlled trial. British
Journal of Health Psychology, 26(3), 807–824. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12504
National CACFP Association. (2023, March 8). March is National Nutrition Month.
https://www.cacfp.org/2023/03/08/march-is-national-nutrition-month/