New year. New me. Fresh start. woo-hoo!

The excitement that accompanies a New Year and new beginnings is is something I personally look forward to. Call it what you want, an excuse, a start date, a set up for failure, whatever. I personally love a fresh start. An occasion for self-betterment? Sign me up!

It's a well-known fact that one of the most sought after New Year's goals or resolutions is to "get in shape." I personally hate the stigma around the topic of setting out for a healthier life. It's very popular to talk about amongst people of all ages but I think it's safe to say it's made fun of even more frequently.

Why is that? Why is "getting in shape" or "getting back in the gym" seem unattainable and comical most of the time.

For starters, I think as a society, we're looking at this task all wrong. Let's change the way we perceive this goal. Building a better foundation in our minds surrounding this menacing task is step one to progress. What if we all changed the way we thought about the gym and our physical fitness.

Often times, I think the thought of partaking in physical fitness automatically signals negativity in the brain. I don't say that to target anyone in particular. I don't care if you're a college athlete, the everyday gym goer or someone who hasn't worked out in years. Everyone has that mental plateau in their minds at some point. That's okay. It's normal. But here's the trick, health should be a fun life long pursuit and not a chore.

I think we have this idea in our heads that working out has to be this crazy intense activity that we have to hate. Your version of an ideal workout that is realistic and produces results won't be the same for me. That's okay, uniqueness is what makes us human. Let's focus on that for a minute. Our bodies are all different. Scientifically, our metabolisms are all on different pages, the workouts we try will affect us differently, it's a proven fact.

Now that we've addressed the proven science you're probably wondering, what now? How the heck should I know what type of physical activity is best for my body. Think about what's best for your mind. What do you love to do? What gets you excited? For example, if you grew up dancing and you loved it, maybe you could try out a barre or step class. Maybe you love to run. Instead of running alone maybe you could find a running group to join to challenge yourself and make some new friends to run races with. If you love to do high-intensity activities maybe you could join a HIT class or even CrossFit. The possibilities are truly endless.

Please don't think that getting back in the gym means that you need to hate your life while you force yourself to go workout. When you think about it, being physically fit should be something you work on your entire life. Yes, it's the beginning of the year and bikini season will be here before you know it but it's about more than that. It's about being the best version of yourself each and every morning when you wake up. This isn't defined by your weight or how you measure up to the girl running on the treadmill next to you. This is about making health a fun priority.

You deserve it girl. Go find the activity that makes you look forward to tomorrow!