What a “Good Year” of Fitness Actually Looks Like
Lynne Steiner • January 3, 2026
(Hint: It’s Not Perfect Attendance)
If you’re like most adults I coach, you probably looked back on last year and tallied the misses.
Workouts skipped.
Weeks that slipped.
Times life shoved training aside.
And somewhere in there, you may have decided the year “didn’t really count.”
Let me stop you right there.
A good year of fitness doesn’t look perfect.
It looks human.
We’ve been sold the myth that fitness only counts if it’s clean and uninterrupted - perfect attendance, no breaks, no mess. Miss a week and suddenly the whole year feels like a write-off.
But bodies aren’t spreadsheets. They’re more like long novels; full of detours, side plots, and chapters you didn’t plan but still matter.
A good year isn’t one where nothing went wrong.
It’s one where you kept returning.
Here’s the truth:
Strength doesn’t evaporate because you missed a week.
Endurance doesn’t disappear because December got chaotic.
Your body remembers more than your calendar does.
Every rep you completed still counts.
And not all progress is loud.
Sometimes progress looks like:
- Walking into the gym with less intimidation
- Knowing how to scale without shame
- Trusting your body under a barbell
- Choosing rest instead of forcing a hard day
- Showing up even when motivation is thin
Those quiet wins are what turn fitness into something that lasts.
Fitness is cumulative, not fragile.
You don’t start over, you pick up where you left off.
So before you set new goals, ask yourself:
What did I carry through the year, even when it wasn’t perfect?
That’s your anchor.
That’s what you build on next.
A good year of fitness isn’t spotless.
It’s used, a little beat up, and still doing its job.
You didn’t fall behind.
You were training for real life.
And that kind of progress sticks.
More Posts
If this year felt like it disappeared in a blink, you’re not alone. Work got busy. Life stayed full. Schedules changed. And somewhere in the middle of it all, taking care of yourself probably slid lower on the list than you planned. So if you’re looking back thinking, “I meant to focus on my health this year, but it just didn’t happen,” let’s slow that thought down for a second. Because effort doesn’t only count when everything is perfect. Maybe you stayed more active than you used to. Maybe you walked more, lifted occasionally, showed up when you could, or simply thought more intentionally about your health than in years past. That matters. For parents, showing up for yourself sends a powerful message to your kids: that strength, movement, and self-care belong in real life... not just on a calendar when things calm down. And for everyone, those small efforts often showed up as better energy, less stress, or a growing awareness that your body is capable of more than you give it credit for. And that’s what real fitness looks like. Not extreme. Not perfect. Just sustainable . At CrossFit Roselle, that’s what we believe in. Training that fits real life. Coaching that meets you where you are. A community that supports progress without pressure or comparison. As the year wraps up, don’t judge yourself by what didn’t happen. Look at what’s possible next. With structure. With support. With a plan built for your life. You don’t need a new year to start feeling stronger. You just need the right place to begin.
If you have young kids, you already know how this week goes. The routines are gone. The days are loud. The sugar intake is… impressive. And somehow, everyone is wound up and exhausted at the same time. This isn’t the season to chase perfect workouts. It is a great season to lean into movement that feels like play . Movement keeps the holidays calmer (for everyone) Kids move to regulate their energy. Parents move to regulate their stress. When movement disappears, meltdowns increase on both sides. The goal this week isn’t fitness. It’s connection, sanity, and sleep . 10–15 minutes counts (especially when it’s shared) You don’t need equipment or a plan. Try one of these: Walk the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights Holiday music dance party in the living room Reindeer races down the driveway or hallway Snowball throws (or rolled socks if there’s no snow) “Get up off the floor” races between gifts or chores Short. Fun. Done together. That’s the win. Let kids see you move too You don’t need to coach it or explain it. Just let them see: you squatting to pick things up you stretching on the floor you laughing while you’re a little out of breath Those moments stick. They learn that movement is normal, not punishment. This week is about memories, not metrics Christmas will come and go whether your workouts are perfect or not. But the moments you move together? Those build habits that last longer than the holiday. So if you do one thing this week, make it this: move a little, together, on purpose. That’s more than enough.
School schedules quietly do a lot of heavy lifting. They create structure. Predictability. Rhythm. So when school’s out—summer break, winter break, long weekends—it’s not just the kids’ routines that change. Yours does too. Workouts slide. Bedtimes drift. “I’ll go tomorrow” becomes a habit. But here’s the good news: You don’t need a brand-new fitness plan when your kids are off school. You need a modified version of the one that already works. Why keeping a “school-year rhythm” matters Most parents don’t lose fitness during breaks because they stop caring. They lose it because the anchors disappear. Training works best when it’s: tied to a time of day attached to an existing habit expected, not optional When school’s out, the goal isn’t to maintain intensity or performance. The goal is continuity. A lighter version of your usual routine beats starting over every time. Keep the same days , even if the workouts change Protect your training days first, then adjust everything else. If you normally train M onday, Wednesday, Friday... keep those days. Shorter session? Fine. Scaled workout? Perfect. Different class time? Great. What matters is showing your brain that training still belongs in your week. Avoid “I’ll just go when I can” mode... That’s how routines quietly disappear. Lower the bar on intensity , not consistency This is not the season to chase PRs. It is the season to: move your body break a sweat maintain strength and joint health protect your stress levels At our gym, that might look like: choosing a lighter weight than usual scaling conditioning more aggressively skipping the “extra credit” At a global gym or home setup: cut your workout time in half choose simple movements focus on quality reps Consistency compounds. Intensity is optional. Use your gym’s structure to your advantage One of the biggest benefits of coached classes is that you don’t have to think. You show up. The plan exists. A coach guides the hour. If you train at CFR: book classes ahead of time treat them like non-negotiable appointments lean on your coach for smart scaling during busy weeks If you train elsewhere: follow a written program avoid “random workout” scrolling give yourself a start and end time Decision fatigue is real, especially for parents. Reduce decisions. Protect energy. Involve your kids when it helps, not when it hurts Some kids love seeing their parents train. Others… not so much. If your gym allows it (and it’s safe): let kids sit with a book or tablet frame your workout as your time At home: invite them to move with you for warm-ups give them “jobs” like counting reps keep boundaries around start and finish times You’re not just staying consistent. You’re modeling what self-care looks like in real life. Remember: this season ends Breaks feel long while you’re in them. Then suddenly, school starts again, routines return, calendars fill up. Parents who keep some version of their training routine during breaks don’t have to “start over.” They simply turn the volume back up. That’s the advantage. Need help adjusting your routine for a busy season? At CrossFit Roselle, this kind of coaching is built into how we work with parents year-round. And if you’re training elsewhere, take this as your reminder: You don’t need perfect conditions. You need continuity. Your future self will thank you.
