Balik alindog 2025: journey to fitness with the start of the new year

WITH every new year comes resolutions. And admit it, getting fit has been one of your resolutions in the past years. I know I have since at least 2020.

After all the festivities where we have been used to eating so much and having a few drinks almost every night, we are now overwhelmed on how to start losing the holiday weight we gained.

The key, fitness coaches have told republicasia, is starting slow and putting your heart in your fitness goal.

Slowly but surely

Even celebrity fitness coach Dwan Abantao herself admitted that she adjusts her physical activities after the holidays, recommending low impact exercises to gradually get in the groove of working out.

“For my own journey, I start with a low impact movement lang para bumalik lang ‘yong drive. Like for example, nitong December, literally sobrang dalang kong mag-bike. So, for me to bring back the urge to bike again, sabi ko paisa-isa lang. I commit myself gawin ko muna twice or three times a week. And then that’s the time I think I can increase na. Kasi kung gagawin mo on the first day, binugbog mo na kaagad ‘yong sarili mo,” Abantao shared.

She further explained that exerting too much effort on the first days after a time off of exercising can be too taxing for both the body and the mind.

Abantao emphasized that exercising should not be seen as a punishment for indulging during the holidays.

BBK founder and fitness trainer Kristina Luisa Lopez agrees. She said that there is no rush to get back to fitness. What’s important is consistency. 

“Gradually reintroducing exercise is often more sustainable than jumping in too quickly. By avoiding overwhelming yourself, you’re more likely to stay on track and build a routine that lasts. The most important thing is to stay consistent, even if progress feels slow at first. Patience will pay off in the long run,” she advised.

Commit and find motivation 

Celebrity fitness trainer Edmond Mendoza, on the other hand, approaches “balik alindog” after the holidays through a different lens. For him, commitment and dedication to oneself is very important to stay in the course of fitness.

“Kung hindi mo isasapuso ‘yong ginagawa mo, wala lahat. ‘Yong fitness objective mo, hindi mo makukuha. I-set mo ‘yong oras mo sa gym or para sa fitness,” Mendoza said.

He went on to say that finding motivation can also help, may it be in the form of new workout clothes or finding inspirations.

“Minsan kasi gusto mo [para] ganado ka sa gym bibili ka ng new shoes, bagong damit — pang-boost lang. Pero hindi ko sinasabing gumastos, pang-motivate lang. Or tumingin sila ng magagandang katawan, ‘yong mga ina-idol nila. Kumuha sila ng motivation nila — saan nila ide-dedicate ‘yong workout nila? Para kanino ba ‘yong ginagawa nila, sa sarili ba nila, sa pamilya ba nila? Kasi ‘pag wala kang motivation, tamad ka, e.”

The coaches admitted that it has become a yearly trend that every January, gyms are packed with people wanting to lose the few pounds they gained over Christmas and New Year’s. But sadly, not all will last.

Beauty queen fitness coach Angelo Mendez said that motivation plays a big part in staying at the gym or working out in general. He even personally experienced it during the pandemic. 

“Motivating yourself is probably the hardest part of getting into fitness. It’s either you need a role model that you want to emulate or to have a friend to join you in your quest for fitness. During the pandemic when the gyms were constantly being closed whenever covid cases would go up I would workout in a friend’s home gym that was almost as well equipped as a commercial gym but I was all alone while doing this. After a while I was starting to lose the motivation because it’s hard to stay focused in isolation,” Mendez shared. 

Meanwhile, Mendoza said that in the ten trainees who will enroll, only five will power through the year. The other five will shed off one by one up to March. There are two reasons: either they lost their drive somewhere along the way or since it is already summer, they have achieved their beach bodies and are already content with that.

But Abantao and Mendoza beg to differ. They said that fitness is not and should not be a seasonal thing. Instead, fitness should not just be a goal but a lifetime journey.

While most of us see exercising as a way to lose weight, there are other benefits in exercising. In a study in 2019, it was found that exercise, even for just ten minutes, can improve the mood of a person. While in 2021, a study showed that exercising has positive effects on sleep quality and even insomnia severity.

Tips

While the fitness trainers recognize that returning to exercising after the holidays can be difficult for many people, they generously shared tips to kickstart our quest to fitness this 2025.

For Mendez, it’s as simple as starting now. The sooner we start exercising, the sooner we start seeing results. 

If we delay our fitness journey because there are still leftovers from the feasts or because there are still some late holiday parties to attend to, we will continue finding reasons and the next thing we know, it is already the end of 2025 and we have not done a single exercise. 

Abantao suggests finding a friend or joining exercise groups. She said that these people will support and encourage each other in the journey to staying fit. 

“Find a partner, find a buddy. Para each one of you push each other and motivate each other to exercise. It doesn’t have to be in the gym. You train together, you watch each other’s form. There’s so many parks — park sa UP, park sa Bridgetowne. Maraming baras doon, may mat area doon, mag-push up kayo, do the body weight exercises. Run, walking, habang naglalakad kayo mag-chismisan kayo, it’s still exercise. Anything that you exert effort or physically you’re active that’s still exercise,” said Abantao. 

She even went on to say that even house chores like cleaning and gardening can be a form of exercise, after all, any kind of movement is better than remaining sedentary. 

Lopez zeroed in on diet, particularly on removing the notion about “good” and “bad” foods. This is so important, especially since for sure there is still some spaghetti, lumpia, and fruit salad left in our refrigerators. 

“I firmly believe that no food is inherently “bad.” It’s all about balance and moderation. If you want a slice of cake, go ahead—enjoy it! The key is consistency and making healthier choices most of the time. Fitness isn’t just about exercise; it’s about nourishing your body in a way that supports your goals while also allowing you to enjoy life. Remember, you can absolutely reach your goals without feeling deprived. It’s all about finding a sustainable, healthy balance,” she said. 

How is your fitness journey so far? Wherever in the journey you are right now, I believe that you can reach your goal. Fight!