Are Resolutions the Solution? The Boar Sport investigates sporting and fitness goals in the New Year

The moment the clocks strike midnight on the 31 December, billions of people around the world celebrate the dawn of a brand-new year.

As the number on the end of the date increases by a singular digit, many of us enter a privately prescribed singular commitment, a clear goal for self-improvement which, in theory, will guide our actions for the following year.

This New Year’s Resolve to better ourselves is as old as time and dated by historians to exist in some form as far back as Ancient Rome. In the last couple of hundred years the New Year has become increasingly associated with reflection and renewal, alongside the fireworks and celebrations.

In the present day, it is hard to go anywhere in early January without being struck by a sense of newfound motivation; gym memberships are purchased for cut prices and healthier groceries are carted home.

Resolutions have become so integral to our culture that almost everyone will know somebody who is undertaking a new challenge this year. But does this lifestyle shaping tradition actually work, or is it all just a fleeting moment of motivation? Are resolutions really the solution?

To find out, The Boar Sport asked Warwick students to answer a few short questions about their plans for the New Year. 87.5% of responders stated that they had made a resolution for 2026, and of those people, 56% were focusing on fitness or sport.

23% of people in their survey had made resolutions involving exercise, more than any other category, while 17% were determined to lose weight

While resolutions almost always represent specifically personal aspirations, they can most often be grouped into one of two categories: building healthy habits or breaking unhealthy ones.

When asked what their resolution focused on, students most frequently gravitated towards fitness goals. Several responses focused on clear objectives, from gaining muscle in the gym to losing weight.

Polling data from the organisation YouGov suggests that this is not only common among Warwick students, but also nationwide. 23% of people in their survey had made resolutions involving exercise, more than any other category, while 17% were determined to lose weight.

Other respondents to The Boar Sport’s poll just wanted to live a healthier lifestyle in general, by cutting out bad habits like smoking and unhealthy eating or making general improvements to their sleep and work-life balance.

The problem that many students with resolutions are bound to experience is the fact that life can often get in the way of best-laid plans, especially as we begin a busy second term.

When asked how long they believed they would be able to stick to their resolution, one respondent expected that they would keep it up until they became ‘overwhelmed’ by university work.

As many students will readily agree essays and exams can become the enemy of routine, especially as deadlines pile up towards the end of the academic year.

Another case against resolutions for many is the fact that the enthusiasm of the New Year rarely sticks around. 38% of responders answered that they did not believe in making New Year’s Resolutions at all, with many suggesting, as one answer put, that ‘if you care enough about the goal, you won’t wait until a new year to start.’

This viewpoint is difficult to dispute. There is nothing stopping anyone from making a change on a date other than New Year’s Day, and nothing to suggest that these commitments won’t last just as long.

‘If you think of a personal goal you want to achieve in June, just do it. You don’t need to revolve the whole idea around the New Year’

– respondent to The Boar Sport poll

It permits people to start afresh when the time is right for them, rather than just when everyone else is doing the same. As another answer says, ‘If you think of a personal goal you want to achieve in June, just do it. You don’t need to revolve the whole idea around the New Year.’

In the opposite camp, 62% of answers stressed the importance of the New Year as a ‘milestone’ or ‘starting point’ for change. In the opinions of one responder matching up the goal to the calendar gives people something to ‘push off from’, adding a bit of extra motivation.

Another student sees the tradition as a ‘good cultural framework for renewal,’ while a second participant simply likes the ‘optimism’ of going into the year with a goal of self-improvement.

27% of students admitted to not having stuck to their resolution completely only a couple of weeks into the year

As with all things, resolutions are often easier said than done. The limitless timescale placed on health goals can be daunting, especially when they involve strict routines, schedules or diets, as was the case for around 55% of respondents’ resolutions.

27% of students admitted to not having stuck to their resolution completely only a couple of weeks into the year, a percentage which could seem to suggest that the tradition is nothing more than a yearly fad for many.

On the other hand, occasional failure is a crucial part of any journey towards improvement. While the New Year can provide a hard reset, it would be nearly impossible to flick a switch and completely change your lifestyle overnight. Habits take time and effort to build, and the process of improving slightly every day can often be more fulfilling than any distant goal.

As the data from The Boar Sport’s survey shows, a high proportion of students want to use the New Year as a way of getting more active. With over 60 Sports Clubs at Warwick and a plethora of intramural leagues to boot, access to fitness at university is often much more readily available than it may seem.

The are plenty of advantages to partaking in sports alongside studies. Aside from the obvious benefits of learning new skills and improving your physical well-being, it is also the perfect way to meet new people with similar interests and unwind from the many day-to-day stresses of student life.

Many sports clubs at the university offer sessions for all abilities and are suitable for both students who are passionate about competing and those who are looking for something more casual.

If, however, tight schedules and seminar clashes get in the way of club training, then there is also no better time of year to get into more personalised fitness routines.

Gyms and leisure centres have long been responsive to the tradition of New Years’, including Warwick’s own Sports and Wellness Hub. The centre is currently offering a 10% discount on the first 10 months of any annual membership alongside pre-existing cheaper prices for students.

While naturally the lowering of prices serves as a way of capitalising on the New Year’s tradition and getting more people through the doors, there is no good reason not to take advantage of some of these offers yourself if you think the gym might be for you.

The most likely group to make New Year’s resolutions is 18-24 year olds according to YouGov

Ultimately any New Year’s resolution must be realistic and flexible if it is to become a long-lasting habit. Some respondents to the survey were confident that they could make their resolution last all year round while others were simply hoping to keep it going for a few months, or until they saw visible improvement.

The diversity of resolutions is part of the fun, and the perceived possibility to make any sort of goal at the start of a New Year, however big or small, is one of the biggest reasons for the continued popularity of the idea.

With the most likely group to make New Year’s resolutions being 18-24 year olds according to YouGov, it seems that the tradition will continue among university students. With over half of the academic year still to go, it is never too late to try that new sport, visit that gym, start using that new healthy cookbook, and make 2026 your year.