What’s in Your New Year’s Resolution?

By Léo Azambuja

The four of us who tackled the Kalalau Trail last November, from left to right, Merra Howe, Chris D’Angelo, I and Halli Holmgren.

Every New Year, it’s the same thing. My main resolution is to get fitter. It doesn’t really have much to do with looking better. Rather, I just want to improve my surfing and have a healthier outlook in life.

But it never happens. This resolution is usually dropped from my plans in less than two weeks. I could find a gazillion excuses, but in the end, they’re only excuses. To make matters worse, about a year ago, my stomach muscles started to cramp every time I tied my shoelaces. Stuff was starting to get real.

So last summer, I kicked myself in the butt and kicked my 2017 resolution into gear — six months ahead of schedule.

At that time, I wasn’t interested in joining the gym. Nothing against it, I’m actually a former personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. So I’m all for gyms. It’s just that I love the outdoors, and I wanted to do something new that would bring me joy and fulfillment while getting me back in shape.

So when backpacking crossed my mind last summer, I immediately got hooked. I was already a fan of hiking and camping, so backpacking seemed a natural progression.

Finding all the appropriate gear was fun. I went through new gear twice, after figuring out that lightweight equipment is actually not that lightweight. When you hike up to 12 miles on a single day, every ounce makes a difference.

That’s when I discovered the ultra-lightweight stuff.

Though ultra-lightweight usually translates to ultra-expensive, with some creativity, I was able to drop the weight of my backpacking load considerably without having to get a second job. I’ve done a few backpacking trips since then, and I also have hiked a lot more.

My weight has also dropped. And I’ve been surfing a lot more. However, I’m back to my original New Year’s Resolution — get fitter in the new year. After all, the work is not done. I still want to reach my old form from my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu days.

So now I’m looking into whether joining the gym just up the street or enrolling into Bikram Yoga classes. The gym is cheaper, closer, more convenient and even comes with yoga classes. But Bikram Yoga is something I’ve never done before and it seems quite a challenge, and that really attracts me.

Perhaps my answer would be the double pump; join both. Or the split decision; three months at the gym, followed by three months of Bikram.

I’ll probably decide on a whim; nothing new here. But the important thing is that whatever I decide, I take action.

What about you? What’s in your New Year’s resolution?