Hi Reader

This past Friday, January 9, was National Quitters Day.

What does that mean?
It’s the point, about 10 days into the new year, when many people quietly give up on their fitness and wellness goals.

So let me ask you honestly:
Did you fall into that category this year?

I ran a quick poll on Instagram, and 100% of the people who responded said they were still going.
(To the three of you who answered—thank you, and keep staying consistent 👏🏽)

For everyone else who didn’t answer, may have paused, quit, or hasn’t started yet… what’s going on?

Why people really quit

Here’s what I see every January: In my experience as an orthopedic physical therapist, people don’t quit because they’re lazy. They quit because their body hurts. Here’s what I see every January: A sedentary fall ➝ a “no pain, no gain” January ➡️ sudden soreness ➡️ inflammation ➡️ flare-ups of old injuries ➡️ pain that makes people stop If you already had a weaker joint or spine, that sudden jump in intensity can feel like your body is betraying you. It’s not. It’s overwhelmed.

A common January story

One of my patients recently told me:

But the gym wasn’t the problem.

She worked remotely, sat most of the day, had poor posture, a weak core, and weak shoulder muscles.
Then she added overhead weights on top of that.

That combination is how shoulder pain starts
(tendonitis / impingement).

And for women over 50, especially those peri- or post-menopausal, ignoring it long enough can increase the risk of frozen shoulder.

The goal isn’t to avoid the gym

The goal is to prepare your body for it.

Most January injuries come from:
Sitting all day ➝ jumping straight into heavy workouts

The most common winter injuries I treat:
• Back pain
• Hip pain
• Shoulder pain

Adults 40+ training like they’re 25.

So before you go back to the gym…

Here’s how I’d train if I didn’t want to get hurt again:

Start with:
• Posture
• Core strength
• Shoulder stability
• Mobility

This doesn’t mean workouts have to be complicated or boring.
It means they need to be appropriately dosed, using weights your joints can handle while still challenging your body.

That’s how you:
• build consistency
• strengthen progressively
• avoid unnecessary injury

A gentle reminder

You didn’t quit because something is wrong with you.
You may have just done too much, too fast.

Train smart.
Train intentionally.

Your body should support your goals, not punish them.

If you need help beyond this post, simply reply and let’s talk.

With care,
Natasha
Black Star PT & Wellness
Helping women 40+ move with confidence and less pain

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p.s. Are you dealing with joint pain, stress, fatigue that impedes your ability to get started? I just finished a Functional Nutrition Certification course and working on an Anti-inflammatory nutrition challenge for February. I don't know about you but the more I enjoy Stay tuned for more details.

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