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New Year's resolution to move more: how to stick to it

Moving more tops the list of New Year's resolutions every year. Whether it lasts is less about willpower than about planning. Here's what research knows about resolutions, and how to set up your January so there's still something left of it in March.

Updated 31 October 2026 · 4 min read

Why New Year is a good time to start

A new year feels like a blank page, and that's more than a feeling. In 2014, researchers showed that people are more likely to start on their goals after such turning points: gym visits went up at the start of a new week, month or semester and after birthdays. They call it the “fresh start effect”. The 1st of January is the biggest of these turning points in the year.

The good news: the effect works on any other Monday or first of the month too. If your resolution starts to wobble in February, the next fresh start is never far away.

Do resolutions actually work?

Better than their reputation. In a Swedish study with just over 1,000 participants, 55% considered themselves successful with their resolution after a year. There were clear differences depending on how it was phrased: people who resolved to do something (for example “go for more walks”) were successful in 58.9% of cases. People who resolved to stop doing something (for example “sit on the sofa less”) only in 47.1%.

7 rules for a resolution that lasts

  1. Say what you'll do, not what you'll stop. “I'll go for a walk three times a week” instead of “I don't want to be so lazy any more”.
  2. Start smaller than you think. The World Health Organization recommends 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week for adults, such as brisk walking. That's a good goal for later. To begin with, two or three short walks a week that you know you can manage are enough.
  3. Make an if-then plan. “When I get home on Tuesday, I'll put my shoes straight back on and walk for 20 minutes.” Concrete plans like this have been shown to raise the chance that you'll actually do it. An analysis of 94 studies found a medium-to-large effect.
  4. Attach it to a fixed habit. After breakfast, after work, after dinner: a walk tied to something you do every day anyway is easier to remember.
  5. Think in weeks, not days. In a well-known study on habit formation, it took a median of 66 days for a new behaviour to become automatic. The range was wide: from 18 days up to an estimated 254 days. So keep going until at least March before you take stock.
  6. One missed day isn't failure. In the same study, missing a single day didn't noticeably slow down habit formation. What matters is carrying on on the next planned day.
  7. Make it interesting. The same loop every time gets boring fast. New routes, small goals and a bit of competition keep you going. In a study of 602 adults, participants who competed against each other in a game-like setup walked about 920 more steps a day on average than the comparison group.

A simple plan for the first four weeks

A suggestion you can adapt to your life:

  • Week 1: Walk for 20 minutes three times, on fixed days. No more, even if you feel like it.
  • Week 2: 25 minutes three times. On one walk, take a street you've never been down.
  • Week 3: 30 minutes three times, one of them with friends or family.
  • Week 4: 30 minutes three times plus a longer loop at the weekend, for example through a neighbourhood you don't know yet.

If you prefer running or cycling, the same principle applies: start small, fixed days, build up slowly. If you have health conditions or haven't been active for a long time, talk to your doctor first.

When it gets hard

  • Bad weather: A shorter walk is better than none. Ten minutes in the rain count.
  • No time: Build the movement into trips you make anyway. You'll find ideas in our guide More steps every day.
  • No motivation: Just aim to put your shoes on and walk to the next corner. It usually turns into more.
  • Boredom: Set yourself a goal that has nothing to do with kilometres, like walking every street in your neighbourhood once. Find out how in Every Single Street.

How CLAYM helps

CLAYM is a fitness app with a game built in: every street you walk, run or ride for the first time earns points and turns green on your map. Weekly and monthly stats show you that you're keeping it up, monthly challenges give you small goals, and with friends you get your own leaderboard. CLAYM is due to launch in December, just in time for your resolution.

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