Slow and steady wins race

January; a time of fresh starts, lofty goals and the unmistakable stampede of newly minted gym-goers. Like migratory birds, they appear suddenly and en masse, flocking to treadmills, weight benches and yoga mats with the zeal of people who've decided this year will be different.

- SONJA BROWN

But if you've been to a gym in January, you know that this influx of enthusiastic exercisers is as temporary as a New Year's Eve resolution itself.

January gym-goers are easy to spot. They usually arrive equipped with brand-new gear. Their outfits are head-to-toe fresh - gleaming takkies, perfectly matched leggings and water bottles so advanced they could probably filter dam water.

Blind optimism is visible in their eyes and they are all in for back-to-back spin classes. But by day three, they're hobbling like they've just returned from a battlefield, icing body parts they didn't even know existed.