Gyms see yearly surge in new year fitness fanatics

It's the time of year when gyms are packed with new fitness fanatics who want to get in shape for the new year.

One trainer at TriPoint YMCA is telling his new clients to set goals years in the future to help with long-term motivation.

January is the biggest month for new members at TriPoint YMCA.

Alma Cruz isn't one of the new members, but she is just like a lot of them.

"I've never used my membership, and I decided this was the year to start," she said.

The reason Cruz is feeling motivated is also pretty similar to most other people hitting the gym a little harder this time of year.

"My pants and my dresses don't fit the same, and I thought, 'OK, this is it,'" she said.

She said her first step to fitness is meeting with personal trainer Joshua Sandoval.

He said just like Cruz, most of his new clients feel out-of-place in the gym.

"The majority of the population that we get is people just starting from scratch. It's basically just taking that step to step out of your comfort zone, just to come in and get started," Sandoval said.

He wants his new clients to feel better and said a lot of times that means making everyday tasks like squatting down to pick something up more comfortable.

But he said keeping the new fitness fanatics on track for the long-term has more to do with looking at the big picture than about setting short-term goals.

"What do you want to look like by summertime? How about what do you want to look like 30 summers from now?" Sandoval.

He hopes that will keep his clients motivated beyond swimsuit season.

For a list of recent stories Jenna Hiller has done, click here.