MOSES LAKE — One of the traditions of a new year is the resolution that this is going to be the year to get back in shape. Yup, this is the year – off to the gym for the first time, or maybe back to the gym. But entering the gym for the first time can be a little intimidating; after all, what do all those mysterious machines do? And some of those regular users look very fit already.

Maybe it’s really cold one night, and going home rather than to the gym looks like a pretty good option. And eventually March comes, the weather starts to warm up, the sun is still out after work, there are other things to do, and - well, eventually it’s not the year to get in shape after all.

So, how to keep working toward those fitness goals, through mastering all those machines and outside distractions and one too many helpings of steamed broccoli?

One of the first tasks is to set a goal and keep it in mind. And like a lot of things in life, fitness is easier with a support system.

A trainer at Snap Fitness, who asked to be identified as Cindy, said it can be tough, walking through the gym doors. “Very intimidating,” she said.

Jose Zambrano, manager at South Campus Athletic Club, said the gym can be “pretty frightening for people who’ve never been in before.”

Dylan Tipps, owner-trainer at Anytime Fitness, said, “It’s foreign. Everything is foreign, except the treadmill. Everybody has seen the treadmill.”

Each gym provides members with a tour when they first join, including information about each machine, its purpose and how to use it safely.

People who want to work out need to choose a place where they feel comfortable and feel like they’re not being judged, Zambrano said.

Cindy said there’s less judgment at the gym than it might appear. “Honestly, I never found that in a gym,” she said. Everybody who’s in good shape now had to start somewhere, she said. “They were where you are.”

Staying on the fitness track is easier with an endgame. “The main way is to have a goal,” Cindy said. “What is it that drove you to the gym in the first place?”

When people start exercising, it’s because “they want to make a change,” Zambrano said. When choosing a gym or an exercise plan, it’s important to pick a place where there’s help to reach the goal, he said. Otherwise, it’s easy to lose interest and motivation.

Encouragement is crucial, Zambrano said. “A really good support system – family, friends, other people who like to work out.”

It’s also important to have patience, Tipps said. People sometimes come in with “unrealistic expectations” about the time it will take to reach their goals, he said. Regular exercise is a “lifestyle change,” and it will take a month or two, or longer, for the results of those changes to show.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].