MAITLAND, Fla. — With 2021 nearly here, many feel more than happy to say goodbye to 2020 for good. 

When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, losing weight and exercising are often at the top of the list, but amid the pandemic that may prove tricky for some. 

The start of a new year offers a fresh start for many. 

“2020 was horrible, a god awful year. So I think, 2021, they want a new year, they want a fresh start,” said Christine Sobredo of Orlando. 

Joining Bam Barre studio a month ago, Sobredo needed a break.

“This is my little escape from work from everything else,” Sobredo said. 

The pandemic has made her old fitness routine in a traditional gym seem crowded.

“I prefer to come here because the gym is so … you have a lot of people,” Sobredo said. 

 “I do understand, they have a business and rent to pay and it’s difficult,” said Christy Noone, owner of Bam Barre in Maitland.

These past few months, Noone has been working constantly to find a way to keep her small group-fitness studio afloat due to the pandemic. 

“It’s very up and down," Noone said. "Sometimes we have a full class which is 10 people, sometimes not so much.”

Gyms, like many businesses, have been feeling the hard hits of the pandemic’s punch. 

“It’s been very tough," Noone said. There’s been a lot of anxiety and sleepless nights."

Normally, the new year offers a flood of new clients rushing in to sign up and start working out — both at her gym and others all around the country. But this year?

“There will still be a slight peak. Not as much as typical years,” Noone said. 

While the potential for lack in initial new year signups may hurt some traditional gyms, for Noone, she said that's OK. Smaller numbers allow her to keep class sizes small, too, making room for social distancing. 

Still, Noone said its important people to try and find a fitness routine that works for them - even if it’s at home or outside during this pandemic to benefit both mental and physical health.

“Staying healthy, staying fit and active is so important right now," Noone said. "And I feel like this has really gotten people through the pandemic mentally."

To start out, building a routine is key. And take it slow, don't overdo it on the first few days and burnout. 

Noone recommends finding an activity you like that you're willing to continually do those first few weeks. The new routine will boost your mental health, she said, and physical health benefits will follow. 

“Taking care of your body should be number one right now,” Noone said. 

And slowly, small changes can turn that New Year’s resolution into a new routine for health. 

“I felt like I needed it," Sobredo said. "It felt like a nice little break from all the craziness."

The WHO released new physical activity guidelines because of the pandemic. They now recommend adults get at least 150-minutes, or 2 and a half hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week.​