Most of us tell ourselves that we're going to start our healthy lifestyle journey soon. Tomorrow, next week, maybe next month. In Australia, it's the most popular New Year's resolution, as 45.9% of Australians have vowed to live a healthier lifestyle in 2025 – up by 2.6% from 2024.
Sometimes, we just need a little push in the right direction. For this man, that push came in the form of a lost license. After getting caught driving drunk and having his license revoked for six months, the guy took up biking. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he completely turned his life around and became the healthiest he's ever been.
We reached out to the friend who shared his friend "Jeff's" story online, u/Retrdolfrt, and he kindly agreed to have a short chat with Bored Panda. Read on to find out what "Jeff" thinks about his life changes making rounds online!
A guy lost his license for six months after getting caught drunk driving
Image credits: wirestock (not the actual photo)
He started to bike everywhere, which helped him get in shape and start leading a healthier life
Image credits: friends_stock (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Retrdolfrt
Stories like Jeff's are inspiring, but fitness goals should be attainable and relevant to the specific person
Jeff's story is truly inspirational, not only to those who struggle to find motivation to finally start working out, but to those who find it hard to keep up with their fitness goals as well.
His friend who shared this story, u/Retrdolfrt, tells Bored Panda that he posted Jeff's journey online because he thought his friend deserved some credit. "Jeff has done an amazingly difficult job despite considerable pain and discomfort early in the period," the Redditor shared. "I did not expect the huge response and overall positive feedback."
When Jeff first started working out, he did not expect his mental health would improve as much as it did. "Jeff's medical and mental health have both improved together," his friend tells us. "Everything now seems more achievable and positive, so he is happier overall. Jeff is really surprised by the attention and the positive comments, though he hasn't read them all," the Redditor adds.
There can be many different reasons why people don't spend enough time exercising. Lack of time is one of them. Experts say that inadequate time is one of the most common barriers to physical activity for Australians.
And even if they do start their fitness journeys, many find it difficult to keep them going. Exercise physiologist Dr. Angelo Sabag writes how gyms see a surge of newcomers every year in January. However, many abandon their fitness goals by the end of March. Only 4% persevere until the very end of the year.
While Jeff's 40 kilograms in six months surely sounds impressive, it might not be attainable to everyone. Fitness goals, according to Dr. Sabag, need to be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timed. Starting out, he suggests, can look like adding 30-minute walks into your day twice a week.
Then, after four or six weeks, the frequency can be increased to three to five times per week. Dr. Sabag claims that such gradual progression will also improve speed, endurance, fitness level, and overall energy expenditure. The likelihood of sticking to your fitness goals improves if you treat it like a marathon and not a sprint, he says.
Health issues like being overweight can be a great motivator to start exercising. In fact, research shows that it has the second-highest positive influence on mental health. If you're exercising for your health, it also might lead to a long-term commitment as it directly impacts your quality of life.
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)
Australia has been experiencing a true fitness revolution since the early 2000s
If we were to believe stereotypes, we'd imagine Australia as the land of muscle-clad surfers and women with perfect bikini bodies. But obesity is a big problem in the Land Down Under. In fact, in 2022, Australia had the biggest proportion of overweight people aged 15+ compared to 21 other OECD countries.
66% of Australian adults were either overweight or obese in Australia in 2022. And according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, only 24.7% of adults met the recommended physical activity guidelines.
However, Aussies are no strangers to hitting the gym. A whopping 61.1% of Australians get active at least three times a week, and 79.3% do so at least once a week. It wasn't always that way. Back in 2002, only 28.8% of Australians went to the gym regularly.
Experts attribute this surge of interest in going to the gym to the emergence of professional trainers and fitness experts. Instead of just doing sets and reps mindlessly, people now had personalized guidance, accountability, and motivation. Going to the gym simply wasn't as intimidating anymore.
Image credits: Pixabay (not the actual photo)
People cheered for Jeff in the comments: "Sometimes a crashout is what it takes to realise that you're a mess"
