Your Body Is Not a New Year’s Resolution: Why December Is the Real Time to Fix Nagging Pain

There’s something about January that makes people believe a magical switch flips and suddenly they’ll stretch more, cross-train better, sleep 8 hours, drink more water, AND commit to a whole new workout routine. Then reality walks in like, “Hey, remember your schedule? And your kids? And that shoulder you’ve been ignoring since June?”

Here’s the truth: January isn’t a fresh start for your body. It’s just another month… and if anything, it often highlights the things you didn’t address earlier.

That’s why December, not January, is prime time to get ahead of the aches, stiffness, and lingering discomforts that have been tagging along all year.

At Nashville Physical Therapy & Performance, we spend December helping people clean up the “background noise” in their bodies so they can start the new year strong, mobile, and pain-free. Here’s why it matters more than you might think.

“Nagging Pain” Isn’t Random—It’s Information

Whether it’s:

• that hip that tightens halfway through your run

• the shoulder you stretch constantly but never fully trust

• the knee that’s fine until stairs get involved

• the lower back that complains after long drives

• the foot that gets cranky the moment you increase mileage
  

These issues don’t just appear out of nowhere. They’re small mechanical problems that your body has been managing quietly… until it can’t.

December is the perfect time to pause and ask: What is my body trying to tell me?

Why December Is the Ideal Month to Address Old Aches

1. You’re less likely to be training at full intensity.

Most people naturally scale back a little this time of year. That gives us a window to improve mechanics without interfering with your performance goals.

2. Travel exposes weak links.

Road trips, cramped planes, different mattresses, December is a playground for stiffness flare-ups. If something complains during travel, there’s a reason. Evaluating it now helps avoid “surprise” pain in January.

3. Stress + colder weather = tighter everything

Your tissues behave differently in cold temps and high-stress seasons. This is when hidden issues reveal themselves.

4. It’s the perfect “reset” moment

Unlike January, which screams “Fix everything at once!”, December gives you space to think strategically and set up a smart movement plan for next year.

Your Body Is Not a New Year’s Resolution: Why December Is the Real Time to Fix Nagging Pain:

Pain Doesn’t Take Holidays Off

One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is:

“I thought it would go away on its own.”

Here’s the problem: If something has lingered for 3+ weeks, your body is no longer in “healing mode.” You’re in “compensation mode.”

That means your brain is actively rerouting movement patterns to avoid irritation. Left alone, that leads to:

• more stiffness

• reduced strength

• altered mechanics

• increased injury risk when training ramps up in January
  

This is exactly why we encourage people to come in now, not later.

Fixing Pain in December Sets Up a Better New Year

If you want to run more, lift heavier, return to a sport, or simply feel better day-to-day in 2026, the smartest move you can make is to deal with your body’s current reality.

Here’s what we typically focus on during December sessions at Nashville PT:

Mobility restrictions

Especially in shoulders, hips, spine, and ankles.

Strength asymmetries

One leg doing more work than the other? We can tell—fast.

Compensations that have become habits

The longer they live rent-free, the harder they are to undo.

Movement efficiency

Fixing pain isn’t just about stopping pain. It’s about restoring clean, efficient movement so you can do what you love without worrying about flare-ups.

Load tolerance

Can your body actually handle the demands you want to place on it in January?

We answer that question, and we build the plan you need.

Don’t Let One Nagging Issue Steal Your Goals

Every year we see people begin January with the best intentions…and by February they’re sidelined by the exact issue they ignored in December.

Taking action now means:

• you start the year with momentum

• you’re not “playing catch-up” on pain

• your goals feel realistic—not overwhelming

• you have a clear, personalized plan

• you’re moving better before you increase intensity
  

Your body deserves to start the year feeling good, not already frustrated.

What You Can Do This Week

If you want to take the first step without overthinking it:

1. Write down the top 2–3 things that have been bothering you physically this year.

2. Think about how each one limits you.

3. Ask yourself: “Do I want to still be dealing with this in January?”

4. If the answer is no, let us help you handle it now.

   
   

We’re here to give you a clear diagnosis, a real plan, and one-on-one care that keeps you active—not sidelined.

The Bottom Line

Your Body Is Not a New Year’s Resolution: Why December Is the Real Time to Fix Nagging Pain:

Your body doesn’t reboot on January 1st. It carries everything you did (and didn’t do) in 2025 straight into 2026.

Addressing nagging pain now gives you a clean slate, a stronger foundation, and a far smoother start to the new year.

If you want a smart, proactive approach to your body, not a reactive one, we’re here for it.

#NashvillePhysicalTherapy #NashvillePT #KeepingActivePeopleActive #GetPT1st #ChoosePT #PhysicalTherapy

References:

• Hodges PW. “Pain and motor control.” Motor Control, 2019.

• Cook G. Movement: Functional Movement Systems.

• McGill S. Back Mechanic.

• Powers CM. “Biomechanics and injury risk.”

• JOSPT Clinical Practice Guidelines, 2020–2024.