KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 10 — If you are looking to get healthier this year, every little pointer on how to achieve it is easily available online.

But what if you’ve tried all the moves doled out by those buffed-bodied gurus and there’s still no sign of rippling muscles or toned calves?

Well, don’t give up just yet because what you gather from the self-help health websites may not resonate with what’s happening on the ground and there are many things you might need to reconsider.

Here are some helpful views and advice from experienced professionals who have seen it all:

Commitment is necessary

Average Joe Gym manager Mohd Shahir, who’s clocked in about 10 years in the fitness business, observes that some Malaysians who have signed up for gym memberships do not follow through with their regimes. "They will turn up in full force at the start of the year but attendance will slowly taper off from March onwards,” said Shahir, adding that dedication is of the utmost importance if one wants to see progress after signing up at a gym.

Perseverance pays

FitWorx (Amcorp Mall branch) manager Ezham Zikri said most people are hazy about what it entails to obtain their desired goals. Most are too impatient for results.  "When they sign up at a gym, some assume they’d see results in three or four months. And when they don’t, they lose motivation,” observed Ezham, adding that busy work schedules play a part in poor gym attendance too.

Gyms are there to help

In the past, women have shied away from gyms thinking they would develop muscles like body builders when they work out but gyms are really where one learns the proper way of exercising and building mass.

Online work-outs have disadvantages

There are plenty of online tutorials out there offering free coaching and promising great results but there is nothing quite like sweating it out with a personal trainer spurring you on.