As we step into January,  we welcome the new year with positivity and reflection. It’s the perfect time to think about the goals and resolutions we want to set for ourselves — whether it’s starting a fitness journey, refreshing our wellness routines, or making healthier choices. We reflect on the past year, asking ourselves what worked, what we want to change, and how we can make those changes stick.

In this guide, Hilary Stetekluh (under Set, Sweat, Succeed) — our cover model for this issue and a fitness expert and yoga instructor in everyday life — shares her go-to tips for setting, sticking to, and smashing your fitness goals. Her insights will help you carry your healthy momentum well beyond January, giving you the tools to start the year strong and stay on track.

You’ll also discover (under Local Health + Beauty Businesses) Tampa Bay businesses designed to help you look and feel your best, from luxury body-sculpting and holistic recovery to sports medicine and performance care.

Here’s to 2026 — may it be your strongest, healthiest, and most vibrant year yet.  

Hilary Stetekluh posing for our January/February 2026 cover.

Yoga and fitness expert Hilary Stetekluh shares her top tips for maintaining your fitness goals.

Hilary Stetekluh has always been active, from playing sports as a kid to swimming for the University of Tampa, where she captained the team her senior year. After a decade as an elementary school teacher, she shifted careers, blending her love of teaching with her passion for fitness. For the past two years, she has taught yoga and sculpt classes—currently at Kodawari Studios and Life Time Harbour Island. Drawing from her experience, she shares what truly works for maintaining fitness goals—and, as this issue’s cover model, her top tips for keeping your New Year’s resolutions on track.

Start Small
“My advice to people who want to make a habit or a change is to start small,” Stetekluh says. You don’t need equipment to begin—just a mat, a resistance band or light weights can make a big impact.

Stack Habits
When you’re dreading a workout, Stetekluh recommends habit stacking. If you don’t feel like going to the gym, start by putting on your workout clothes and going for a five-minute walk, then 10 minutes, gradually increasing from there.

Find a Workout Buddy
Keep yourself accountable by finding a friend or partner to exercise with.

Keep Things Visible
If you prefer working out at home, keep your gear where you’ll see it—your gym bag by the door or weights in view can help remind you to stay consistent.

Create a Motivational Playlist
Curate music that energizes you and helps you look forward to your workout.

Carve Out Time to Exercise
Treat your workouts like appointments. Schedule them and stick to them.

Don’t Use the Scale to Measure Progress
Muscle weighs more than fat, so numbers on the scale aren’t always a true indicator of progress. Track your energy levels, mood, sleep or even keep a journal to see how your body is responding.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Gym
If you’re new to the gym, go in with a plan. If you’re unsure where to start, hop on a treadmill, observe your surroundings or join a class. An instructor can help guide you.

Don’t Follow Fad Diets or Trending Fitness Hacks
Stetekluh often sees people dive into trends like Dry January or social media challenges, which can lead to burnout and a rush to reach the “finish line.” Steady, realistic goals will serve you better in the long run.  

For more fitness advice from Stetekluh, follow her on Instagram @sculptedyogi.

Pause – Health & Fitness

Being proactive can ensure you receive the highest quality in your personal wellness. Pause is a modern wellness studio focused on capturing a complete picture of intentional, all-in wellness and recovery. Each appointment is intended to feel like a day at the spa with science-backed modalities.

Pause started in Los Angeles before opening its first Florida branch in Tampa’s vibrant, health- and wellness-forward community, with a St. Pete location opening early next year. The studio is best known for offering multiple modalities under the same roof, including flotation therapy, infrared saunas, cold plunge and contrast therapies, IV vitamin infusions and compression therapy.

The concierge team at Pause takes care of all the finer details once you book an appointment. After you choose which modality works best for you, the next and final step is to show up. With an intentionally curated pathway based on your individual goals and needs, you’ll leave feeling better than when you walked in, all with a cohesive plan to optimize your overall wellness over time.

Pause Midtown Tampa
1113 Assembly Drive, Tampa
(813) 697-1683
@pausemidtowntampa

The Performance Lab – gym
The Performance Lab  – Sports Medicine and Pain Management

At The Performance Lab, Tampa Bay’s premier sports medicine and pain management destination, patients can start the new year strong. The physician-led practice brings sports medicine, pain management and regenerative therapies together under one roof, offering evidence-based care without waitlists or referrals.

The Performance Lab specializes in helping active adults and athletes feel better, move better and live better. Its sports medicine team provides advanced, nonsurgical treatments including viscosupplementation to ease arthritis pain, PRP therapy to support tendon and ligament healing, and regenerative stem cell therapy for tissue repair. The clinic also offers sports physicals with EKGs and comprehensive concussion evaluation and management.

For those limited by chronic or acute pain, The Performance Lab delivers non-opioid solutions designed to restore mobility. Services range from trigger point and joint injections to nerve blocks, neuroablation and epidural steroid injections, all performed using fluoroscopy or ultrasound guidance for precision and safety. With board-certified physicians and fully coordinated care including rehabilitation, precision diagnostics, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, TPL delivers a white-glove clinical experience tailored to each patient’s goals.

The Performance Lab
6920 N. Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa
(844) TPL-TAMPA
tpltampa.com

The Tox Health & Fitness

Focused on lymphatic and digestive health, The Tox Tampa is a luxury wellness studio specializing in the Tox Technique, a signature proprietary body-sculpting method designed to support the body’s natural function and enhance overall well-being. Each session helps reduce water retention, improve circulation and leave clients feeling lighter, more energized and visibly refreshed. At The Tox, every treatment is an elevated experience—restorative, results-driven and designed to help clients look and feel their absolute best.

The Tox
1534 S. Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa
(813) 422-4519
thetoxtechnique.com

 

The LAB Health & Fitness

You don’t need hours in the gym to transform the way you feel. The LAB offers fast, effective 30-minute workouts and high-energy adult dance classes designed for real-life schedules. Founded by Tampa parents and fitness experts, Joel and Stephanie Metzger, the studio helps you build strength, confidence and long-lasting habits in a welcoming environment.Crush your goals without sacrificing your time or fun. Visit the LAB’s website to book a free class and make 2026 your strongest year yet.

The LAB
3217 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa
813-509-0681
thelabtampa.com | @labathletics

 

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