The one thing you need to keep your New Year's Resolution.

My birthday is on January 21 so each year, I make the same New Year’s Resolution. I always aim to be at my healthiest on my birthday. Which is easier said than done during school holidays when I have not only my own three children to look after, but also a combination of nieces, nephews and the children of friends coming in and out of my house each day.

It’s very difficult to eat well and lose weight with all these obstacles but it’s incredibly motivating starting off a New Year and turning a year older. So I normally manage to do it, and boy does that birthday cake taste good after weeks of soup and salad.

However, this year, I’m planning something a bit different. I’m planning to not only achieve my health and fitness goals by my birthday, but I’m also planning on staying that way for the rest of my life. And I think I can actually do it this time. No more gaining and losing and then gaining and losing the same five kilos every few months.

Here’s why I think I’ll actually achieve it this time.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this advertorial is sponsored by Medibank’s GymBetter.

My youngest child is starting school this year, which means I will be child-free from 8.30am until 3.15pm each weekday during the school term. So I can rejoin the gym for the first time in years.

I can’t believe how excited I am to rejoin the gym!

Three years ago I signed up once again but then got a job working in an office so I only managed to do one class per week. So eventually I cancelled it and went back to my jogs and at-home workout DVDs. But there’s something about the gym that is so inspiring. Being among others who are also trying to achieve health and fitness goals is incredibly motivating. And it’s always good to mix up your exercise routine.

I want to be pushed further, I want to try different exercises, I want to exercise so much that my muscles ache.

But which gym should I join? What sort of work out gear should I wear? Where do I even begin?

Like all modern-day first-world problems, there’s an App for that. It’s called GymBetter and you can access it through the App store or at medibank.com.au/gymbetter. Medibank has partnered up with hundreds of gyms around the country to offer you affordable access to gyms. This will allow me to try out the gyms in my area within the GymBetter network, which includes Fitness First, Goodlife Health Clubs and Anytime Fitness gyms, without having to sign any gym contracts.

With GymBetter, if you’re a Medibank hospital and extras member, you can access eight casual visits to gyms each month at a cost of only $8.50 per visit. And after the eighth visit, any extra visits to the gym in that calendar month are at no cost.

Every little bit helps.

I ended up settling for a gym that is in my local shopping centre because it is convenient, and now I am one of those mums who does the grocery shopping in gym gear after a workout. Whatever it takes, right?

And the cool thing is that if I ever feel like a change of scenery or if I travel, I can also access affordable casual gym visits all over the country using GymBetter.

So I’m a gym junkie once more and so far I’ve managed to achieve my health and fitness goals just in time for my birthday and keep it off for an entire week after, which, considering how much cake I ate on my birthday, is a pretty amazing achievement.

It’s never too late to embrace health and fitness goals and with Apps like GymBetter, it’s easier than ever.

Refer to Terms of Use at medibank.com.au/gymbetter

How do you maintain your ‘getting healthy’ New Year’s Resolution?

GymBetter gives all Australians access to over 500 gyms nationwide. There’s no contracts, no joining fees, just pay as you go. Medibank members with hospital and extras cover get discounted rates at Fitness First, Anytime Fitness and GoodLife Health Clubs networks nationwide. So a Medibank membership with hospital and extras will be the only gym membership you’ll need.