It's a new year and just in case you missed the memo the wellness industry is more than happy to remind you.
As a fitness professional I love seeing people (re)invigorated to take better care of themselves.
But sometimes the noise can be deafening. It seems like everywhere you turn there's a different product, or program promising "to get you in the best shape of your life".
Honestly it can be tough to weed through the BS, and figure out how to reach your fitness goals.
I try to set goals for myself and my clients quarterly, and a flip of a calendar shouldn't be the only time we reflect on our heath.
Still, a bright and shiny new year is a good time to consider personal fitness goals.
Eating more healthfully, and losing weight are in the top 4 resolutions for Americans.
Shocker, right? With so many of us resolving to improve our health and fitness we need a solid plan.
Here's a few of my tips for setting - and more importantly accomplishing fitness resolutions this year.
Be Specific
Declaring you want to lose weight, "get in shape" , or become more flexible this year, and expecting things to just happen isn't a viable strategy.
Let's say you are resolving to strengthen your yoga practice , or run a half marathon.
How are you going to get there?
Start by determining how much time you need to devote to training, calendar specific time slots for making it happen, and write down your action plan.
When we see goals in print tied to actions they become more tangible. Fitness milestones in particular typically involve many steps - and often roadblocks.
A specific plan laying out the HOW helps tremendously.
One of my goals this year is to shake up my fitness routine. This means challenging my body by keeping it guessing to avoid boredom, and a plateau. The top two ways I plan to do this:
1. Challenge myself - just like I would challenge a client -by adding in one new movement to my routine each week, more reps of a specific movement, or upping weight for strength training movements. That way my body never gets too used to anything.
2. Take a new-to-me boutique fitness class. I'm planning to start with DanceBody , and Boxing classes.
Pause
I'm into getting a late start when it comes to resolutions because it means you've probably approached them with more thoughtfulness.
Sometimes setting your resolutions on January 1st or 2nd when you're potentially holiday hungover isn't necessarily the smartest idea.
Further have you ever noticed yourself come down with a case of resolution absorption? This used to happen to me every year. I would read others resolutions, and suddenly their goals would burrow into my head. I'd start to wonder if I too should take French lessons, or hike Mount Kilimanjaro...
Focusing on you, and what you really want to accomplish is key. Don't worry so much about what your best friend, cousin, or a random girl on Instagram is doing to stay in shape. Take a few weeks to consider what you want.
One's health is incredibly personal. I pretty much live by the motto "you can only control yourself." Keeping this in mind helps me focus on what I CAN do, and stay in my own lane.
Determine your why
Get deep here. If you want to lose weight really consider what the driving force is.
Do you need to improve cholesterol, is it about having more energy, or just looking good in your bikini on vacation? (Wanting to look your best is 100% reasonable, but people typically have more success when their reasons go beyond vanity).
After you've mapped out your goals sit down and list 3 reasons behind each goal. Seriously. When you're tired, and feel like skipping a workout or making a not-so healthy choice refer back to your list.
Remembering why you started can go a long way in reaching your goals.
And don't forget to create a weekly schedule to keep yourself accountable. I share lots of tips on how here.
*this post was originally published in 2021
