How to Set Realistic Health and Fitness Goals for the New Year

If you’re like most people, you’ve probably spent the last few weeks thinking about ways you can improve your life in the new year. Maybe you want to save more money, or finally get organised. But if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get in better shape, it’s important to set realistic health and fitness goals that you can actually achieve. None of us like to set goals or New Year’s resolutions and then have them fail. So, here are a few tips to help you get started.

What are your fitness and health goals?

Has life got in the way of you feeling as healthy, fit and happy as you could recently? Now is a great time to rectify that with BRAND NEW GOALS for the new year. All health and fitness goals are subjective but here are some ideas of things that you might want to prioritise:

  • Start addressing your diet and look at what foods make you feel good (talk to me if you are having digestive discomfort and don’t know why)
  • Get outside for more walks
  • Join Tracy’s Pilates class (okay maybe I’m a little biased on that one!)
  • Get more sleep
  • Drink more water
  • Reduce alcohol consumption

Determine which goal is the most important to you

Most people have multiple goals in their lives, but which one is the most important? In order to determine this, you need to first figure out what your priorities are. Once you know that, you can start working towards the goal that means the most to you. So, take some time to think about what’s important to you and then go for it! You’ll be glad you did.

It’s not always easy to determine which goal is the most important to us. It can take a little soul searching and thinking about what is really important in your life. And once you make that realisation, you will be able to focus on the things you need to do to achieve it.

Set realistic expectations for yourself

It is easy to get carried away with the idea of achieving all your goals in life. But, it can be more difficult than expected to do everything you want. At any given time, we are faced with many different tasks and responsibilities. Sometimes these things can feel like they are piling on top of each other or that there is too much for one person to handle on their own. When this happens, it is important not to set unrealistic expectations for yourself by thinking you can do everything at once while still maintaining a healthy lifestyle and work/family balance.

You should always start small when trying new things or tackling multiple projects at once because setting unrealistic expectations can lead to disappointment. Start with working out how much time you can devote to the goal/s each week.

Make sure your goals are measurable

Be sure to make your goals measurable so you can track your progress and stay on track. For example, rather than saying “I want to get fit,” try “I want to lose 4 pounds by the end of the month.” Having measurable goals will help keep you motivated and ensure that you’re making progress. So get out a pen and paper and start brainstorming what measurable goals you can set for yourself!

Write down what will happen if you don’t work towards your goal

If you don’t take action on your goals and dreams, what will happen? If a person does nothing then they become stagnant. They stop growing as an individual! You need to move forward with working towards achieving because without goals life just feels like one big blur where nothing exciting ever happens and no changes ever get made.

You can be precise depending on what your goals are, for example, you won’t be able to fit in your favourite jeans, you won’t have the energy levels you desire or you the strength to play with your children or grandchildren.

Recognise that sometimes life gets in the way of our plans and we have setbacks; just try again next time!

Don’t give up! You may have some setbacks, but it’s important to stay positive. Just try again next time when life gets in your way of plans and you need a little boost from friends or family members who care about what happens with your goals.

Sometimes obstacles get in our way but don’t let that put you off achieving your goal. Just resolve that you will try again tomorrow. Nobody is perfect but what really makes a difference is that we keep trying and keep working towards our goals.

Get excited about reaching all of these goals with positive thinking!

Don’t let fear hold you back from achieving your goal! With positive thinking, anything is possible. Just think about how great you will feel when you finally check that goal off your list. So what are you waiting for? Start dreaming and planning today!

There are many ways to set realistic health and fitness goals for the new year. The important thing is to determine which goal you want most, make sure it’s measurable, have a plan on how to achieve your goal if things don’t go as planned, and remember that setbacks happen!

If you need some help with getting fitter and healthier – message me. I am happy to provide my expertise in setting up Pilates and nutrition that works for you. Let’s work together so you can get healthier AND happier during 2022!