14 Realistic Fitness Goals To Set This Year

It’s how it works: Every year, we start a new year with the aspirations of becoming fitter, healthier, and more confident. But when those fitness goals are based on long-term ideas of how we want to look (“lose 10 pounds,” “go down a pants size,” “get abs”) rather than short-term goals on how we want to feel, those goals fall through in a matter of months or even weeks, and you feel let down, disappointed, and like a failure.

Instead of the endless cycle of weight-focused fitness goals, make goals based on what’s actually good for you (and that you’ll actually be able to stick to). Focus on what your body can do. Do rather than how your body Looks, you’ll start to appreciate it so much more and want to give it more of what it needs to be its healthiest. Try these 14 goals that will make you *actually* stronger, healthier, and better.

 

1. Every month, try a new exercise

It is important to have a fitness program, but it is equally important to be consistent. Similar Are you looking for a fitness routine? It’s not great. It’s because your body is used to the same weights, distances, and movements. You need to challenge yourself to stay strong. More importantly, if you stick to the same exact workout routine every day, you’ll get bored. Boredom will make it less likely that you will be bored. want to work out, and the key to consistent exercise is not willpower, it’s enjoyment. News flash: Exercise should not be a chore. Have fun. 

How to achieve it

• Find new ways to exercise. Look into the classes offered by your gym, and say yes to a friend’s invitation to join her on her morning run. Or, if you see a $10 discount at a yoga studio, grab it.
• Go for the opposite workout than what you’re used to. If you’re a gym rat who prefers weight training, try a dance class, or if you’re a diehard yogi, try a HIIT workout. You will enjoy the process and your body will be stronger.
• You don’t know where to start? Online workouts are your friend. Search a workout you’ve never tried before on YouTube (Beyoncé cardio workout? Yes please!), look up your favorite trainers’ Instagram pages and search their IGTVs or Reels for shorter workouts, or opt for an online fitness platform with a variety of options (if you haven’t heard, we’re partial to Obé Fitness).

 

2. Stretch more

Stretching is one the best things you can do to strengthen your muscles, prevent injuries, and relieve tension (both mentally and physically).), but most of us aren’t stretching enough. Not stretching enough can lead to injuries and strain, especially when combined with a sedentary lifestyle or intense workouts. Not only is a warmup and post-exercise stretch crucial for those muscles you’re working, but stretching throughout the day can also improve the overall health of your body. 

How to achieve it

• Always warm up before exercising and stretch the muscles afterward. Danyele Wilson, a NASM certified trainer, HIIT master trainer, and Tone & Sculpt coachActive stretching is recommended to warm up the body for at least five minutes. To target specific muscle groups, do isolated stretches after your workout.
• Make stretching part of your daily routine. You can take a few minutes each morning to do some morning stretches. At night, you can relax by taking a few minutes to stretch. Also, turn specific breaks throughout your day into “stretch breaks,” whether that’s doing a few yoga poses once every hour during the workday or stretching tight muscles during commercial breaks when Real Housewives It is here.
• Be specific and make stretching work. Try these stretches if you need a good night’s sleep, these stretches if you are feeling anxious, or these stretches to improve digestion (multitasking!). 

 

 

3. Form perfection

You could be working out every day or doing hundreds of reps, but if you don’t have the right form, you might not be strengthening as much as you think (or worse, you could actually be causing injuries and long-term damage). Proper form allows you to maximize your workout by making the most of your energy, so no movement goes unnoticed. Poor form can lead to injury by targeting unintended muscle groups and putting yourself at risk. You will feel like Superman if you have good form. For proper body protection, strengthening your muscles and maintaining a healthy body, it is important to know how you can perfect your form. 

How to achieve it

• If you have the opportunity, you can have a personal trainer help you improve your form. You can also look up the correct form of your most commonly performed movements on YouTube (e.g. squats). Although it may seem tedious, the practice and education will pay off in the long-term.
• If you’re a fan of fitness classes, utilize the instructor. Don’t be afraid to call over the instructor if it’s a class like barre or pilates where the instructors are there to help you check in about your form or hang back after class to discuss the movements you’re not sure about and if any movement feels painful in a negative way.
• Don’t go up in weight or reps until you Learn more that your form won’t be compromised, and focus on form even more so when your body is feeling tired (AKA when we typically begin to forget about form). 

 

4. Find a workout buddy

Do you have a friend or significant other, a roommate or work wife who wants to keep their resolutions on track? You can make them your accountability buddy by exchanging healthy recipes, motivating quotes, and checking in to see if the other is doing well. You don’t have to have the same resolutions to motivate each other, but it certainly helps if you plan to hop on a Zoom yoga class with a friend or set up weekly meetings with your work wife to see how your career resolutions are coming along. You’ll be much more motivated when you feel like you’re in this together.

How to achieve it

• Team up with a coworker to work out before the workday starts (meet for an early morning run or text each other to make sure you’re up for individual online workout classes), make friends with people at your gym, or simply tell a friend you trust your fitness goals and ask for help staying accountable.
• Instead of grabbing coffee with your friends or having happy hour drinks, you can try a barre class. 

 

 

5. Do something every week that makes your body feel good. Be calm

It is not enough to work as hard as possible. Your rest days should be as important as your workout days. You should also consider the mental benefits of your fitness as well as the physical. You don’t need to do sweat-dripping, intense workouts every week. Instead, find something that makes your mind feel calm. Get started! that’sA fitness goal that you can keep up with (and will make a big difference in your overall well-being) is important.

How to achieve it

• Instead of going to the gym for five days or doing the same HIIT class every day, you can opt for a calming yoga class at night or your own flow at home. (Bonus: Focus more on Savasana than the tricep pushups).
• If it’s nice outside or you need some fresh air, don’t force yourself into a gym or on the yoga mat in your living room: Take a walk instead. Listen to a podcast, put on your comfy shoes, and take some time for yourself while you’re moving your body.
• Meditation is a good option. It will calm your mind and allow your body to rest. I love to meditate right after a workout (it feels even better when your body is tired), but you can also use meditation apps or other types of meditation if you need additional help.

 

6. When possible, walk instead of driving

You might’ve heard that a healthy person gets 10,000 steps a day (curse you, Fitbit!). While I’m not personally a fan of defining our health based on numbers (our well-being is much more subjective than that), walking is undeniably good for our health. Although the body is designed to be active throughout the day (at work, at home, or watching Netflix), most people are sedentary. 

How to achieve it

• You can close the Uber app or put the keys away and walk in warmer weather. Plan ahead to allow for a longer commute, and wear comfortable shoes (no blisters please).To make the time fly by, listen to a podcast or playlist. 
• If you’re going somewhere too far to walk, get off the train a couple of stops early, park in a farther garage, or have your Uber drop you off a few blocks away.
• To increase your steps, make simple changes to your routine. To increase your step count, you can use the farthest toilet instead of the closest. You can also get a latte at an accessible coffee stop, or walk to the grocery shop more often. 

 

 

7. Remind yourself of your “why” every day

New Year’s resolutions often fail (or are forgotten by February) because we forget the “why.”  To hold yourself accountable, the first step is to give meaning to the goals you have set. For example, “going to the gym every day” is fine, but you need to look at the bigger picture goal as well. Why Do you want a gym membership every day? Do you want to live longer, be more confident, and feel stronger? If you’re not looking at the reason, the goal will never feel motivating enough to actually achieve. 

How to achieve it

• Instead of thinking you’re SupposedTo run, to join a gym, or to get up early to exercise before work, remember why you are doing it. wantDo something. You can tell yourself that you want to exercise before work or that you want to lift weights to feel more confident.
• Reflect on why achieving this goal is important for you and how it will impact your life.
• Tape affirmations or your “why” reason somewhere you’ll see it every day, like on your fridge, mirror, or laptop. 

 

8. Drink more water

Staying hydrated is a tale as old as time, but there’s a reason just about every expert on the planet recommends it. Your body needs water for every function. Water is essential for your overall health and for your ability to be your best, most fit self. As with everything else, the amount of water the body needs for optimal health varies from person to person because of factors like lifestyle, activity level, and bio-individuality, but it’s a good rule of thumb to be drinking half of your body weight in ounces a day—or just as much as possible.

How to achieve it

• Find the water bottle that you like best and purchase multiple. This sounds so simple, and yet it’s the easiest way to trick yourself into drinking more. Do you prefer tumblers that have straws, glass bottles, and steel canisters? It’s up to you!
• Set smaller daily goals for yourself that are easy to follow, like “drink three water bottles full of water before lunch” or “after dinner, I’m going to drink two cups before going to bed.”
• Fresh ingredients like lemons and cucumbers, ginger, mint, cucumbers and other fruits can be added to your water. It will not only boost the nutrients, but also increase the taste (and make you feel good).
• Every morning, drink a glass of water before you have a cup coffee or a bite to eat.

 

 

9. Get seven to nine hours sleep

Now, say it with me: Your health and fitness depends on your sleep habits.Your body needs to sleep to repair and rebuild its muscles, as well as to conserve energy to work out the next day. Getting your beauty rest is critical for both your body’s health and the success of your workouts, so tracking how many hours of sleep you’re It is reallyYou can use this information to determine if your sleep is good or bad. It’s a good idea to aim for eight to nine hours.), but get no less than seven.

How to do it:

• Every night, go to bed five minutes earlier. You won’t even notice the difference, but in just a couple of weeks (or less), you’ll be sleeping one hour more than you used to.
• Try an app like SleepCycle that will not only track how many hours you’re sleeping but will also identify sleep quality; even if you’re getting nine hours, if your sleep cycles are poor quality, you won’t feel well-rested.
• You can create a nighttime routine to help you relax. You can read for 15 minutes, meditate, or do a multi-step skin care routine. You’re less likely to break a routine you enjoy the next time you’re tempted to binge Grey’s Anatomy until late at night.

 

 

10. Live less sedentary

Forget designated workout times or using a “rest day” as an excuse to not get off of the couch all day. It is not about a longer or harder workout; it is about living a more active lifestyle. This means that you should be moving more and not just in a gym or at a workout class. You can boost your energy levels and help with posture and chronic pain by moving throughout the day. 

How to achieve it

• Take a walk to work, your evening plans, or a short walk around the block during lunch (see point #6).
• Turn on music and dance whenever you’re cooking or getting ready (bonus: it makes mundane activities way more fun!)
• Set reminders for yourself to move every hour of the day. 

 

11. You can schedule workouts on your calendar

When appointments, meetings, or tasks are on your calendar, you know they’re going to get done. And you’ll probably show up on time, be fully prepared, and never skip. Just because a workout is not a work meeting does not mean you shouldn’t prioritize it as such. Your fitness goals should be treated as any other appointment on your calendar. For example, either sign up for an online workout class in advance or put “going on a jog” in your calendar.

How to achieve it

• Schedule workouts in your calendar at the beginning of each week instead of planning to get to a workout “sometime.”
• Register for your workout classes in advance. The cancellation fee itself will be enough to ensure you show up, and the strict start time will make sure you’re not late or push it off.
• Respect the workout just as you would a business meeting. Both belong on your calendar!): Show up on time, plan ahead, and be prepared.

 

 

12. If you can, always take the stairs

About that “sneaking in more movement into our daily lives instead of just intensifying workouts” part: Every set of stairs is an opportunity for a mini glute workout (no, really). Although elevators and escalators are useful, convenient, and necessary, they can also be a sneaky reason that our step goals seem impossible. Take the stairs if you are able. This will help you to strengthen your muscles, increase your steps, and increase your heart rate. 

How to do it:

• This one’s pretty simple: Opt for the stairs over an escalator or elevator whenever possible.

 

13. Balance is your goal

Overworking out and working out too much can lead to injuries, burnout, and exhaustion. Instead of making goals based on how “intense” you can go or how long you want to work out, aim for balance. Balance is the goal of good health, not perfection. To be as healthy as possible both mentally and physically, you should prioritize rest as much as exercise. Bottom line: Listen more to your body than to your fitness program or workout routine.

How to achieve it

• Do something every single day that you count as “self-care,” whether it’s getting to bed early, reading for 30 minutes, or watching Real Housewives reruns (we won’t judge).
• Make sure you’re enjoying your health routine. If you’re feeling bored with your workouts, switch it up. You can take a break and do yoga if you feel tired. Healthy cooking is more than just cooking bland vegetables and protein. You can create interesting and creative meals.
• Listen to your body: Become a master at knowing if you’re feeling lethargic and need to exercise to get your energy up or if you’ve been running yourself too thin and you need a day to rest.

 

 

14. Every day, be kind to yourself

By now, I don’t need to tell you the importance of self-love and body positivity when it comes to achieving your goals. The more you believe in yourself and love yourself, the more likely you are to achieve your goals because you’ll be achieving them for the right reasons. Putting yourself down or feeling like you’re not reaching goals fast enough will make you feel like you already failed instead of motivating you to work harder. Realize that you already have the ability to succeed at any goal. In fact, the only thing keeping you from being the strongest, healthiest version of yourself is your own belief that you’re not already there. 

How to achieve it

• Start a gratitude journal. Write what you’re grateful for about your body: how your thighs are so strong, how you can run so fast, or even just that you’re healthy and alive.
• Give yourself a compliment by looking in the mirror. Look for the good in yourself, and tell yourself you’re beautiful for a million other reasons besides the way you look. Eventually, you’ll start to believe it.
• After every workout, make it a habit to silently say “thank you” to your body for working so hard and getting you through the workout.