So have you set health and fitness goals for 2023? You know how it is: We begin a new year with goals to become healthier, fitter, and better versions of ourselves. However, if those fitness objectives are based on long-term notions of how we want to appear (e.g., “lose 10 pounds,” “go down a pants size,” or “get abs”) rather than immediate objectives of how we want to feel, those objectives will fail in a matter of months, weeks, or even days, leaving you feeling let down, disappointed, and like a failure.
Make exercise goals based on what’s genuinely healthy for you (and that you’ll actually be able to keep to) rather than the never-ending cycle of weight-focused ones. You’ll learn to appreciate your body so much more and want to give it more of what it needs to be at its healthiest when you concentrate on what your body can do rather than how it appears. Try achieving these 14 objectives to become stronger, healthier, and better in real life.
1. Stick with it long-term
You can be working out very hard right now to become in the best shape of your life. Recognize that fitness should continue to be a part of your life for decades to come because it won’t always be that way.
2. Perform regular pushups
It’s time to stop doing assisted push-ups and start learning how to execute a true push-up. There will be many struggles, but you should research the proper push-up technique. When you practise getting the right form, you will soon be able to complete a genuine one without any issues. You are making progress if you can perform at least one genuine push-up.
3. Find a workout companion
Do you live with a friend, partner, roommate, or wife at work who likewise wishes to keep their resolutions? Make them your accountability partner, and you can both inspire one another by swapping healthy food ideas, sending inspirational messages, and checking in to see how each other is doing with their goal. Although you don’t have to share the same goals in order to encourage one another, it certainly helps if you have plans to attend a yoga class with a friend or schedule regular check-ins with your coworker’s spouse. Feeling like you’re all in this together will greatly increase your motivation.
4. Get On the Steps
The stairs are something we usually seem to avoid. Take the stairs once to keep your body warmed up during the day, even though I understand how convenient it might be to use the elevator.
But after climbing a flight of steps, aren’t you sick of panting and heavy breathing? It won’t take long if you regularly use the stairs before you can ascend two flights of steps with ease.
5. Utilize A Consistent Strategy
One of your key fitness objectives should be to establish a regular workout schedule because it will help you get your best outcomes. You’ll become more effective if you create a health strategy that works for you, and as you advance, making adjustments to your routine shouldn’t be too difficult.
If you’re unsure of where to start, remember that simply turning up to work out is more than half the battle; as you advance, you may draw up a more detailed routine.
6. Whenever possible, choose to walk instead of drive
A healthy person is said to walk 10,000 steps every day (curse you, Fitbit!). Walking is unquestionably healthy for our health, even though I strongly disagree with quantifying our health because it is much more subjective than that. The body is designed to stay consistently active throughout the day, but the majority of us spend almost all of our time sitting (at your desk, in the car, or on the couch for a Netflix binge).
7. Consume more water
Even though you could adore drinking our juice and soda, it will never help you lose weight. These sweet beverages will make you feel lethargic and slow you down.
You’ll feel revitalized after drinking water, and you’ll have more energy all day long and during your workout. If you don’t like the flavor of regular water, you can make fruit-infused water by chopping up some lemons, berries, and cucumbers. It is delicious and incredibly cooling.
8. Boost immunity
This one may, in many ways, flank a number of your other objectives. Exercise naturally increases your body’s resilience to many diseases because one of the main reasons people exercise is to feel better. Physical activity strengthens your immune system, which benefits you today and possibly even more as you age, according to numerous studies.
9. Every day, remind yourself of your “why.”
Because we forget the “why,” New Year’s resolutions sometimes fall by the wayside (or are forgotten by February). Setting meaningful health and fitness goals is the first step in making yourself accountable. For instance, “going to the gym every day” is excellent, but you also need to consider the overall objective. What motivates you to visit the gym each day? Is it to be more powerful, more self-assured, or to live longer? The objective will never feel inspiring enough to be genuinely accomplished if you’re not looking at the cause.
10. Sleep for 8 to 9 hours.
Say it with me: Sleep is essential for staying fit. Sleep allows your body to rebuild muscles and conserve energy so you can strain yourself during your next workout. Tracking how many hours of sleep you actually receive will help you figure out whether or not your sleep is restorative or if you could use a little improvement. Getting enough sleep is important for your body’s health as well as the effectiveness of your workouts. Aim for 8 to 9 hours, but make sure you get at least 7.
11. Holding a plank for a longer period of time
Once you get going, holding a plank may be very challenging. Set the timer for a little bit longer each time you do the plank as you become more comfortable. Start off with 15 seconds and work your way up to 30 seconds, 45 seconds, 1 minute, and so forth. It takes time, but once you see how far you’ve gone, you’ll be quite pleased with yourself.
12. Increased Balance
Many people have trouble keeping their balance. Try to enhance your balance every day by lowering yourself slowly into a single-leg squat. Most of us lack the core strength to do this. Although it will hurt, this posture will get easier over time.
13. Less sedentary lifestyle
Forget about setting aside specific times to exercise or using a “rest day” as an excuse to be on the couch all day. Your general level of sedentary behavior should be reduced more than any other fitness goals you set for yourself. This calls for additional non-workout mobility and giving your body more attention outside of gym visits or exercise classes. All day long, being active can help you maintain a constant level of energy and improve everything from posture to chronic pain.
14. Compliment yourself each day.
By this point, you probably don’t need me to reiterate the significance of body positivity and self-love when it comes to reaching your objectives. You are more likely to accomplish your goals because you will be accomplishing them for the right reasons if you love and believe in yourself more. Instead of inspiring you to work harder, feeling low on yourself or like you’re not making progress on your goals quickly enough will make you feel like you’ve already failed. Realizing you already have what it takes to be your best right now is the key to attaining any objective. In actuality, your own self-perceived limitations are the only thing preventing you from being the healthiest, strongest version of yourself.
