7 Ways to keep your 2023 Fitness Goals on Track
Even if you’re not in the “new year, new you” crowd, you may be looking for some new and more effective ways to keep the momentum going behind your workouts this year. If you’re new to working out, maybe motivation and routine are a factor.
If you’ve been working out for a while, perhaps it’s time for a change in the details to prevent boredom and spark new energy. Wherever you may find yourself starting in 2023, there are plenty of small things you can do to develop and maintain good workout habits this year.
1. Find Exercise You Enjoy
There’s nothing worse than trying to find the motivation to do a workout you just really don’t want to do. If you’re not into running, it’s probably best not to sign up for a 5K this year. Instead, think about the ways that you truly enjoy moving your body. Is there something new you can try?
Maybe it’s signing up for a slot at the racquetball courts with a friend twice a week, joining a group fitness class, or deciding to focus on strength and bulking at your home gym. The more you get to do things you enjoy, the more you get out of it.
2. Change Your Route
If you’ve been doing the same thing for a while, sometimes change can help keep the momentum. For instance, if you’re a distance runner who always runs the same route, try changing things up and exploring a new area. If you’re always doing the same cardio routine at the gym, give a new machine a try this month. Not only is change good for the mind, but it also helps challenge your muscle memory and target new areas of the body.
3. Invest in New Equipment
If you’re like us, getting new gym equipment is like a kid on Christmas morning. Take a look at what you currently have in your home gym setup and take note of anything that could stand to be updated. Some great additions are a set of adjustable dumbbells that can replace 34 pairs of individual weights, an adjustable kettlebell to challenge the glutes and core even more, or an adjustable weight bench to get yourself off of the mat in your garage.
4. Schedule It In
Having a visual reminder is super helpful, especially when everyone is just trying to manage their busy schedules week to week. Block off a chunk of time in your calendar every time you’re going to be working out, so you can prioritize that time.
If you have a shared calendar, this can also be visible to others so nobody tries to schedule things with you during those times. This also means scheduling rest days, which are equally important to active days to keep the momentum.
5. Set SMART Goals
SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Setting SMART goals is helpful for everyday tasks, and many people find them beneficial in designing long-term workout regimens too.
In the new year, consider your long-term goals for your workouts. Are you looking to become stronger, gain endurance, get more agile, or increase your speed? What can you participate in or commit to in order to maintain momentum? Consider creating a SMART goal to help you stay focused in pursuit of your daily movements.
6. Find a Community
While sometimes working out alone is calming for the mind, staying active in the presence of others offers an additional boost of motivation. Especially if you’ve hit a wall in your workouts, finding a community of others can help challenge you in new ways and get you out of an exercise rut. This also provides an opportunity to share progress and goals with others, sign up for events together, and stay active in ways you otherwise never would have tried.
Whether you started 2023 strong from the start or are finding your motivation now, a few small changes can set you up to keep the momentum going for the rest of the year.
7. Count your macros and meal prep
One of the biggest reasons many fall off track from their fitness goals is because their diet isn’t dialled in. In order to see results, you need to know what you’re eating, how much, and what sort of nutrients you’re lacking. For example, you may be crushing your workouts, but if you aren’t eating enough to sustain your activity, you might see yourself losing weigh rather than building muscle. Keeping track of your macronutrients is a surefire way to make sure you aren’t wasting your workouts. Once you’ve figure out your macros, meal prep your food every week so you know exactly what you’re actually eating. Start taking your lunch with you in a stylish lunch bag for work to avoid getting caught in the take out trap (which is loaded with sodium and fat, hindering your progress).