Creating 2023 Fitness Goals

Setting fitness goals can be overwhelming no matter your fitness level. There are so many different goals to choose from, and you need to find ways to ensure you stick to whatever goals you set.

Before you set your New Year’s fitness resolutions in stone, look at these tips for setting goals that can help you achieve your New Year’s fitness resolutions:

1. Be SMART

One of the best methods for setting achievable New Year fitness plans is to use the acronym SMART, which stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound. By providing a clear, reliable goal-setting strategy, SMART helps turn good intentions into results.

Here’s how SMART goals work:

Specific: Vague goals are challenging to attain. If you don’t specify something, you won’t know when you’ve achieved it. Instead of saying something ambiguous like “I want to lose weight,” write down a specific number of pounds you want to lose.
Measurable: Your fitness goal should be quantifiable, so you can track your daily progress. With a measurable goal, you can know for sure when you’ve reached a milestone.
Attainable: Set realistic fitness goals to keep you from getting discouraged. Be honest about your current fitness level and what you can reasonably expect to accomplish considering your schedule and other commitments.
Relevant: Relevance is the why behind your goal — think about how accomplishing that objective would enhance your life. When your fitness goal is relevant to you, you will be more motivated to put in the work necessary to achieve it.
Time-bound: Setting a deadline for your fitness goal will prevent you from feeling aimless and push you to stay on track, so you don’t stray from the timeline. Make sure your deadline is realistic yet challenging.

If your New Year fitness goals contain each of these characteristics, you will be far more likely to reach them.

2. Focus on Holistic Fitness

Getting caught up in how much weight you want to press or how fast you want to run a mile when setting fitness goals is easy. Keep in mind there are many aspects to fitness beyond working out. Giving yourself something to work toward outside the gym may motivate you to stay on track with your exercise schedule.

While you should still have workout goals, try to incorporate some benchmarks concerning eating right, mental well-being and other healthy habits. Setting a few goals outside the gym will help you achieve a healthier lifestyle overall. Learning to relax with yoga can do just as much for your health as running a marathon. When your mind feels more balanced, you get more out of your workouts.

3. Set Mini-Goals Along the Way

Building a few micro-goals into your overarching plan will increase your confidence, give you something to work for and keep you motivated. For example, if you want to run a marathon, you should set smaller fitness goals — such as running a 10K or half-marathon — that will help you progress. Sometimes, achieving a mini-goal gives you the boost you need to power through to accomplishing your ultimate objective.

These little victories are also a great way to measure your progress. If you achieve your smaller goal, you’ll know you’re on track to achieve your larger one ultimately. You can also create a reward system for these smaller goals. Rewarding yourself every time you accomplish a goal can help motivate you to continue working on your overarching New Year’s fitness goals.

4. Make Fitness Fun

Naturally, you’ll be more inclined to show up at the gym and stick with your resolutions if you enjoy working out. While some high-intensity exercises might burn more calories in one session, choosing a form of exercise you’ll consistently show up for once January rolls into February and beyond will be more beneficial. There are many ways to challenge yourself — you can make getting fit fun by finding the type of exercise that appeals most to you.

Another way to keep fitness interesting is to mix up your workout routine every so often. If you’re the kind of person who quickly gets bored with the same daily routine, consider checking out something different like a barre or HIIT Fitness Class. Trying something new is an excellent way to keep yourself excited about exercising while toning muscles you may not typically work.

5. Remember to Rest

No matter how enthusiastic you are, don’t forget that pushing yourself to the max every day might not help you accomplish your New Year’s fitness goals for 2023. Many goals fail because we start strong but quickly get burned out or injured because of overdoing it. Overuse injuries and fatigue can derail training and progress toward your fitness objectives.

Build a rest day or two into your weekly exercise routine to avoid burnout or injury and ensure your workout schedule is sustainable. Listening to your body will help you recognize when you need to take a break. You can still get your blood flowing on a rest day by engaging in an active recovery activity like an easy walk or gentle yoga session. By working smarter, not harder, you’ll achieve your New Year’s fitness plans in no time.