As we wrap up another year and prepare to welcome a new one, you may find yourself ready for a fresh set of health and fitness resolutions for New Year’s 2023.
The new year will present its own challenges, but you can still achieve your New Year’s 2023 fitness resolutions by using these 10 simple and powerful exercise tips as a guide.
1. KNOW YOUR WHY
As you begin working on your New Year’s fitness goals, start by figuring out the Why behind what you want to accomplish. If, for example, you want to lose weight, is it because you want to improve your health, or are you trying to improve your physique? A strong Why will keep you motivated and focused after your initial enthusiasm in working toward your fitness goals wears off. Make sure your Why truly inspires you. Keep it close to your heart as you figure out your exercise goals and establish a workout plan.
2. DEVELOP SMART GOALS
Ever wonder why so many people fail to keep up with their New Year’s fitness resolutions? One big reason is that they don’t develop SMART goals, which stands for:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
For example, a goal to “lose weight” is not specific or time-bound. Determine how much weight you want to lose, and how long it will take you to lose the weight, and work those details into your goal.
To make your goal more SMART, determine a way to measure it, create a deadline, and, ideally, several milestones along the way. A great goal would be to lose four pounds a month for five months, adding up to 20 pounds lost by May. Other specific goals could be:
- Run three miles in 30 minutes by June 1st
- Perform a set of three squats at 200 pounds by April
- Do a half-hour of yoga every Tuesday and Thursday before work for the entire year
Making sure your goal is a SMART goal helps to track it more effectively.
3. START SMALL
You’ve probably watched friends and family members start their New Year’s resolutions full of fervor and new gym memberships, only to have their excitement fizzle out in a matter of weeks. One of the culprits behind failed New Year’s resolutions is having too ambitious fitness goals.
Remember, part of building a SMART goal is to ensure your goal is achievable. Stay motivated by starting with a small goal and building on the momentum of accomplishment. Running a marathon is a great goal, but what about signing up for a 5k race first? Running three miles is far less intimidating than running 26.2 miles. Crossing the finish line of your first 5k will help motivate you to sign up for a 10k, then a half-marathon. Once you’ve got 13.1 miles under your belt, a full marathon won’t seem so out-of-reach.
4. MAKE A PLAN
Creating your New Year’s 2023 fitness resolutions is only part of the challenge. Now, you must devise a realistic plan to achieve your fitness goals. How can you break down your goals into easy-to-perform steps?
If your goal is to run three miles in 30 minutes by June 1st, what does that training look like? You could focus first on running a mile without stopping, which may mean committing to running two or three times a week. To build a workout plan, pick specific days and times you’ll spend running. Break down your goal into smaller goals, such as running one mile in 10 minutes by the end of February?
Focus on creating a steady routine you can achieve each week that will move you toward your goal. Learn more ways to stay on track with your fitness goals or consider a customized Personal Training schedule.
Looking for some workout inspiration to help achieve your goals? Check out Jeremy’s favorite workouts below!
5. BUILD IN FLEXIBILITY
Things will not always work out as planned, so make sure to integrate flexibility into your New Year’s 2023 workout plan. Can’t get a sitter for the kids? Consider a gym near you that offers childcare. Can’t go to the gym in person? Try on-demand virtual classes or other home workouts. Unpredictable work hours? Be prepared to make up workout sessions or create short workouts you can do when you have a little free time. Lacking motivation? Try a Group Fitness class and surround yourself with like-minded gym-goers.
When you plan for the unexpected, you won’t lose your fitness momentum.
6. MAKE YOUR FITNESS GOALS VISIBLE
Write down your New Year’s 2023 health and fitness goals and put them somewhere you can regularly see them. Write them on a sticky note and post it on your bathroom mirror or on the fridge. Make your goals the screensaver on your phone or computer. Post them on your social media channels.
By keeping your New Year’s fitness goals in front of your eyes, you’ll stay focused and motivated to achieve them.
7. WORK OUT AT HOME
If you can’t make it to the gym, commit to performing your workouts at home. You don’t need much space or equipment; simply using your body weight and increasing the intensity of your reps will give you an excellent workout. Try High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts that use bodyweight movements. Some days it can even be enough to simply get in your 10,000 steps.
Want to add more resistance training to your workout? Resistance bands are low-cost and highly effective. Plus, they take up almost no space in your home or office.
8. RECRUIT A FITNESS BUDDY
You probably aren’t the only one with fitness ambitions for New Year’s 2023. A great way to power through a tough workout is to have a good friend or partner alongside you. Studies show that working out with a partner can help you work out longer. Knowing that someone is expecting you to show up for a workout can also increase your accountability. Not to mention, working out with a friend can make your workout routine more fun, especially when it’s time to celebrate big successes.
9. MEASURE YOUR PROGRESS
How will you know if you’re on track to achieve your New Year’s 2023 fitness resolutions if you don’t regularly check your progress? When you are developing your workout plan, make sure to build in mechanisms to track your progress. Step on the scale once a week or once a month or test your capacity by performing a baseline workout or doing a weighted lift to see if you are getting faster or stronger.
Technology also makes it easy to measure your progress. Smartphone apps, smartwatches, and other devices let you track your nutrition, your heart rate during workouts, even the quality of your sleep. Some apps even reward you for meeting specific goals and challenges. For example, the EōS Fitness mobile app keeps users motivated with friendly competition and challenges where participants can win prizes. Check out even more workout motivation tips.
10. STAY POSITIVE
You created New Year’s fitness resolutions because you want to improve your life. Start by believing in yourself and your ability to achieve your fitness goals. Remember, the new year can be anything that you make of it. Focus on the positive, practice self-care, gratitude, and thankfulness for all that you have, and celebrate your progress on your goals.
NEW YEAR’S 2023 RESOLUTIONS AND GYM MEMBERSHIPS
Not sure where to start with your health and fitness resolutions? EōS Fitness offers Personal Training and many gym amenities including strength equipment and Group Fitness classes to help Members work on their fitness goals and improve their health and wellness.
Get started on your New Year’s 2023 fitness goals by signing up for a Complimentary 7-Day Pass at your nearest EōS location.
This content was originally published in January 2022 and has been updated.
