By: Matt Weik, BS, CSCS, CPT, CSN
2023 is upon us, and for many, a new year means a time for them to reset their goals and plan their new year resolutions. Many people say they want to get in better shape and improve their health, but they’ve been saying that for the last decade, right? If you have your hand raised that you fall into that statistic, we’re going to outline how you can reach your health goals in 2023.
This is the year you make your health goals a reality, and below is how you can set yourself up for success. Let’s dive into some tips and strategies!
1. Write down your long- and short-term health goals
Saying you have health goals you want to achieve in 2023 is one thing. Actually writing them down and putting a plan together is another.
The best way for you to hit your health goals this year is to write down both short- and long-term goals. For instance, if you want to lose 30 pounds, make that your long-term goal. Next, reverse-engineer that into short-term goals like losing 1-2 pounds each week. That will allow you to hit your long-term goal in 15-30 weeks.
What you need to put into perspective with your health goals is that the results won’t happen overnight, but any weight you may have gained over the years didn’t come overnight either. Stay consistent… stay committed.
2. Ensure your goals are realistic and measurable
When it comes to achieving your health goals, this step is vital. Make sure your goals are realistic and measurable. Using the example above, saying you want to lose 30 pounds in a month is unrealistic, and you’ll set yourself up for failure and frustration.
Additionally, how can you ensure you’re on track to hit your health goals if you can’t measure them? Be sure you have a scale (even better would be one that also measures body fat percentage) that you can use weekly to measure your progress.
3. Put your workouts in your calendar
If something is important to you, you tend to put it in your calendar so that it gets done, right? Why wouldn’t you do the same with your health goals? If getting in better physical shape and health is one of your health goals, put it in your calendar.
The fact is, life happens. Your boss makes you work late, you have family events, you need to run your kids around — life gets busy. But if your health goals are a priority, they must be in your calendar to ensure you don’t miss them and that nothing takes your workout time away from you.
4. Evaluate your plan and make necessary changes
Lastly, and something that piggybacks off of realistic and measurable goals from #2 is evaluating your progress and making any necessary changes. If you notice you’re falling behind on your short-term goals, make the necessary changes.
When using the weight loss goal as an example, if you’re not seeing the number on the scale go down, you may need to reduce your daily caloric intake or increase your energy expenditure by working out more frequently or increasing how long you engage in cardio.
Without evaluating your progress and making the necessary changes, you may find it challenging to hit your health goals. As they say, you don’t know what you don’t know, and if you aren’t tracking things, you may be heading in the wrong direction.