Set Your Health & Fitness Intentions for the New Year

Two people sitting on the ground in a gym high-fiving after finishing a workout.

Although I am not crazy about New Year’s resolutions, the top of the year is a good time to pause and reflect. I like to carve out time to review last year in full. Mostly, I cycle through a series of questions that help to stimulate thoughts about what I want and don’t want in my life in the year to come. Some questions I ponder are:

Using framing like this helps me to set the course for the new year and carve out my intentions.

This can be useful for business, relationships, family, personal growth and, of course, health and fitness.

If you have health and fitness goals this year, and maybe they are just a continuation of last year, it can be helpful to reflect on what is important to you and then devise a plan, or alter and evolve a new one. I’ve listed a few tips below to help you plan out your exercise and health goals for the new year. I hope you find them helpful!

Know Where You Are 

Reflect on where you are in your fitness and health journey right now; what is your baseline? This can be as simple as how you feel; how is your general energy and stamina? Do you feel strong? 

You could also schedule an InBody Scan or do a muscle health test to determine your body composition and learn about the state of your muscle metabolism. Whatever it is, take note of it and refer back to it in a few months to track your progress over time.

Be Realistic with Your Expectations

If you are a beginner to strength training, or returning after a while away, be consistent and be patient. Great progress comes with time and consistency. Many people are way too ambitious with their goals and how much time they actually have to dedicate to their health and fitness. 

Expecting too much of ourselves is generally why many people quit after a month or 2 on a program that requires too much time or effort. Your plan must align with your lifestyle and your ability to maintain it in the long run. If you plan to hit the gym 5 times per week ask yourself “Can I maintain this consistency for 6 months?” Our clients train once or twice per week at a very high level of effort. This helps them get the results they are looking for and at only 60 minutes per week of maximum time spent, it is very sustainable in the long term. 

Hire an Experienced Trainer

Accountability is arguably the most important variable in a training program. If you have a program at an awesome gym with great equipment but you only attend 2 or 3 times per month, you won't be maximizing the benefits from that program. Working with a dedicated trainer and booking your workouts in advance helps you stay consistent enough that strength training becomes a habit. 

Additionally, you'll receive guidance to help prevent injury, make sure that your program is tailored to your needs and abilities, and have someone monitor your progress, providing feedback and adjustments as you move forward.

Remember WHY You’re Doing This

It is beneficial to not only consider your goals, what you want to achieve or change with your strength training program, but why that is important to you. Often people will state that they want to ‘get stronger’ or ‘healthier.’ 

The next step is to define what that means for you and why it is important for you to get stronger and healthier. Use that reason as motivation and encouragement to stay consistent and work hard in your workouts. 

I hope you find some of this helpful in plotting out your strategy for the year ahead. If you are new to OneUp and are interested in learning more, you are welcome to schedule a complimentary 1-hour fitness consultation with one of our experienced trainers.

Thank you for reading,

Matt Mombourquette, BSc.Kin

Owner / Lead Trainer