Have you set your New Year’s fitness resolutions yet?

We’re saying goodbye to 2021 (who else is so ready for 2022?!) and it’s highly likely that you and many other brides are considering what they’ll want their New Year’s resolution to be. In fact, New Year’s resolutions are becoming more and more popular as more people wish to better themselves inside and out for the New Year.

It may actually be more beneficial to you to use S.M.A.R.T. goals rather than a single resolution. Setting a number of mini-goals will provide you with a greater level of long-term benefits than focusing all your efforts on one big goal. 

Did you know that less than 8% of people actually follow through with their resolutions each year? Yet millions of Americans continue to set goals with high hopes of a better year ahead. 

To make a resolution that you’ll be much more likely to stick to, consider setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. Not sure what that consists of?

Let’s break it down a bit!

S – Specific

Be specific about your goal(s) and what you wish to accomplish. Make sure they are simple but meaningful. 

M – Measurable

In order to stay motivated and make the goal meaningful, you need to track your progress along the way.

A – Achievable

This goes hand-in-hand with ‘S’, in noting that it should be simple. You should choose a goal that you feel confident you can achieve. Avoid setting unrealistic goals. 

R – Relevant

Is this goal relevant to you? Is it reasonable and results-based? You should set goals that are relevant to where you are in your life right now. Maybe you want to get more toned and lose some weight for your wedding in 2022. That’s definitely a relevant goal to have and you can make it more realistic by simply saying to yourself, “I’m going to lose X number of lbs. in 2022.” Goals that are realistic are those you can achieve by improving your current habits that you are willing to work toward. 

T – Time-Bound

For example, if you want to lose a certain amount of weight in 2022, you can set mini-goals for X number of lbs. lost. If you want to lose 30 lbs., you can set mini-goals for every 5 lbs. or 10 lbs. lost, whichever is most doable for you. This ensures you stay motivated and determined. 

Here’s one of my SMART goals for the new year: I will walk/run at least 3 miles a day, 5 days a week in 2022.

Maybe you want to set a goal for 2022, but there are no major fitness goals that you have in mind. Good news is, there is always room for improvement and self-care, which will be so helpful to you as you plan your wedding. Making this your goal for the New Year will give you a fulfilling mind, body, and soul.

Reassess Your Diet

Sometimes diet changes don’t mean wanting to lose weight, but rather paying more attention to what you’re putting in your body. The quality of your food is so important to ensure you are eating nutritious food, not just delicious food. While a nice dinner out is good every now and then, it should be labeled as an ‘every now and then’ type of meal. Focus your energy on healthy, whole foods; your veggies, your protein, your fats, and your carbs. Eating a totally balanced and nutritious meal will help you feel better from the inside out.

What Is Your Definition of Self-Care?

Self-care is different for everyone. For some people, it’s a glass of wine, a face mask, and their favorite movie. For others, it could be as simple as disconnecting from social media or work and laying back with their favorite TV show. Personally, I find my best self-care technique to be exercise. Nothing makes me feel better than crushing a 5k run. I feel rejuvenated mentally and physically. With this being said, make it a goal to engage in actual beneficial self-care routines. That doesn’t mean indulging in three bags of chips because “it was a tough week and I earned it.” Really, truly assess what real self-care means for you and apply it regularly. 

Tracking Your Progress

There are countless ways to track progress on pretty much any goal you’ve set. It can be as simple as a checklist app on your iPhone. Whether you’re tracking your weight loss, your macros, your calories, or even your wedding planning checklist, there’s a way to analyze your progress and stay on track. Some of my personal favorite apps for this are MyFitnessPal and Lose It!. Many of these apps focus on weight loss, but have other features for tracking sleep, blood pressure/heart rate, and even how much water you’re drinking daily

The Buddy System

This ties into getting support when you need it, whether it’s from your maid of honor, family member, or personal trainer. Having someone by your side can sometimes help you stay motivated even when you feel like giving up. Whether you and your fiance decide to lose weight for the wedding, or you and your best friend decide to engage in healthier self-care routines, it sometimes helps a ton not to be in it alone. 

Are you ready to take on the New Year with smarter and healthier goals? Here’s a pro tip: Don’t think of it as a resolution at all. It’s a lifestyle change for your well-being. In about the 60% of people who make New Year’s resolutions each year, be the 1% who achieves them.

Support When You Need It

Maybe you feel yourself slowly falling off the wagon on your New Year’s goals (or any time of the year), and you just need that extra push. While support from your family and friends is always helpful, getting professional help from a specialist can give you the real push you need. Embarking on a health and self-care journey sometimes means asking for help, so don’t beat yourself up if you find yourself needing it! 

I’m here for you and only a phone call away! I still have availability for 2022, so book a call with me to come up with a game plan to reach your wedding fitness goals!