How to actually achieve your fitness goals in 2024.

That 'new year, new me' energy is here! Many will commit to fitness goals for 2024 but not everyone will succeed. Read on if you want to make your healthy habits last beyond January to see lifelong success.

Set realistic goals

If you’ve never run before, don’t expect to go running 5 times next week. If your gym is a 30 mins drive away and you barely find time to eat, don’t expect to hit the gym every day. Ask yourself, what will have to change to achieve this goal? Can you see yourself doing this for the next year?

Embrace the ‘grey’.

If you’re struggling to maintain a fitness routine, you probably have something of an ‘all-or-nothing’ mindset - you’re either smashing it or you’re completely at the other end of the spectrum. When you fail to achieve your goal, you give up. Instead, challenge this by setting a target range. Have a non-negotiable target - the bare minimum that you could do to make progress towards your goals - and an optimal target. For example, you might want to do yoga every morning, but if you currently don't do it at all, just twice per week would be progress. Rather than aiming for daily, consider 2-7x per week. This will make it much more likely that you will consistently show up for yourself and so achieve your fitness goals in 2024.

Consider your motivation.

If your motivation is solely related to your appearance, you are less likely to adhere to your plan long term, and you are more likely to engage in disordered eating/exercise habits. Consider how achieving the goal will benefit you beyond your body - how will it feel to be able to walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath? What positive impact will this have on your kids who see you taking care of your health? Think deeper!

Manage expectations.

It’s not going to be easy. You are not going to love every moment, and you don’t have to. It helps to find things that you do enjoy, but some times you will have to do things you don’t really want to do. Keep the bigger picture in mind and commit to just giving it a go - test out whether it's worth it to you. You might find that actually the goal wasn't right in the first place, and you need to readjust, or you might surprise yourself with what you're capable with!