5 Ways to Actually Achieve Your 2023 Fitness Resolutions!
It's that time of the year again -- for reflections and the setting of new goals for the new year! So, did you achieve your 2022 New Year's Resolutions?
No matter the answer to that question, 2023 welcomes renewal, revitalisation and refreshment. Celebrate the wins, learn from the lessons and look forward to what more you can do in the new year! Feeling motivated to make a change to your fitness and health starting 1 Jan? Here are 5 ways to make SMART and sustainable fitness goals in 2023!
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-sensitive!
Using the SMART framework, fitness goal-setting is easy. Clearly establishing the scope of your goals makes sure they are attainable and sustainable!
1. Specific
To start off, what exactly do you want to achieve? Effective goal-setting begins with a highly specific goal in mind. Simply saying that you want to get stronger or healthier is too vague! What does being stronger or healthier mean to you, or how will you know that you've gotten where you want to be?
Examples of more specific goals for getting stronger would be being able to perform 10 more sit-ups or deadlifting 20kg more than before. By setting specific goals, you will be better focused and more empowered to map out your action plan to achieve them!
2. Measurable
Having an objective measure for your goals is important as it helps you stay on track. It allows you to know how far away you are from attaining them and when you've actually achieved them! Measurable goals can take the form of a certain number of repetitions or a time to beat for various exercises and workouts. It can also be the number you want to see when you step on the weighing scale.
For instance, losing those extra Christmas pounds is easier if you have the end goal in mind. Seeing the numbers drop or rise during your journey will reflect the little adjustments you need to make along the way to better reach your goals! At FITLUC, our Personal Trainers not only use anthropometric measurements, but also the InBody Machine to track our clients' progress over time. The InBody Machine keeps both our trainers and clients on track through providing in-depth measurements of different components of our body, such as body fat mass, skeletal muscle mass and even muscle imbalances, to better achieve the clients' goals together!
Curious to know more about how the InBody Machine works and how our Personal Trainers can help you interpret your data? Check out our Youtube series on the Intro to the InBody Machine to know more!
3. Achievable
While it's good to be ambitious, a big part of effective goal-setting involves setting realistic expectations for yourself. This doesn't mean that you have to forgo your bigger fitness aspirations though! Instead, you can break these sizeable goals into smaller, more attainable ones in the short-term. Collecting such small Ws along the way can help keep you motivated for longer and make your fitness journey more sustainable and enjoyable!
Let's say your aim this year is to gain lower body strength and increase the weight you can squat. The goal of 120kg might not be attainable in a year if your current best is 50kg. A wise way to approach this target would then be to progressively overload in your strength training and aim for smaller increments that act as benchmarks towards the end goal. For example, one of FITLUC's very own Personal Trainers, Darryl Tan, took 5 years of constant training and hard work to reach his personal best on the squat, 262.5kg, from 90kg when he first started! Want to add to your squat numbers? Find out how here!
4. Relevant
Fourth, ask yourself if the goals you have set are meaningful to you! Do they align with your aims in other aspects of your life and your current lifestyle? Sieving out the "why" behind your fitness goals is beneficial as the accompanying sense of purpose can increase motivation, optimism and perseverance!
For example, hear from one of FITLUC's very own clients, Guang Liang, who decided to take up Personal Training to increase his strength and stamina to complement his passion for dance!
"I joined FITLUC a few months ago with the goal of improving my performance in dance. As a dancer, not only do I require stamina to last through the entire dance item, but also the muscle and strength to execute the different dance moves. I thoroughly enjoyed my sessions with Ming Tao as he understands my goals and caters the sessions according to them! Ming Tao has always been available to provide advice and suggestions whenever I have any doubts and clarifications.
Over the past few months, I have definitely noticed a difference in my dance performance after training consistently with Ming Tao, and I really thank him for that! Not only does Ming Tao make the sessions enjoyable and fun, he would also switch things up so that the sessions do not get boring."
Want to know how Personal Training can help you in your dance performance? Although every genre of dance has its distinct movement patterns and techniques, all dance requires strength and adequate body conditioning in order to be executed with precision according to the music. Check out how our Personal Trainers can help you customise fitness programmes to address areas of improvements based on your dance style here!
5. Time-sensitive
Setting specific deadlines for goals makes achieving them easier! The expectation that a task should be completed within a certain time frame empowers you to better plan how you want to work towards the end goal. An example of a realistic time-sensitive goal could be being able to complete 3 more pull-ups within the next 3 months. Setting timely goals allows for a better gauge of the amount of time you should set aside for such endeavours, and makes them feel more tangible by subconsciously instilling a sense of urgency!
Setting fitness goals and sticking to them can be daunting and hard at first, and we completely understand that. In order to actually achieve your fitness goals in 2023, regularly tracking your progress and being flexible and adaptable to setbacks you might face along the way is important in lasting you the long-term. Additionally, having a reliable support system that motivates you to constantly do better will not only keep you accountable but make your fitness journey much more enjoyable!
At FITLUC, our dedicated Personal Trainers will be there to guide you every single step of the way of your fitness journey, both in the gym and out. From customising a training programme tailored to your individual goals, to regular goal settings and revisions, exercise form correction and diet monitoring, Personal Training can make achieving your fitness goals easy and stress-free! Just leave it to us. All you need to do is show up!
So what are you waiting for? Give us a try and #GetThatFITLook! Drop us a WhatsApp message at +65 8812 0110 or book a Personal Training trial with one of our dedicated trainers to explore if Personal Training is the best choice for you! From 31 Dec 2022 to 8 Jan 2023, enjoy 23% OFF your very first PT Trial at FITLUC (U.P $50) using the code “FLNY2023“!
Just a heads-up, it will probably be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
This article is written by Rachelle Sim.
About FITLUC
Looking for a Personal Trainer in Singapore? Look no further! At FITLUC, we specialise in In-Person and Online Personal Training, and we also offer house-call PT with a small additional fee. We currently base our Personal Training clients at a well-equipped gym just a stone's throw away from Outram Park MRT.
We are recognized as one of the Top 12 Best PT in Singapore and were featured on Mothership, The Straits Times, YES 93.3FM, Yahoo News, etc. Our Personal Trainers have worked with clients aged 13 – 84, from Celebrities to CEOs, working professionals and homemakers, with goals ranging from fat loss, weight loss, muscle gain to athletic performance and elderly training. Our celebrity clientele includes Tay Ping Hui, Maxi Lim, Hazelle Teo, Tayying, Lee Teng, Ze Tong, Benjamin Tan, Jaspers Lai and more.