Give Your Body Some Love! 7 Wellness Tips for Every Fitness Level
It's a new year! For many, physical fitness and wellness are at the top of our list of New Year’s resolutions. Many of us set goals to do more cardio, get to the gym more often, lose a certain amount of weight, or any number of other health goals. And while it’s never a bad thing to set goals for personal fitness, these resolutions often place a lot of pressure on us—sometimes too much.
When we place strict, objective fitness goals on ourselves, the idea is accountability and measurability. If your resolution is to go to the gym three times a week, for instance, it’s easy to check on your progress—either you went three times this week, or you didn’t.
However, this type of goal can sometimes have the opposite effect. A person who ‘only’ makes it to the gym twice in a given week might feel frustrated and discouraged, potentially causing them to give up on their goal entirely. This is because their goal didn’t account for the many things that could get in the way, whether it’s work, family, school, illness, or plain exhaustion. It’s an all-or-nothing mentality that, too often, leads to abandoned goals.
That’s why we encourage you to set a more flexible goal for yourself in the New Year—something that considers your current abilities while still pushing your limits. These goals are often a little less tangible, but that’s what makes them easier to keep on track with. Ultimately, they all fall under the umbrella of a single goal that we should all have: to love and care for our bodies.
In this guide, we’ll offer a few wellness tips to help inspire your physical wellness goals in the new year. These are great places to start as you set your own personal resolutions, whether you’re a high-level athlete in peak form, or simply looking to get a little more active and healthy as we enter a new year. Here are 7 simple wellness tips for every fitness level.
1. Move Daily
If you want to set a goal of running 30 kilometres a week, that’s a fantastic resolution. But depending on your current abilities, you might find that it’s more than you bargained for. Instead, why not set a goal for daily movement?
The beauty of this type of goal is that it can be adapted depending on your preferences, abilities, or simply whatever you’re doing that day. For instance, your daily movement could be walking to work one day, then throwing a frisbee in the park the next, then doing a short hike with your dog the next. Rather than limiting yourself to a single activity, you can do a variety of things all while working towards your goal.
2. Get Stronger
As with daily movement, setting a general goal of getting stronger gives you options. Perhaps you like going to the gym once a week, but you don’t see yourself lifting weights every other day. In that case, you can supplement your strengthening with home body-weight workouts, swimming, or resistance band exercises.
Maybe the whole idea of strength training doesn’t appeal to you—in that case, you can find other ways to build muscle that you enjoy more, like rock climbing to strengthen your arms and back, roller skating to build strength in your legs, or even regularly gardening for a surprisingly complete full-body workout. All of these activities are great for getting stronger, and when you find the ones you enjoy the most, they won’t even feel like work.
3. Find Your Healthy Weight
Weight loss is a common New Year’s resolution, but this goal usually doesn’t account for the biological realities of the human body. When you think of your healthy goal weight, a certain number might come to mind, but it’s important to examine what that number is based on. Unless it’s a weight that you were previously at, there’s a good chance it’s based on other people, whose bodies may have completely different needs than yours.
Rather than making the goal of losing 20 pounds, why not challenge yourself to find your healthy weight instead? If you take on this goal in combination with daily movement and/or getting stronger, you’ll feel less pressure to hit certain targets, meaning you’ll lose weight at a healthy rate, ensuring your body is strong, supported, and nourished the whole time.
4. Address Your Posture
Poor posture is one of the leading causes of pain, stiffness, and lack of mobility. And with more people than ever spending their days working at desks or hunched over cell phones, now is the perfect time to take responsibility for your posture.
Challenge yourself to check in with your posture a few times per day. Make sure your neck is aligned with your spine and hips. Roll your shoulders back to prevent slouching. Tilt your head backward slightly to prevent the back of your neck from holding too much tension. Addressing posture is more about forming a good habit than regularly challenging yourself physically, making it a great goal for someone of any fitness level.
5. Stretch More Often
You’d be amazed at the difference that even 15 minutes of daily stretching will make in your overall well-being. Many of us live rather sedentary lifestyles, spending large parts of the day sitting. This can lead to the musculoskeletal system becoming stiff, weakened, or even inflamed and painful over time, potentially causing a myriad of other physical issues in the future.
By regularly making time to stretch your body, you activate every part of it, helping it move easily and dynamically. For tips on getting started with stretching, read our guides on dynamic stretching and stretches for the lower back.
6. Prioritize Sleep
Sleep is like the glue that holds our physical health together. Whether you go on a long run, beat your personal best in the gym, or simply tire yourself out after a friendly game of soccer, sleep is the essential ingredient that transforms fatigue into results.
Try to make sleep a priority by focusing on getting around 8 hours every night and practicing good sleep hygiene by staying off of devices for an hour before bed. Reducing or eliminating caffeine, alcohol, and drug intake can also help you get better-quality sleep—and more of it.
7. Work with a Pro
Finally, another great goal to set in the new year is to get the help you need. If you’re dealing with chronic pain, ongoing lack of mobility, or other persistent physical challenges, you may not be able to completely resolve the issue on your own. Likewise, wellness goals like building strength or losing weight are far easier when you receive support and accountability from a knowledgeable professional.
If you’re looking for help with feeling your best in the new year, the team at Triumph Physio and Wellness is here to help. No matter what your objectives, needs, abilities, and preferences are, we’ll tailor a plan that addresses your concerns and helps you meet your goals.
Contact us today and discover how our team can be a key part of meeting your New Year’s resolutions!
Disclaimer: This BLOG content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The creators of this BLOG are not liable for any actions or decisions taken by individuals based on the information presented herein. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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