4 Tips for Sticking to Your Health and Wellness Goals – 2020 New Year’s Resolutions
At the start of the new year (especially a new decade), many people are inspired to set goals. One common area that these goals are typically focused on is health and wellness. Achieving personal strides in health and wellness can be very rewarding and has the potential to make large differences in quality of life and overall well-being. As physiotherapists, part of our job is to help inspire and encourage those personal goals, and these tips are designed to help give yourself the best chance to achieve them.
- Make your goals S.M.A.R.T. Keeping your goals S.M.A.R.T. will ensure that you know exactly what you are working towards and how you intend to do it.
Specific: Ensure you know exactly what you seek to accomplish.
Measurable: Make sure you can measure your goal in order to track progress.
Attainable: Your goal should involve something that is within your control.
Realistic: Set a goal that is significant enough to challenge you, but still be possible to achieve.
Timely: Set a specific timeframe for your goal, and regular check-ins, to monitor your progress.
- Tell someone about your goals and plans
Accountability can be a powerful tool in keeping you on track towards your goals. A close friend, co-worker, or family member can be a strong ally in helping to achieve certain goals in your day-to-day life. For fitness and health-related goals, certain healthcare professionals such as your doctor and physiotherapist can be a great resource for personal, evidence-based information to help you progress and adapt your goals along the way.
- Keep track of your goals and plans
In addition to using those around you to help hold you accountable for your goals, you are your own most important resource for monitoring what you are doing and how you are progressing. Some strategies that can be successful include regular journal entries, keeping a calendar in a frequently visited area, using a fitness tracking app on your smartphone, etc. Just as you change over time, so do your goals, and recording them is a great way to ensure both you and your goals are progressing for the better.
- Set yourself up for success
Particularly for health and wellness related goals, it is important before putting all of your energy into setting and accomplishing your goals, to ensure that you are in the proper mindset and physical condition you need to be in in order to properly execute your plan. Trying to push through a lingering injury, or beginning a routine with improper form, puts you at risk for an injury that could set you back before you even have a chance to begin.
Your physiotherapist can be a valuable resource in helping you to set goals, as well as ensuring you are in the proper physical condition to achieve them. Book an appointment online at ACE Physio in Downtown Toronto!
Author: Daniel Sedran, Physiotherapy Resident at ACE Physio
