The start of a New Year is often a time when people are setting new health and fitness goals. It’s a fresh start, and you might feel motivated to get back on track after eating so many treats through the holiday season. As you are choosing your goals for the year, skip the crash diets and take a different approach: consider lifestyle resolutions that will integrate healthy habits into your routine.

The difference between big New Year’s resolutions and lifestyle resolutions is in the longevity of the changes you are making. Big goals might feel exciting, but many people find that the motivation wears off after just a few weeks. It’s hard to maintain consistency when you are making such drastic changes in your life.

On the other hand, lifestyle resolutions focus on the smaller habits that will get you to the results that you desire. These incremental changes move you in a healthier direction, which naturally leads you to a stronger, fitter body. For example, instead of setting a resolution that you are going to lose 30 pounds, choose a lifestyle resolution that you are going to cut out sweet treats and sugar during the weekdays.

Here are a few other lifestyle resolutions you might consider that will help you achieve better health and fitness in 2024:

1. Move Your Body

Rather than trying to convince yourself to participate in intense workouts that you don’t enjoy, look for ways to move your body each day. Find activities that you love and focus on the enjoyment of functional movement.

Some people don’t want to put in hours on a treadmill because they don’t enjoy the feeling that they are moving without going anywhere. Instead, consider getting your steps in on an indoor track. Invite a friend along to be your accountability partner and to enjoy interesting conversation during your fitness time.

Look for other types of movement that you might enjoy, such as yoga, swimming, HIIT classes, Zumba dancing, and more. The key is to get your heartrate up and keep your body strong and fit.

2. Balance Your Diet

Eating chicken and broccoli might bring fast results on a low-carb diet. But, too often, these results aren’t sustainable because people slip back into their old, unhealthy ways of eating when the diet ends.

So, instead of trying to implement drastic measures for your dietary resolutions, look for things that are more achievable and will create the long-term changes. These lifestyle resolutions should fit around your normal habits and activities, and include foods that you enjoy.

Don’t make massive changes. Instead, look for small adjustments that will bring your diet back into balance again. For example, instead of cutting all gluten, dairy, and sugar, you might choose to reduce specific ingredients and reserve treats for the weekends.

Or, instead of making yourself feel deprived by taking things out of your diet, consider adding more healthy foods. You might aim for a specific amount of protein each day. If you are eating protein consistently, then it means that you are feeling more satiated and it reduces the likelihood of overeating other less-healthy foods.

Another example of sustainable lifestyle resolutions is adding fruits and/or vegetables into your daily meal planning. Make sure you are eating the colors of the rainbow. These foods help with healthy digestion and also give you “filler” so that you are full without adding too many calories.

3. Cut Back on Alcohol

Alcohol can be enjoyable in moderation, but it can be a problem for your health and fitness goals if you are drinking too much. If you feel like you are drinking too much and/or too frequently, then consider setting limits on how much you choose to drink.

Remember that reducing alcohol consumption can have a ripple effect on many areas of your life. Alcohol can not only cause you to overeat and overconsume because of the calories in your drinks. But the resulting hangover makes it less likely that you will stay consistent with your workout routine in the morning.

Choose lifestyle resolutions that keep your drinking in check and still allow you to enjoy a drink when it makes sense. For example, you might decide to only drink 1 – 2 times a week and limit your consumption to two drinks when you choose to participate.

4. Prioritize Sleep

Committing to a healthier sleep routine might be one of the most challenging lifestyle resolutions, but there is no question that these changes can be beneficial for many other aspects of your life. When you are well-rested, it’s easier to wake up in the morning so you can fit in a workout session. Additionally, you might notice that you have more energy to get through the day.

Prioritizing sleep might mean that you need to say “no” to social activities in the evening. Or, you might choose to go home earlier so that you have time to go through your nighttime routine before bed.

Also, look for ways to improve the quality of sleep you are getting. For example, you might consider installing blackout curtains and eliminating any light pollution from electronics in the room. Other habits that can help include investing in a better quality mattress, sleeping with earplugs if there is too much noise in your neighborhood, or changing your eating times so that you aren’t going to bed with a full stomach.

Lifestyle Resolutions: Small Changes Add Up to Bigger Results

The key to success with your lifestyle resolutions is to implement the small, manageable changes that lead to the results that you desire. Then, as you master these incremental changes, it becomes easier to build momentum that will lead you to even better results. You can continue stacking habits over time to shape a lifestyle that is designed to support your best health and wellness.

Do you want support for your fitness journey this year? Consider joining Fitness Nation to have a friendly gym where you can tap into a community of like-minded people. Call to learn more about the available facilities and services.