It's that time of year again where people will make all sorts of goals they would like to achieve. I'm still not really sure why we need a new year to make these goals but I would like to challenge you, the reader, to set some common daily goals I have heard rumble around the clinic:
Eat 2 more cups of vegetables & 1 more cup of fruit than what you are currently eating daily
Make sure you are eating enough calories (even/especially if you want to lose weight) daily
Drink 2 more glasses of water than what you are currently drinking daily
Cardio workout once a week (15-20min)
Strength training twice a week (minimum 30min)
Sleep consistently for 6-8 hours
Meditate for 1-2min daily
Tell yourself 1 good thing you like about yourself (out loud) daily
Foam roll and stretch for 30min twice a week
Treat your injuries before they get worse
There you have it, 10 goals for you to achieve by the end of 2023 - I would advise using one goal everyday each month so that you can reinforce this new habit because these goals shouldn't be seen as a "one and done". Each goal builds from the previous one in order to make this habit a permanent lifestyle change that you no longer have to constantly think about. Got another goal in mind that I didn't mention? There are 12 months to the year, slot the goal in where possible.
It's important to remember that the entire month per goal will not be perfect. You may have a weekend or week where you may be on vacation or are extra busy or your motivation has gone completely to shit and the thing I want you to do here is: keep actively trying to complete the goal anyway, just don't give up - pick up from where you left off!
The goals are quite general and there will have to be more thinking and planning involved as life goes on and gets busy so don't go overboard at the beginning of the year during your time off because the list looks "easy". If this list was so easy, we would have far more healthier individuals in this world!
Jeannette Quach
Certified Athletic Therapist, Registered Massage Therapist
Please direct any questions about the article or any sports/injury/motherhood questions to jeannette@mvmtintegrativemed.com