When we start thinking about our goals and resolutions for the coming year, so many of us default to aiming to lose weight, shed fat or tone up. We often tend to set physical-based goals, and in doing so we reinforce the belief that we’re “not good enough” as we are. Goals like “I want to lose X kilos,” or “I need to drop a dress size” aren’t positive or healthy targets to focus on. These physique-oriented goals also commonly fail to address true markers of good health - instead of emphasising internal wellbeing and mental health, judging your health status by your appearance and body alone is simplistic and misleading. After all, you can’t tell how nourished, rested, well-fueled, hydrated or disease-free you are just by looking in the mirror!

Similarly, these goals don’t often lead to feeling truly fulfilled or accomplished if you do achieve them. Time and time again we see that those who solely focus on dropping a certain number of kilos simply set the goalpost further and further away each time they achieve their original benchmark. So instead of celebrating their progress and commitment, they’re consistently telling themselves they haven’t done enough, and they’re still unworthy as they are. It’s a slippery slope into disordered eating thoughts and behaviours, and can seriously erode your self-worth and body image.

So instead of reverting to the same age-old body-based goals while you set your 2023 resolutions, let’s shift the focus this year to goals which promote true health and fitness, both inside and out, and don’t require fat loss or achieving a certain number on the scales. Here are seven goals to prioritise over the coming year to support optimal health and fitness, without requiring weight or fat loss.

Cook more at home.

This one is simple but effective - instead of reaching for your phone to order UberEats for every second meal, try prepping food for yourself at home! Not only will this be an excellent decision for your wallet, it’s also incredibly beneficial for your health. When you cook at home, you can ensure you’re prioritising a whole foods-based diet, rich in lean proteins, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre and vegetables. You’re able to take control over the foods you’re choosing to put into your body, allowing you to include more nourishing, nutrient-dense foods instead of the often highly processed or fatty foods we tend to turn to when ordering takeaway options.

Before you shudder at the thought of putting effort and time into cooking for yourself, it doesn’t have to be a huge commitment. Cooking at home can be as simple as pre-prepping some roast vegetables and a source of protein for the week ahead, which you can throw on top of some microwave rice or reheated pasta for lunch while you’re midway through your work day. Or, you might prefer to whip up a big batch of meal prep on a Sunday, effectively saving yourself copious amounts of time later on in the week when you can simply grab a container from the fridge and enjoy your meal, rather than needing to plan, shop and prepare as you go each day.

Or, if you prefer to listen to your body’s cravings and needs and cook something new each day, take the time to find joy in the process. Focus on how each ingredient is nourishing your body, offering vitamins and minerals to support optimal health. Challenge yourself to find creative and new recipes to test out. Delight in the process, and make cooking enjoyable rather than a chore!

While cooking may require a little more thought, planning, shopping and preparation initially, it actually saves you so much time, effort and money once you get into the hang of things, and find your trusty favourite foods to whip up quickly and easily for the week ahead. You’re doing yourself, your body and your health a huge favour by focusing on cooking more this year.

Hydrate - with the good stuff!

While your food choices play a pivotal role in your general health and wellbeing, so too do your drink choices. Unfortunately, many of us tend to neglect hydration during the busyness of daily life, or prefer to opt for sugary beverages like sodas and juices for a quick burst of energy throughout the day.

However, it’s absolutely crucial that you aim for at least 2 L of water each and every day, without fail, adding more to this if you’re an active person or regularly participate in high intensity movement. Water plays such a key role in your health - it supports immune system function, metabolism, digestion, the flushing of unwanted toxins from your body, your performance in your workouts… The list is endless. A dehydrated body is an unhappy body, so make sure to prioritise your hydration in 2023.

And all beverages are not created equal when it comes to hydration. Water is the most effective way to hydrate your body and support your health, with other drinks like sodas and alcohol actually acting to dehydrate you.

So it’s not a case of skulling whatever drink you can get your hands on. It’s all about making sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the entire day, every single day. Try starting each morning with a huge glass of water before anything else (yes, that includes coffee!), and consistently continue drinking throughout the day - rather than leaving it until the evening to skull your 2 L of water. This way, your body can function at its best all day long, and you’re less likely to spend all night waking up to run to the toilet!

When it comes to alcohol consumption, this is another way you can prioritise your health in 2023. Research consistently shows there’s no “safe” or “beneficial” amount of alcohol you can consume without any negative health impacts. So while you don’t need to ditch your favourite drink completely, consider introducing several alcohol-free days per week, and when you do decide to drink, make sure you’re not overdoing it, and you’re alternating each alcoholic beverage with a big glass of water to help you stay hydrated and prevent future hangovers.

Prioritise rest.

It may sound counterintuitive to set a goal of prioritising rest in order to support your fitness and health, but rest is a key pillar in supporting performance and recovery in your workouts, as well as optimising your health. 

Rest is something we often neglect, or feel guilty or indulgent for including in our busy lifestyles. However, setting aside non-negotiable time to rest every week is critical. It allows you to recover from the constant demands on your mind and body, and to feel refreshed and energised in your workouts and day-to-day activities.

And despite the messaging we’re constantly exposed to, which promotes the idea that a more intense, sweaty, demanding workout means faster and more effective results, this is not the case! This mentality pushes the belief that rest is unproductive and lazy, and ignores the fact that your body has a limit. If you push yourself too far, without taking time to recover and rest, you’re setting your mind and body up for burnout and injury. You’ll soon experience feelings of fatigue, low energy, poor mood, and your health and fitness will suffer.

Whereas, when you’re implementing regular rest days from your workouts, and setting aside time for yourself to rest and enjoy hobbies and activities which bring you happiness, you’re allowing your body to play the long game. You’re giving yourself the chance to recharge and reset, so you can approach your training or your daily activities with new energy and intensity. This is how you see results. Consistency, not intensity, is key to success in your health and fitness. By implementing a sustainable approach to your health, which includes plenty of rest, you’ll notice the difference in no time.

So in 2023, aim to prioritise rest. Whether that looks like going to bed early, having two days of no training each week, spending your weekend recovering on the couch with a good Netflix show, or booking in a weekly massage, make the commitment to yourself and stick to it. Add it into your diary, so it becomes a non-negotiable like any other meeting or appointment. Make 2023 the year you embrace rest, and enjoy the health benefits it facilitates!

Redefine your relationship with exercise.

Similarly to your focus on prioritising rest, make 2023 the year you redefine your relationship with exercise and movement. Ask yourself: why do you exercise? Is it to lose weight, or prevent weight gain, or control your body in some way? Do you feel the need to earn or burn off your food?

How do you define the success of a workout? Do you judge a session by how much you sweat, or how exhausted you feel afterwards? Do you consider the amount of calories your smartwatch says you’ve burned? 

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, this is a warning sign indicating it’s time to rethink your intentions and motivations for moving your body.

Instead of exercising to punish, control or manipulate your body, make 2023 the year you commit to moving for joy, freedom and connection with yourself. 

Movement should feel freeing, intuitive and energising. It shouldn’t feel like a chore or obligation, or something that leaves you feeling drained and dissatisfied. When you begin to tune into your body’s needs, and honour them without doubt or question, you allow yourself to shift the motivation behind movement, so you can experience your workouts very differently.

Because there’s actually no need to push yourself to exhaustion in a workout, to sweat as much as possible and finish a session feeling completely drained and spent. Intensity doesn’t translate to effectiveness when it comes to fitness. In fact, varying up your workouts in accordance with how your mind and body feel, and changing up the intensity and style of movement is the way to see results!

Fitness is all about consistency, and to be consistent with your workout routine you need to make time for rest and recovery, lower intensity movement, and also your high intensity sweaty sessions sometimes too. It’s all about listening to your body, noticing when you’re feeling exhausted mentally, or you’re experiencing injury or soreness in your body, and actioning this. If you notice your body or mind need some time to rest and recuperate, honour that. Don’t push yourself to work out at a high intensity, because you’ll actually do more harm than good. 

So each time you go to workout, ask yourself: do I feel called to high- or low-intensity movement today? Do I feel energised, or do I need rest? How can I prioritise recovery today? Can I include more stretching or active recovery into my routine?

Nurture your body and mind by taking time to listen to what you need, and act accordingly. This is the foundation for building a positive and healthy relationship with exercise and movement in 2023. Remember, moving your body should feel good!

Set boundaries.

Setting boundaries is another important resolution for anyone wanting to improve their health in 2023. Learning to say “no”, and setting boundaries even with the people you love the most is crucial in supporting your physical and mental health. While the idea of setting boundaries with the people closest to you can feel scary, daunting or impossible, remember that boundaries are actually a way to show people you care about them. If you didn’t care, you wouldn’t be intent on establishing gentle guidelines to allow you to maintain a strong, close relationship! Whereas, by implementing some compassionate boundaries and giving yourself permission to say no to the demands of others, you avoid potential resentment building up, and eroding the relationships you cherish the most. Setting boundaries allows you to communicate your own needs, and invites your loved ones to rise to the occasion.

Boundaries are important for your health, as they can protect you from things which threaten both your physical and mental health, and give you the space to protect your own peace. For example, if you struggle with your relationship to food or exercise, and you’re surrounded by friends who constantly talk about trying the latest fad diet, or wanting to lose 5 kgs, this might not be a healthy environment for you to spend your time in. Instead, consider having an open discussion with your friends about how their comments affect you, and ask them to avoid talking about these topics while you’re around.

Or maybe you need to set boundaries around your time and energy. Perhaps for you, if you have a very demanding family member who wants to claim all your free time, you’d benefit from establishing certain times each week for “you time”. Whether that involves going to the gym, watching a comforting TV show or taking a bath, you need to feel able to set aside time to fill your own cup, and ensure your own needs are being met.

Saying “no” to things which don’t align with your values or goals, or don’t bring you joy or fulfilment is important for your overall health and wellbeing. Instead of giving in to the obligations and expectations of others, choose to commit your time to things which promote your physical and mental health, and leave you feeling energised and fulfilled. Push past any discomfort you may feel at first, and be sure to set firm boundaries with kindness and compassion this year. Don’t ever feel guilty for setting or enforcing your own boundaries, and asking for your needs to be met - this is key to positive, healthy relationships and general wellbeing, both mental and physical.

Cultivate meaningful relationships.

Following on from that, consider who you spend your time with. Are you happy with your close circle? Do your interactions with them leave you feeling happier, understood, supported and energised? Or do you need to find some other people to connect with on a different level?

The closest relationships in your life have an enormous impact on your health. The people you surround yourself with can affect your own focuses, goals, and the ways you spend your time. Nurture the connections which make you feel good about yourself and your body, which encourage healthy habits and self-care. And consider reducing the time you spend with people who lead you to question your self-worth, feel inadequate, or obliged to do things you don’t necessarily want to do.

Not only do your relationships hugely affect your mental health and wellbeing, but studies have also shown that positive relationships can help reduce stress, illness and some health complications. And yet so few of us truly consider the depth or quality of our relationships. 

Finding the right people to surround yourself with can help you achieve your health (and life!) goals, feel supported and cared for, and improve both mental and physical health drastically. So spend some time in 2023 considering who you include in your circle, and how they make you feel.

Improve your sleep.

Lastly, make sleep a priority in 2023. Sleep is so critical for so many aspects of your health. Getting a good night’s sleep can improve concentration and cognitive performance, optimise digestion and metabolism, and immune system function, support your physical performance, and reduce your stress levels and risk of health complications. If there’s one thing you focus on in 2023, let it be sleep! (And hydration…)

Aiming for 7-9 hours of good quality sleep every night will help you become your healthiest and happiest self over the coming year. Not only will you experience improved mood stability, your relationships with others will benefit as a result of being well-rested. Plus, you’re supporting your body’s optimal function and resilience, and protecting yourself from illness and disease.

If you’re struggling to optimise your sleep, try implementing a nighttime routine each day, to signal to your body and mind that it’s time to wind down. Start off by switching off your devices at least an hour before bed, then take a relaxing bath or shower, before spending 5 minutes listening to a guided meditation and finishing off by reading a chapter of a book before you drift off. Tailor your routine to suit you and whatever you find relaxing, but as you develop a consistent evening routine your body will recognise the signal that it needs to start downregulating and activating its “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system, which allows you to get a good sleep.

Other handy tips to improve sleep include ensuring the room you’re sleeping in is extremely dark, using earplugs if you’re finding noises wake you often, finish drinking water at least an hour prior to your bedtime, and sleep in a colder room where possible. Aim to go to bed and wake up at the same (or very similar) time each day, even on weekends, as this supports your circadian rhythm and sleep quality too.

Remember, sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your health and fitness, so make it a priority in 2023. If you find yourself having a late night, maybe it’s a wiser choice to skip the gym in the morning in favour of an extra hour of sleep! Remember, sleep quality and quantity are crucial to your health, so implement practices to optimise both wherever possible.

There you go - seven goals to aim for to help you optimise your health and fitness in 2023 without requiring weight loss, dieting or restriction! You can improve your health and happiness without the need for weight measurements and numbers. Instead of focusing on your appearance, body and weight as an indication of your health, consider how you feel - mentally and physically - and what brings you joy, fulfilment and peace. Make 2023 the year you find the healthiest, happiest version of yourself!

Get in touch if you’re looking for support or guidance on how you can improve your health and fitness in 2023, or work on improving your relationship with food and exercise.