It will be a New Year in a little over a week, which means most people are thinking about what goals they want to achieve in the New Year. I am a huge advocate for goal setting, but I don’t always make new goals in the New Year unless there is something that I know I need to work toward. Fitness is one of the most common New Year’s Resolutions because during the holidays, people sometimes get out of their routine and gain weight, so they want to get back on track. It is never too late to improve your fitness, but sadly, most fitness resolutions will fail by February because people set unrealistic fitness goals for themselves that are impossible to achieve in a year. Exercise is just as important for disabled people as it is for non-disabled people, but it is more difficult when you are disabled because fitness is not accessible. Disabled people sometimes struggle with making fitness goals because they can’t exercise to the extent non-disabled people can, and don’t know what a good fitness goal is. What fitness goals can you make in the New Year if you are disabled? In this post, I am going to talk about a few fitness goals that disabled people can make in the New Year to improve their physical health.
Move a little more each day– Most people who set fitness goals for themselves have very specific goals of things they want to achieve, and that is great if it works for you and you’re able to stay consistent. Fitness goals can help you stay motivated, and it’s important to have things to work toward so you are always improving. If you are new to exercise, sometimes the hardest part of your fitness journey isn’t the routine itself, but it’s motivating yourself to get started. If you have struggled to stay consistent with your exercise routine in the past, instead of setting a step goal for yourself, commit to moving a little more each day. Some people don’t need specific cardio goals, and they need a consistent program that they can maintain. Start with something easy because your fitness goals don’t have to be super impressive, and it can be as simple as committing to moving a little more than you are now. When I started walking more, I didn’t have any step goals because I knew the most important thing for me was to move more. You can always create specific goals later on, but start simple because you don’t want to do something that is too hard and overwhelming.
Improve your core strength- Most people who do hardcore abs workouts are doing them because they want a sick-pack. There are so many benefits to having a strong core, and it’s not just about the way it changes your body; a strong core helps improve back pain when done correctly and gives you a little more stability. When I had hip replacement surgery, I stopped training my core because abdominal workouts are a lot harder when you have limited use of your legs, and I didn’t want to do them. My core strength is not what it used to be, and exercises such as a leg lift are so much harder than I remember them being, because when you stop doing exercise, you lose strength. I don’t have any specific amount of reps that I want to work toward in my core training, and my main goal is to get my core as strong as it used to be. A strong core can be helpful for people with physical disabilities because you often use it more than a non-disabled person, and when you strengthen your core, it provides more stability.
Start stretching more- Most people are consistent with their exercise routine, but when it comes to flexibility training often it is not as much of a priority. When you are disabled or chronically ill, you often experience a lot of pain, which is why flexibility is a great fitness goal, because a good stretching routine can help improve pain. Sometimes you have joint pain because your muscles are getting tight and need to be stretched, and most people can benefit from a good stretching routine. You don’t have to stretch for a long time because even a five minute stretching routine has benefits.
Be more consistent with your workout routine- If you are one of those people who have started a fitness routine in the past but have failed, a good goal that you can make for yourself is to be more consistent. Find something that you can stick to, and if you hate exercise, instead of committing to exercise six days a week, start with two and go from there. Never underestimate the power of consistency because you will get better results the more consistent you are.
Eat a healthier diet- Some disabled people are not able to exercise and will not have any fitness goals because they are not physically able to do any exercise. If you are not able to exercise but would like to maintain a healthy weight, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to commit to eating healthier. You don’t have to follow extreme diets and tell yourself that you will never eat a cookie because that is not sustainable, and chances are it’s not going to last very long. Fitness and nutrition go hand in hand because you can get to where you want to be without ever exercising and committing to making healthier choices. You will not build muscle to the extent that someone who exercises regularly does, but you can improve your health by eating healthier. If you struggle with eating healthy, start small and make one small change instead of trying to do everything at once.
Fitness goals can help improve your physical and it is important to have goals to work toward. If you are just starting to exercise, it is okay if you have small goals because you don’t need big goals to improve your physical health. Everyone is going to have different goals, and it is okay if your only fitness goal is to move more, because we all start somewhere. It is important to ease into exercise because forcing yourself to do high-impact workouts six days a week is setting yourself up for failure, especially if you hate exercising. Fitness is more difficult for disabled people, but it’s just as important for us to exercise as it would be for a non-disabled person, even though it’s not accessible. Find something that works for you because there are so many different forms of exercise that have great benefits. I don’t think one is better than the other because the best workout is the one you will do consistently. Disabled people sometimes have to exercise in a slightly different way than non-disabled people, and that is okay because no one knows your limitations better than you do. What fitness goals are going to work toward in the New Year? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
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