The Twelve Months of Health and Fitness
While there is still a bit of the holiday season ahead of us, let’s concentrate on Twelve Months of Health and Fitness for 2024. Each month will feature a specific goal or focus to help you stay on track for all of 2024, not just the first quarter! Get out your planner/device for 2024 and write/type in the goal or focus for each month. When you flip/scroll the page on the last day of each month to the following month, you will immediately see the goal or focus for the next month reminding you, just like a scheduled appointment, where you are headed. As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.
January 2024
– “Set your template” month. If you have not already set your written short-term and long-term health and fitness goals for 2024, get busy and do it now! Remember to include both exercise and nutritional components as these are the dynamic duo of health and fitness.
February 2024
– “National Heart Month.” Concentrate on enhancing your cardiovascular endurance/stamina/power through consistent aerobic/HIIT exercise and eating a heart-healthy diet.
March 2024
– “Muscular strength training month.” Kick it up a notch and add a new muscular strength training exercise to your program. Remember, to strive for momentary muscle failure by the final two repetitions of each set of each exercise to effectively improve muscular strength.
April 2024
– “Nose to Toes Core Month.” Yes, you should be performing your abdominals/core work regularly, but this month work on creating variations, slowing your repetitions down, concentrating on bracing, anchoring, stabilizing and quality versus quantity of repetitions.
May 2024
– Interval training month. You bet you should be integrating aerobic training and HIIT into your fitness program. However, this month, if you have established a solid aerobic/steady state foundation, it is time to challenge yourself by adding HIIT and integrating shorter recovery intervals and longer exertion intervals.
June 2024
– “Perfect form/technique” month. We always strive for our most perfect form and technique during exercise based upon our limitations. But this month, get serious and refine your form, perfecting your technique for each and every exercise. Quality over quantity!
July 2024
– “Get outside” month. Continue with your consistent indoor training schedule; however, this month include outdoor training programs enjoying the warmer weather, and integrating new training drills/skills!
August 2024
– “Enjoy your vacation but don’t sink your ship” month. Enjoy your time off, you deserve it, but continue exercising and maintaining your healthy eating regimen.
September 2024
– “Back to the basics” month. You had some time off, so now get back to the basics of training by revisiting the January “setting the template” month focus.
October 2024
– “Make one small healthy dietary change” month. Find one unnecessary food that you can live without worth approximately 100kcal and either limit it or eliminate it.
November 2024
– “Get prepared for the holidays” month. Set yourself up for success this year prior to the holidays taking hold. Stay on track!
December 2024
– “Nurture yourself” month. Take time for you so that you may enjoy the holidays, family, friends, traditions, and rituals. Create a stress-free holiday season.
Taking health and fitness steps, one month at a time, with a specific goal/focus for each month, may be just the ticket you need to propel you toward health and fitness success for 2024 and beyond.
By: Jackie Wright, Owner/Manager Lakewood Fitness