While there is still a bit of the holiday season ahead of us, let’s concentrate on the 12 months of health and fitness for 2020. Each month will feature a specific goal to help you stay on track for all of 2020, not just the first quarter. Get out your planner and write in the goal or focus for each month. As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.
January — Set your template. If you have not already set your short-term and long-term health and fitness goals for 2020, 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 — National Heart Month. Concentrate on enhancing your cardiovascular endurance, stamina and power through consistent aerobic/HIIT exercise and eating a heart-healthy diet.
March — Muscular strength training. 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 every exercise to improve muscular strength.
April — Nose to toes: Core. 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 — Interval training. 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 — Perfect form/technique. 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. Less is more!
July — Get outside. Get outside for your training this month, enjoy the warmer weather and try something new.
August — Enjoy your vacation, but don’t sink your ship. Enjoy some time off. You deserve it, but continue exercising and maintaining your healthy eating regimen.
September — Back to basics. You had some time off, so now get back to the basics of training by revisiting January’s focus on “setting the template.”
October — Make one small healthy dietary change. Find one unnecessary food that you can live without worth approximately 100kcal and either limit it or eliminate it.
November — Get prepared for the holidays. Set yourself up for success prior to the holidays taking hold. Stay on track!
December — Nurture yourself. 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 or focus for each month may be just the ticket you need to propel you toward health and fitness success for 2020 and beyond.
Jackie Wright is the owner/manager of Mountain Life Fitness in Granby. She may be reached at her website at www.mtnlifefitness.com and her email at jackie@mtnlifefitness.com.