There is no better time than now to keep ourselves healthy in every way. We deserve to be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually healthy—especially with a global pandemic and so much political and social turmoil going around.

While not everything is within your control, there are certain things you can do and steps you can take to keep yourself as healthy and optimal as possible. There’s only a month left until the first quarter of the year ends. And even if you have already broken your fitness resolutions for 2022, it’s never too late. Here are some pointers you can consider to get yourself back on the right track.

Get accountable

If you have never experienced enlisting the help of reputable personal coaches or trainers, now is a good time to do so. Here are the benefits of having fitness professionals helping you reach your goals:

• You can be sure that the workout regimen you’re doing is personally customized or bespoke for your specific needs, goals, and lifestyle. You can certainly opt to copy some free exercises on YouTube or everywhere else on the internet. Still, those workouts might not necessarily help you achieve the results you’re looking for because they weren’t made for your health or body.
• It will provide you with access to support and helpful accountability. If you have always been shy about the notion of asking for help from the people in your life, fitness professionals can do that for you. The best part is that they can keep you accountable without making you feel judged in any way.
• Enlisting the help of a personal coach eliminates the need for you to go to a public gym and have to share space or equipment with strangers. In the time of COVID-19, this is advantageous, if not necessary.
• You can be sure that everything you’re doing is healthy, from workouts to diets. Moreover, you can be sure that the regimen they give you is geared toward long-term results and not just short-term effects.

Consider enlisting the help of a fitness coach. Think of it as an investment in your long-term health and happiness. The future you deserve it.

Don’t focus on weight or appearance

Many are getting into fitness to improve their appearance or to see a visible and tangible weight loss result. And there’s nothing wrong with this endeavor. It only becomes wrong when it becomes the ultimate reason one is working out, instead of one of the reasons.

When you focus too much on weight loss instead of your health, you run the risk of setting yourself up for failure. Think of it this way: What happens next when the goal is simply to lose the fat? Did it improve your physical health and overall wellness at all? Don’t think of weight loss as the goal; consider it as a positive consequence or after effect of living a healthier life.

Lower your effort and start small

If you started the year doing too much too soon, then that might be the reason you crashed too soon as well. In three months, you can’t undo a habit that you developed in three decades. When making positive lifestyle changes, slow and steady wins the race. Here are some ways you can get yourself back on the horse after a crash:

• Set more realistic goals this time. Instead of vowing to work out two hours every day, set a goal that you think is more plausible, like fifteen minutes per day, and work your way up from there after a month or so.
• Monitor your progress. Keep a notebook with you at all times, and check if your endurance is getting better.
• Choose short-term goals as well. Don’t keep your eye too much on the long-term—take everything day by day, and one day you will find yourself surprised by the fact that you were able to steer your life in a healthier direction.

Focus on your “being”

Why do you want to be healthier in the first place? Instead of focusing on what you want to have or what you want to do after achieving your goals, focus on what you want to be. Do you want to be healthy? How about athletic? Concentrating on your being will help you stay more consistent.

Your future self will thank you for sticking to your fitness resolutions now. There is very little in the world you have control over, but you have some say in your wellness. So stick to your fitness resolutions this year. You can do it!