How to set achievable fitness goals in the New Year

People run on treadmills at a gym. (file)

Setting a resolution is one thing, but sticking to it is another, which is why one trainer says it’s important to find the right motivation and set the right goals when kicking off a fitness journey in the New Year.

Dustin Beach, owner and head trainer of Positive Movement Fitness, joined CTV Your Morning Ottawa on Friday to share some advice on setting and sticking to fitness targets in 2026.

Identify your strengths and find your why

Beach says one of the most important parts of setting fitness goals is finding an intrinsic motivation.

That motivation might be a general interest in a specific activity, a desire to be in shape for an upcoming trip or even a desire to walk up stairs easier. Whatever the reason may be, Beach says identifying it will help build motivation.

“Let’s assume you’re someone that has run in the past and you’re like, ‘I haven’t run in a little while.’ Maybe for this person, signing up for a running group or signing up for a race — we’ve got Ottawa Race Weekend in May — that could be the kicking point that they need to stay in the habit and find some intrinsic motivation,” Beach said.

Make it easy

Oftentimes, people will go overboard when setting their initial fitness goals, especially coming into the New Year, which Beach says can lead to discouragement down the line.

“A lot of people, January 1 hits, and they’re like, ‘I’m going to start taking supplements. I’m going to do protein in the morning, change the diet. I’m going to be at the gym every day. I’m going to stretch at night,’” Beach said. “It’s too many things. It’s unsustainable.”

People will often get thrown off track by what Beach calls the big three: vacation, sickness and parties. He says these three things come up commonly and often knock people off fitness habits and food routines.

To avoid feeling dejected when setbacks happen, Beach recommends setting attainable goals and building habits that can be done easily and consistently.

“If it’s running or working out, maybe it’s a couple times a week,” he said.

“If you’re running, maybe you’re meeting a friend at the corner of the street. If you’re working out, maybe you decide to commit to a personal trainer or a class. Maybe it’s on the way home, so you don’t get to go home, you actually have to stop by the gym.”

Commit to six months

Beach says making a longer-term commitment, like half a year, is another way to avoid dropping habits when setbacks happen.

As Beach puts it, when people start to build a fitness habit, they typically experience a long list of frustrating and negative effects in the beginning.

“You can list them: I’m sore all the time. I’m tired. I just got home from work and I don’t want to go workout. I don’t know how to do this,” he said.

However, after roughly half a year of sticking to those fitness habits, Beach says people will begin to see the benefits of their routine, including changes to their body and appetite, as well as increases in energy and mood.

“Six months down the road, what we typically see is, ‘Wow, I can’t imagine life without fitness,’” he said.

After six months, the habit becomes easy to maintain and easy to pick back up again down the road if its ever put down, Beach says.

“The cons go down but the pros increase. It takes about six months of consistent habit change.”

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App