10 tips to go into 2025 feeling incredible.

Countdown to a Healthier You: Finish 2024 Strong

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Picture this: 10, 9, 8, 7… the clock counts down, each second pulsing with excitement as the year fades away. 6, 5, 4… you feel incredible, reflecting on all the milestones you conquered over the past year. 3, 2, 1… Happy New Year! But this time, it’s different—because this was the year you finally bet on yourself, committed, and stuck to it. Now, you’re stepping into the new year with confidence, knowing you've laid the groundwork for even bigger wins next year.

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves—2024 isn’t over yet! In fact, there are still 3 months left. That’s a whole 12 weeks to commit and work toward starting 2025 as a healthier version of yourself.

If you want to feel healthier, more confident, and proud of yourself, then give me 10 minutes of your time, let´s set some goals, and get ready to [insert your fitness goal here]

This isn’t about achieving a six-pack by December 31st; that’s not realistic. It’s about getting back into a routine, building healthier habits, and committing to yourself. It’s about getting your fitness level up and feeling more confident so you can finally achieve those New Year’s resolutions you’ve set for the past five years. Whether it’s a sub-30-minute 5k, doing your first pull-up, hiking Ben Nevis, or simply being able to touch your toes, let’s not let another year go by.

1. Set Your Goals to go into 2025 feeling incredible

Step 1: Grab a pen and paper or open the notes on your phone.

Step 2: Now write down Long term, medium term and short term.

Step 3: Long-Term Goal: Write down one realistic goal you want to achieve next year. This could be signing up for a 10k race, completing a half marathon, or mastering three pull-ups. Great! You now have a long-term goal to aim for.

Step 4: Medium-Term Goal: Now, set a medium-term goal that will help you work toward your long-term goal. This should be something you aim to achieve by December 31st.

Step 5: Short-Term Goal: Next, set a short-term goal that you will achieve in the next 1 to 3 months.

Step 6: Now you have three goals. The next step is to make them SMART—this stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based.

Step 7: Set a review date for each goal and put it in your calendar to keep yourself accountable. Put some incentives in there too —whether it’s a spa day or a new book for sticking to your 10,000 steps goal for a month, if it will help you stick to it then do it.

Need some help visualising your goals? Use my goal setting template to plan out your short, medium and long term goals.

2. Plan Your Workouts

“A goal without a plan is just a wish,” so create a plan. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but no plan means you won’t get the results you want.

As you get back into exercise, keep it simple and enjoyable. If running isn’t your thing, go swimming or get on the bike while catching up on your favourite series. If the gym isn’t your thing, try a home workout or exercise outdoors. Make it something you want to go and do. Don’t give yourself an excuse to not do it.

To start, commit to two full-body workouts and one cardio session a week. That’s just 3 hours out of 168 hours in a week—so the “I don’t have time” excuse won’t fly!

3. Track Your Progress

You can track your sessions using a smartwatch, your phone, or the old-fashioned way—writing it down.

Tracking your workouts helps you see progress when you can’t physically SEE the progress. Keep track of sets, repetitions, weights used, and how you felt during each session.

4. Progress Your Workouts

To see results, ensure you’re progressing your workouts. Doing 10 push-ups twice a week for 12 weeks is good, but you’re probably not pushing yourself enough. Use the RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) scale to assess your effort and note any changes. Keep asking yourself “between 1 - 10 how did that feel?” If something that felt like an 8 starts to feel like less, then it’s probably a good sign to progress.

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) Scale

5. Track Your Nutrition

Achieving fitness goals largely happens in the kitchen. It’s all about calories in, calories out, and balancing macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins).

Depending on your goals, you will need to consume a certain amount of calories. Use an online calculator to determine your daily caloric needs and track your intake with an app like MyFitnessPal.

If you’re not comfortable tracking calories, consider writing down what you eat. This awareness can help you make healthier choices without feeling overwhelmed.

I am not saying don’t eat! Food is important both for fuel and enjoyment, just be mindful.

6. Make Healthier Food Choices

Evaluate your tracked meals weekly and identify areas for improvement. Just like progressing workouts, adapting your nutrition is vital for results. Remember, results are achieved 80% in the kitchen!

7. Stay Hydrated

Drinking water is one of the simplest yet most powerful things you can do for your health. It keeps you hydrated, keeps energy levels up, and helps your body function properly - from digestion to removing toxins. 

Keeping your body hydrated boosts focus, and keeps you joints happy and flexible. Also, it helps control your hunger and revs up your metabolism which can help with weight loss and other fitness goals. 

8. Daily Movement (Steps)

Daily movement is so important, not only for losing weight or improving your fitness but also for longevity and mental health.  

Regular walking helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces stress and improves mood by releasing endorphins. It also supports better digestion and energy levels. 

Set yourself a daily step count to aim for and stick to it. Try and get outside for this, obviously if it’s pouring it down then get on a treadmill or even walk around your room while you watch tv. 

Track this with your smart watch or your phone, you can usually set yourself a challenge and get streaks for not missing days. Stuff like that is great for keeping you accountable and motivating yourself to do it. 

9. Rest Days

Rest days are just as important as work out days, but obviously if every day is a rest day then you won’t see results. A rest day can still be active, do some yoga, go for a walk or play some football with your kids in the garden, just let your body recover to support progress.  Make sure you do something you enjoy doing on this day and make sure you still get your steps in. 

10. Tips for the Holidays

First of all, make sure you enjoy yourself and don’t limit the foods you eat, just limit the quantity. For example, if you want some cake, have some, just maybe don’t eat three pieces and wonder why you’re not seeing results. 

Life is all about balance, if you know you are going to a Christmas party in the evening, where you will probably drink and eat enough to have to unbutton the top button on your trousers. Then be mindful of the other food you are eating that day.

Meal prepping is also a very useful way to keep on track with your nutrition goals, it will save you time throughout the week and make it easier to make healthier choices with all the temptations around. 

Final Thoughts

So, that might have taken slightly longer than 10 minutes, but I hope it gives you a guide to becoming the person counting down to midnight—who feels healthier and ready to smash their long-term goals in 2025.

To recap: set your goals, make a plan, track your progress, stay hydrated, and enjoy your routine. Make this holiday season a balance of enjoyment and commitment to your health goals.

If you need help with this, get in touch! Also, follow me on social media for extra tips and motivation to get you through the holiday season.