As the year comes to a close I’ve been thinking a lot about the fitness goals I set at the beginning of the year. Spoiler alert: I didn’t complete most of them. I don’t even remember some of them. Of course I wrote them down back in January, and I will revisit them at some point to figure out which ones served me well and might be shifted into next year and which ones need to be modified or discarded.
Years ago I would write myself goals like “be healthy.” You can guess how well that went. What does that even mean?! More recently I write very specific goals such as “bike xx miles this year” and “keep up with doc appointments.” These types of goals are, for me, health related but they don’t really indicate how “healthy” I am at any given moment. So lately I’ve been pondering my BIG goal around movement.
My biggest reason for intentional movement (and for keeping up with my medical appointments) is to maintain function and strength. What does that mean for me?
– Walking two big dogs without letting them walk me.
– Carrying around large/weighty bags of dog food for aforementioned big dogs.
– Walking around travel destinations without soreness or fatigue.
– Trying to carry the groceries into the house in one trip (this never happens – too many bulky items).
– Avoiding the middle aged “how did I hurt my neck/back/knee while I was sleeping” problems.
– Keeping enough movement in my joints that they feel good (or manageable) without overdoing it.
– Remembering that movement is a tool (one of many) for managing stress and anxiety (ymmv).
In order to all these things I keep my movement geared toward functional fitness, a term my trainer introduced me to many years ago, and one I hear more and more often lately. But sometimes functional fitness can feel sort of boring – I prefer FUNctional fitness. How do I keep the FUN in functional fitness?
– Working with an excellent trainer who programs tough but realistic workouts, keeps a good playlist, and makes me laugh with inappropriate jokes when some of the moves look a little ridiculous.
– Being active in a fitness-related community of supportive folks with shared interests.
– Scheduling synchronous (remote) bike sessions with a friend and then texting throughout the ride for laughter and support.
– Avoiding all diet- and weight-related talk.
– Scheduling walking dates with friends when the weather cooperates.
– Enjoying the beautiful landscape in our community.
Thinking about the upcoming new year I know I wont be making any sort of “new year, new me” proclamations. But I will be celebrating a big/milestone birthday in 2024 and that’s got me thinking about where I could make improvements in my FUN and functional fitness behaviors. One area I know I could focus on is my grip strength, which will keep my hands resilient in the face of both a knitting hobby and angsty pickle jars.
Where are you putting your FUNctional focus in 2024?
Amy Smith is a professor of Media & Communication and a communication consultant who lives north of Boston. Her research interests include gender communication and community building. Amy spends her movement time riding the basement bicycle to nowhere, walking her two dogs, and waiting for it to get warm enough for outdoor swimming in New England.
Love this post! Yes, I totally agree with you about the importance of both functional fitness and FUNctional fitness… And your goals are my goals, too. Thanks for articulating it for all of us.