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Healthy and Sustainable Goals for the New Year

Rachel Richardson's Nutritional and Fitness Strides

Article by Kendall Houlton

Photography by Isabel Photography (@shadowandlight_byisabel)

Originally published in Boise Lifestyle

Leading by example is the most persuasive strategy! More is caught than taught, so if your family sees you being active and taking care of your body by eating healthy food they will naturally gravitate towards that as well

Some of us meditate daily, some of us sweat for an hour in our garage, some of us dream of a #fitspo life and some of us hit the snooze button and fall back asleep. Face it, 2020 was a year of roller coaster rides for all of us but Rachel Richardson of @earned.not.given.nutrition is one not to let the grass grow under her feet and shows us that we can start making strides for a better 2021.

How can one start off the New Year with reasonable and sustainable fitness goal?

When thinking about setting new goals when it comes to health and fitness you want to think in the now. What I mean by this is- what actionable steps can you take TODAY to create a positive impact? Many will go straight to a goal of losing (or gaining) 20 pounds, but we want to start by building a foundation of sustainable habits. Start by looking at your sleep, your recovery, your hydration, and your food choices. Small steps make a large goal more manageable and more sustainable in the long run.

What are some tips to achieving these goals at home and staying safe?

If you are training or focusing on your nutrition from home be careful where you get your knowledge from. We live in a society that wants the “overnight fix”, but when it comes to your health it should be about the long game. Make sure you are getting your information from a reputable source and if you’re unsure reach out to a local trainer or coach. Just like with setting any goal, start small. If you’re focusing on nutrition, start by eating one less meal outside of the home or taking your own snacks with you to work. If you’re focusing on fitness, really dial in bodyweight movements before adding weight into the equation.

Is there a way to encourage my family in a joint fitness goal for 2021?

Having a support system is huge so I am in complete support of having your family join in! Make it fun, your movement for the day does not have to be in a gym. Go on a hike, bike ride,  learn a new hobby together like skiing or backpacking. A fun way to get the family involved in your nutrition goals that I found was to draw a new country out of a hat each week and make a meal from that country, have the family collaborate on what to make and get them involved in the kitchen, even your smaller children will love the opportunity to mix together some ingredients.

What is your advice for working with and accepting the bodies we have?

Our bodies are amazing. Look at everything you have gone through, everything you have survived up until now. Your body did that! We all go through ups and downs in body confidence. Something that really helps me is positive affirmations. Every morning in a notebook write down three positive affirmations. This helps frame your mindset for the day and in general provide a positive outlook. We all start somewhere and our body is capable of so much more than we give it credit for, we just have to start.

How can I incorporate weight training with day to day exercise such as biking or walking?

Variety is what keeps things interesting. I am a huge advocate for getting at least 8,000 steps every day. This is the total of your normal activity and any dedicated walking or running you do in addition. When incorporating weight training with your walking, running, or biking your goals will determine the best plan of action. Do you want to get stronger or do you want to improve your cardiovascular endurance? You will want to prioritize your goal. You can train both at the same time in moderate amounts without one significantly interfering with the other, but this will start to break down at higher intensities. 

DETAILS

Rachel Richardson

Coach/Owner: Earned Not Given Nutrition

EarnedNotGivenNutrition.com

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