9 Pros Share Their 2023 Wellbeing Goals
Lee Mullins
Founder of Workshop Gymnasium
I’ll be scaling things back. I’m due to have my first child at the end of the month, so am not setting any lofty fitness goals, other than aiming to get at least three workouts in per week. I appreciate there will be change and I’ll need to be more reactive with a newborn to raise, so setting myself an achievable goal seems sensible. Eating protein three to four times a day will also ensure I at least retain what strength and lean muscle mass I have, while keeping my body composition balanced. If I can do all that with a newborn, I’m winning.
Learning a new skill is a great goal. Last year, I set myself a fitness goal to become technically sound at boxing, which I think I have achieved. I worked with an old-school boxing coach four times a week. As with learning any new skill, the more you can immerse yourself, the better.
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Roger Dupé
Founder of Melyon
I want to focus on my mind. My life as an entrepreneur and model means I’m always on the go and I struggle to unwind. This year, I’m determined to get involved with meditation – I hope the stillness it provides will give me sharpness and focus, and give me time for my mind and body to heal. I’ll start with meditation before bed and want to work up to doing one yoga session a week.
I hope to work on flexibility. I’m super bad at stretching – I exercise three to four times a week but always forget to stretch, so it’s something I need to be better at. Hopefully weekly yoga will do the trick.
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Samuel Downing
PT at F45
It’s all about scheduling exercise. Last year, I set myself a goal of being more accountable for my workouts and ensuring I fitted them in between training clients. I set myself the goal of two in-studio workouts, one home workout and one outdoor run. I finally feel like I’ve found balance with my training and hope to stick to this in 2023.
I’ll be tracking my macros. My wife and I are having a baby in April, so we are being more conscious of what we eat. MyFitnessPal is a great way to stay on top of your meals and macros – I’ll be using it to track my eating and keep me on track.
Recovery is key. Self-care and mobility aren’t areas I gave much thought to until I picked up an injury last summer – I developed golfer’s elbow from an under-activation of the nerves in my forearm. To aid recovery I saw a great osteopath – George from Pinnacle Fitness in Whetstone – and after a couple of sessions and rehab sessions, all was under control. To avoid injury this year, I plan to have monthly check-ins with an osteopath and regular deep-tissue massages.
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Nick Mastenbroek
Perfumer at Ruth Mastenbroek
I’m a big believer in the power of daily habits. My exercise regime disappeared entirely at the end of 2022 as work took priority. This year, I am determined to move my body every day in some shape or form – whether it’s a lunchtime run or evening HIIT session. Linking your goals to your personal ‘why’ factor is important to give them lasting power. For me, health and fitness goals are linked to my personal growth objectives – I want to be a better husband, father, boss, colleague and son.
I want to get back into meditation. Until I had my son (who is almost two), I would meditate every morning for five to 20 minutes. I’ve missed the calm and serenity it brought to my mind. Now he’s a little older and waking at a more predictable time, I’m aiming to carve out 30 minutes before he wakes to meditate.
My vice is coffee. I have several cups in the morning but want to try and cut down to avoid the jitteriness that comes with it. I’m hoping this will also help my sleep. It can also interfere with smelling ingredients, which is what I do daily in my role as a perfumer, so it will help at work, too.
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David Wiener
Training & nutrition specialist at Freeletics
I don’t believe in resolutions. Instead, I set myself a bigger goal as well as several micro-goals to help me towards the end goal. My wife had twins last year and we already had a toddler, so I spent last year learning how to find the balance with exercise and looking after my family. I learnt to be easier on myself and have less of an ‘all or nothing’ mentality, realising that all movement is good. A goal setting planner which doubled as a journal helped with this. I would plan for each month, breaking it down by week, and allow myself ‘passes’ when life got in the way. I was religious about setting these goals each month and documenting my highs and lows for personal growth.
I want to work out 10% more this year. I’m turning 40 this year, so my mind is very much on my personal health and fitness. I currently work out three times a week, which is around 156 times a year – I’d like to better this by 10% and work out 172 days this year, which feels do-able. When it comes to fitness goals, you just need to do what you can, when you can and be consistent to create sustainable, long-term healthy habits.
I’m going to cut down on salt. As I approach my milestone birthday, this is something I am mindful of. This will mean more cooking from scratch and putting more planning into meals and eating less pre-packaged foods.
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Shane Collins
Founder of Kobox, Circuit Society & NUA Health
Sleep is integral to health and wellbeing. If you work in the fitness industry, very early starts are par for the course, which can be tricky if, like me, you’re a night owl. I’ve used a Lumie light for years, which helps wake you more naturally, and I try to stop using screens a couple of hours before bed. Last year, I set myself a goal of prioritising sleep but haven’t done as well as I wanted to. I’m hoping this year I’ll finally nail a solid sleep cycle.
I’ll lock in three workouts a week. I opened three gyms in the last six months, so my own fitness regime has taken a bit of a hammering. My goal this year is to commit to three workouts a week. I use time-blocking as a tool to manage my work life – i.e. scheduling specific time to different tasks and being brutal with anything that doesn’t fit into that schedule – and plan to do the same with fitness.
Cold therapy is great for the mind. Most people associate it with sports recovery, but I’m more interested in the impact it has on the mind. When you simplify it, cold water is a stress on the body, so learning to deal with it and finding a way to cope with that stress is an excellent exercise for the brain and nervous system.
I’ll be adding collagen to my daily routine. Taking collagen may not be the most masculine thing to do, but it’s great for your joints, ligaments and tendons, all of which need support as we age.
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Omar Mansour
PT
A minimum of seven hours’ sleep is essential. Sleep is integral to all aspects of our physical and mental health, and it’s something I’ll continue to prioritise this year. I recently pushed back my workday to start a little later and go to bed slightly earlier to ensure I get at least seven hours. My energy has increased and I feel perkier throughout the day.
I’m training for Hyrox. A functional fitness competition, it’s the gold standard of physical challenges. Over the next two months, I’ll be working with a coach, training five to six times per week, with the aim of getting on the podium. I’m also aiming to have my second white-collar boxing match – training will focus on pad work and sparring.
Yin yoga will help me unwind. Most of my training is high intensity, and I want to introduce meditation and yin yoga to calm my nervous system.
Visit OmarMansour.co.uk
Bradley Rose
Peloton instructor
As a stroke survivor, my health is my priority. Having been told I’d never train at this level again, I now accept that going to the gym and getting on the bike is a gift. On the days I’m feeling unable to train, I give myself compassion, and understand that my mental health is also a huge part of my overall health. My health goal this year is to be honest when I’m not feeling 100% – it can be hard to give yourself the time and space to heal.
Small steps add up over time. Every year I strive to be 1% better than the previous year, whether it’s across my happiness, physicality or self-care – if I do more than that, awesome. Goals are about moving forward, and even a small step is a step.
I’ll use supplements to support brain health. MCT oil, Heights, cod liver oil and magnesium will be my daily staples.
Visit OnePeloton.co.uk
Thomas Davis
Professional athlete for INCUS Performance
I’m working towards the Ironman championships. The competition is in Hawaii in October, and it’s been the goal in the back of my mind for the last few years. To qualify, I’m looking at a 45-minute swim (3.8km), a 4 hour 10 minute ride for 180km on the bike and a 2:35 timing marathon. I’m confident small improvements and changes to my training will pay off over the next few months.
Endurance training requires you to look at the bigger picture. I’ll be approaching training with a long-term approach, rather than one or two big sessions. Being an endurance athlete requires consistency and a realistic training plan that builds sensibly. Strength, conditioning and a rigorous mobility programme also play a part. At the same time, I need to remind myself that one bad day doesn’t make or break your goals.
Food is fuel. I am vegetarian and am fairly disciplined around treats but want to give my nutrition 100% focus this year to fuel my training. For me, it’s about a great balance of carbs, protein and healthy fats. Even if you want to lose a few pounds, skimping on food around training sessions will only cause compromises further down the line.
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DISCLAIMER: Features published by SheerLuxe are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. Always seek the advice of your GP or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programme.
