What are your fitness goals for 2023?

[RebeccaFitbit]

Hey everyone - starting a new topic for 2023! 

We're only a week in 2023, so it's the perfect time to discuss what we are hoping to accomplish for the year. Feel free to update this thread as you reach milestones! 

For me: I've had some injuries that I'm working through but recently adopted a dog (see photo - our gorgeous Mimi) so hitting 10k steps a day should be a given! I'd also like to do more low-impact strengthening workouts, like barre and pilates. 

What about you all? Let me know! 

[Vidd]

Updating for the end of July.

 I had to reduce my goals a lot in mid-month, but since then, the left knee has improved quite a bit.  It's still not that easy going downhill, but it's more uncomfortable than outright painful, so I'm grateful for that.  As a result of cutting down, my average daily target (ADT) needed to achieve the yearly goal of 100 vertical miles started to creep back up.  At the start of the year, the ADT was 147 floors per day.  By early July, it was down to 95, but then started creeping up, and was nearly 100 by July 24th.  I'm now able to do over 100 floors each day again, partly through gritted teeth, and the ADT is back down, now standing at 94.4.

July saw a total of 4110 floors, and my total height climbed so far this year by the end of July is 73.37 miles.

[EdmundC]

I always see the Fitbit goals are helpful data, working to meet the goal can be very helpful but concentrating on your physical sensations is far more important.  It's good to hear that your left knee is feeling better, I always think that being very aware of your physical sensations as you perform exercise is vital so that you can start to be aware of how your body is responding.  For example when I walk I will often vary my foot's angle as it moves forward to start the next stride, walking a little on the outer side of my feet or the inner side while normally I will walk "flat footed" ... but varying the foot angle affects the knees and can help you guess what's happening to the muscles around the knee.

[Vidd]

Thanks, @EdmundC , that makes a lot of sense.

August update - the left knee suffered a relapse a couple of weeks ago, and it's taking its time recovering.  I''ve had useful physio on it, and have been shown how to tape it up as well - and also have an Xray of both knees next week.

I've had to cut steps down again, and my original target of 11M steps is looking questionable, despite the fact that I was well on course for comfortably above 12M.  I'm now hoping to get to 10M, for which I need 16,000 per day.  August saw a total of 3808 floors, with my total vertical mileage up to 80.98.  The ADT is now down to 89.0 floors.

[Vidd]

September's how gone, so here's my monthly update.

Had both knees x-rayed but even after nearly four weeks, the results haven't come through to my doctor.  Our National Health Service has lots of fantastic people in it, but they are sorely stretched, as well as often underpaid.  My doc said he'd refer me to a specialist anyway, which is good news, especially as our county has a a wonderful orthopaedic hospital near to the Welsh border.

There's been no real change in the knees since I last posted, so my daily goals have remained modest - and I've managed to keep to them, so at the moment, it looks like I should be able to get to 10M steps for the year.  I now need a daily average of 15252.  Floors were down as well - 2991 in September, but I'm getting enough done each day to keep the target of 100 vertical miles alive.  My total at the end of September was 86.65 miles, and the ADT is now down to 85.46 floors. 

[Mark310]

stay strong..

[Vidd]

October has slipped into November:  here's my monthly update.

The knee X-ray results finally came back.  Everything in our National Health Service now takes so long:  it's woefully understaffed.   One knee has early osteoarthritis, and the other doesn't (came back "normal") but hurts more.  I've now got two referrals going on, and learned that the waiting time is currently 44 weeks.  I'm trying to persuade my doctor to upgrade the first referral (not the knees) to urgent.....

My daily goals have remained modest and I've continued to keep to them, so unless my knees get much worse, I should get to 10M for the year.  Floors were slightly up on September - 3230 in September, and the 100 vertical miles target is getting closer.  My total at the end of October was 92.77 miles, and the ADT is now down to 76.28 floors. 

Weather is still kind.  What could set it off track would be if we got a big freeze.  Fingers crossed that we don't!

[Vidd]

Good news first - I leant on my doctor to upgrade my referral.  He did, and I have an appointment with a specialist on Monday December 4th.  It might turn out not to be the right specialist, but I hope that having got this far the one I talk to will be able to get me to whoever can sort things out best.

England's been having a pretty cold snap over the last few days, but no snow yet, at least not on the Welsh border, so the ground is still OK for walking.

It's been a month where I've been able to chip away at those goals still.  Floors for November were 3331, so up on October despite being a day shorter.  The target of 100 vertical miles is now within easy reach, barring disasters.  The ADT at the end of November was 45.71 floors, and it's been coming down by more than one floor per day recently.  My total vertical mileage at the end of the month was 97.36.  10M steps for the year now needs an ADT of less than 7000, so I have an additional number to go for, which should be doable - to end the year on 111,111,111 all-time steps.  For that, there's now an ADT of 16,624.  It would be nice to hit that one spot-on on December 31st!

[Vidd]

Well, it was more of a triaging appointment, but the lady I saw did listen carefully and took plenty of notes.  Her assessment was that it was a matter of finding the right person for me to see.  Sixteen days later, i.e. on the 20th, I will have a phone call from her, following meetings she will have had with others at the hospital.

The cold snap has gone, and temperatures are just into double figures now.  Not much sun.  I went past 10M steps for the year on December 12th and today I got fractionally over 100 vertical miles.  I'll be able to ease down on the hill climbing now - it's coming down them that is really hard!  The 111,111,111 target is certainly doable, but I've got to be careful not to overshoot.  Just over 15,000 steps per day needed now.

[Vidd]

Sorry - late update.  Aiming for that 111,111,111 (in 11 years) at year end, but also not dipping below 15,000 per day, I nearly overdid it by December 20th, and needed a daily average of just over 15K.  all went well on December 31st, but it's really hard to stop on exact number of steps when a little machine is counting them!  In the end I overshot slightly.

My vertical mileage for 2023 ended up at 102.03.