What are your fitness goals for 2024?

[RebeccaFitbit]

Hey everyone, 

It's the start of a New Year, 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! 

In 2023, I wanted to do low-impact exercises + walk my dog Mimi more and I'm happy to say that I accomplished that! (see photo of Mimi below in her winter coat looking cute as proof). This year, I want to focus more on strength training and exploring other kinds of fitness, outside of my comfort zone! 

What are you looking to accomplish in 2024? Let the Fitbit Community know! 

[UnderTenPercent]

My goal is to average 20,000 daily steps for 2024!

[LizC864]

I would like to get over my fear of raising my heart rate. I started walking but every time I see my heart rate hit 100, I slow down or stop. I have no idea why I started being so afraid, but seriously I'm afraid I'm going to have a heart attack or something. I'm overweight but not a lot & I'm a 58 year old female. I have no medical conditions or past events that would warrant this fear. I just woke up one day terrified of killing myself with exercise. I think it started when I noticed my heart would start racing in the mornings. I would wake up, walk in the kitchen, ask Alexa a question (for the news headlines, etc) & was completely out of breath. I started tracking my heart rate & saw that it was hitting about 120 (just from walking into the kitchen?). That went on for about a year & seems to have stopped now ... but I'm still paranoid.

[Lisamarie55]

I walk 3 to 4 miles a day on a treadmill  I will be 56 in two months. I have had cancer twice and a mini stroke last month. I think you should be okay. However, talk to your doctor. This is what i walked in 90 minutes Lisa

[LizC864]

Thank you, that's what I needed to hear. It's an unfounded fear that came out of nowhere & I know logically it makes no sense at all & It's much better for me to work out than not.

[Lisamarie55]

Please just start slowly 

Remember the tortoise 🐢 won the race. :chequered_flag: 

[Vidd]

@LizC864 I can understand you might be worried, and quite possibly the worry contributes to your increased heart rate. 

Have you considered asking your doctor to check you out?  It could help to put your mind at rest.

[Triletics]

@LizC864 if you have no any heart condition your body has plenty of mechanisms that will prevent any unfortunate event. You won't be able to keep your HR very high because you'll feel fatigued. This is how your body forces you to slow down. The fact that people are often afraid of elevating their HR is one of the reasons why they never progress with their cardio fitness. If you have doubts check with a doctor. If you're greenlit then enjoy tougher efforts.

[Triletics]

My main goal for this year is met (was met in May). 50-mile trail ultra marathon:

[Lisamarie55]

That is a fantastic goal!
I plan to lose the last of my weight! I am 3.3 pound away from my first
goal of a weight of 150 pounds! In 2022 I weighed 274! I feel so much
healthier. I do need prayers if possible. I am going for a hysterectomy in
3 weeks and I heard the recovery time is slow! Today I will go to the
breast center to see if another mastectomy is needed. I am so afraid I will
start gaining weight back while I am laid up!
I still need to lose 25 pounds or so!

--
Lisa Marie Hill

[LizC864]

Thank you. What's sad is that I used to know all this. I mean, what happened? I'm suddenly afraid? I guess I just hit the age where I don't feel indestructible anymore, but after going through the fire academy at 45 & having no health conditions, I should know I'm fine to walk on the treadmill. Sheesh!

[LizC864]

My fitbit contributes to my increased heart rate! I swear every since I have my heart rate on my wrist I stress about that more than anything else! LOL

[Triletics]

@LizC864 I totally understand you. I also got a bit panicked when got my first fitness tracker and saw that my HR goes through the roof when exercising (over supposedly my max HR) and my resting HR was way below 60. I did check myself and it came up that it's all normal 🤷. My RHR (now in the low 40s) is genetic (when I was obese, I had the resting HR of a fit person) and max is whatever my heart is able to reach (forget about 220-age). Most people will never know what their max HR is because they never reach it in their lifetime.

[LizC864]

It's not just me! I am SO glad I didn't have my fitbit when I was on the fire department. Or, perhaps I would have learned that it's normal & I wouldn't even bat an eye at the readings now. The fitbit has the levels for cardio, etc yet I'm too afraid to let my heart rate get that high, which is silly because it's a good thing. I mean, that's why those levels are there. It's a goal, not a fear to avoid. I know I'm being completely illogical about this. Now one time I KNEW I was in trouble was a month & a half ago when I got very stressful news (death of my adult son) & my heart rate stayed in the triple digits for 3 solid days. I mean even when I was in bed I couldn't slow my heart rate. They're right, stress CAN kill you. Other than that though, I feel fine, I look fine, I have no reason to be so fearful of exercise. It's just a brand new irrational fear that popped up on my about 2 years ago. I did see a doctor once about my abnormally low RHR, blood glucose level, cholesterol, etc. He said in some people it's just normal to run low across the board & as long as it's not bothering me or causing any issues, don't worry about it. I'm a lot older now & my RHR is now in the "normal" range.

[Kevans326]

Hi - I just saw this thread. 

I was shooting for 60k steps per week. Some weeks I can do it but I'd like to get there consistently. 

[Grlbiker]

Trying to get back into the swing of things. My health insurance started this plan with sharecare - where I got a free fitbit and that's where this journey all started BUT in middle of a 12 wk program they just ended it without a word. Started a new one called ERN or eat right now; I was very discouraged and stopped being consistent, I didn't want to start all over again, or have to enter info twice. Now have realized I gained all the weight I had lost due to my lack of consistency. So id like to get back to daily tracking and logging, exercise 3x a week and eat better. 

[Grlbiker]

How has it gone, how many miles are y a up too

[Grlbiker]

Me too but have done poorly

[Sparkle1767]

I’m working on adding some chair exercises. I’ve had a few strokes and luckily still able to walk. But unable to do more than chair exercises. 

[Lisamarie55]

God bless Just take your time. Staying Active is good. However Your heath is more important. Lisa

[chris_in_cal]

Time for a new thread....

Welcome 2025