Health and fitness goals in 2023 are encouraged by Fearless Health owner Melissa Woodward

According to finder 72 per cent of Australians will make a resolution for 2023, and a lot of the time they include fixing bad habits, going to the gym more or creating a healthy lifestyle.

Dubbo women's health coach, Melissa Woodward said new year's resolutions often have a pass or fail outcome.

"They are are often big commitments like going to the gym every single day. When you miss a day, you feel like you have failed and you give up," the Fearless Health business owner said.

"If you really want to make a change, it's about understanding where you want to be with your health and choosing one step at a time to add to your life. Commit to two days at the gym and when you can handle more, make it three days."

While social media can be a really useful tool when it comes to health and fitness, it can also be detrimental and residents are urged to take care.

"Social media is able to portray what is working for that one person's body or health. But we don't get to know their full picture. We don't know what family support might be in place or their financial situation. We don't know any other health conditions or genetics at play," Ms Woodward said.

"We can only assume that if it works for them, then we must be doing something wrong to not have the same results, which can have a serious impact on our self worth and body image.

"In reality, we could all eat the same, exercise the same amount but have different results. We need to look at social media as inspiration or for connection with those on a similar journey."

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When looking to stick to your health goals, it's important to remember why you want to make the change. Ms Woodward suggests asking yourself the question of what it is you want to experience in life or be capable of doing.

"Often weight loss goals are set but weight loss isn't really the goal. It's all the things you envision that losing weight will change for you," Ms Woodward said.

"You may find though, that once you start the commitment to your health, you will be able to experience more in life even if your weight hasn't changed."

Staying committed and motivated to your resolution also comes with its challenges.

"Motivation is fleeting. Instead of focusing on having motivation, we need to consider creating habits and routines to help stay consistent," she said.

"When you are lacking motivation to exercise, commit to start moving. Often you will find that once you get started, the endorphins kick in and you get it done."

When setting health and fitness goals, Ms Woodward recommends starting with a check up with your general practitioner to address any physical health conditions.

"Remember you are a whole person, look at your mental health state, assess your sleep and make a plan that works on one thing at a time," she said.

While many like to make grand plans for a new year, Ms Woodward wants to remind residents that you can make a change at any time of the year.

"Obstacles will come up so be flexible in your approach and keep coming back to those health habits that serve you most," she said.

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