My 2026 Wellness Resolutions: How I'm Getting Stronger, Calmer, and More Intentional This Year

For years, I made the same kind of resolutions. Get in better shape. Eat cleaner. Be less stressed. And every year by February, I would find myself wondering why nothing had stuck. It was not until my forties — when I finally took my health seriously and began this fitness journey — that something shifted in how I thought about all of it.

Wellness, I realized, is not a fix. It is a relationship. And like any good relationship, it takes intention, honesty, and a willingness to show up even when it is inconvenient.

Now, as I move through 2026, I do not set resolutions so much as rituals. Goals that align with who I am, not who I think I should be. I am not chasing quick results. I am building momentum that I actually want to carry into next year, and the year after that.

I want to share what that looks like for me — and offer a few ideas that might help you shape your own year with a little more intention.

Reflecting First: What I Learned and What I'm Leaving Behind

Before I set anything new, I take time to look back. Last year taught me a lot about my body, my schedule, and my limits.

I maintained a consistent strength training routine even through my busiest teaching seasons. I made recovery a real priority — not an afterthought. I said yes to more rest days and let go of the guilt that used to come with them. Our SoulFit community kept me grounded and accountable in ways I did not expect.

I also hit some walls. I overcommitted mid-year and had to pull back from a few things. I did not fuel my body as intentionally as I should have, especially on long teaching days. Hydration slipped toward the holidays — a reminder that the basics matter most when life gets full.

All of it has shaped how I am approaching this year: more mindful, more sustainable, and more aligned with where I actually am.

My Three Wellness Focus Areas for 2026

Rather than a long list of rules or restrictions, I am organizing my year around three pillars: movement, recovery, and mindset. These will guide my decisions and help me stay grounded when things get chaotic.

1. Move with Purpose, Not Pressure

I am not chasing any particular body transformation this year. My goal is to stay strong, energized, and mobile — for the long term.

That means protecting three strength sessions a week, even if they are just thirty minutes at home with dumbbells. It means continuing to teach with heart and keeping my group classes full of music and community. It means more dynamic warm-ups, slower evening stretches, and actually giving my joints the attention they have earned.

I am also giving myself a small challenge each month: try something new. A different yoga class, a new format, a YouTube workout I would not normally choose. Not because I need variety for its own sake, but because trying new things keeps me curious — and curiosity keeps me consistent.

This year, movement is about joy. Not punishment.

2. Protect Rest and Restoration

As someone who teaches, lifts, and moves for a living, recovery is not optional. I have learned that the hard way more than once.

My recovery rituals for 2026 are simple and sustainable. I add a scoop of 3D Labs Nutrition Collagen Powder to my morning coffee most days — it has become a quiet part of my routine that I genuinely look forward to. I use their magnesium before bed as part of a wind-down ritual that also includes putting my phone down, dimming the lights, and giving myself permission to stop. Sleep is sacred, and I am treating it that way.

Sunday is my rest day and I am keeping it that way — not because I always feel like resting, but because I know my body asks for it even when I do not notice. Walks outside without headphones, a few minutes with the massage gun after a hard class, time away from screens — these are the things that help me feel restored. They may sound small, but they add up.

I want to be clear: these are my personal habits, and what works for me may look different for you. If you have questions about recovery, supplements, or anything health-related, talking with a qualified professional is always the right move.

3. Train the Mind Like the Body

Fitness has shaped the way I think about my own resilience. The mental side of this journey has been just as important to me as the physical one — and this year, I am being equally intentional about my inner world.

That looks like morning affirmations that actually mean something to me. Simple gratitude journaling a few times a week — just three things, no performance required. Saying no to things that consistently drain me without giving anything back. Reading something that challenges or inspires me each month.

I am also keeping my word for the year close: rooted. Rooted in routine. Rooted in community. Rooted in who I am and who I am still becoming. When things feel chaotic, that word helps me come back to what matters.

How I'm Keeping These Intentions Realistic

Setting goals is the easy part. Keeping them is where most of us stumble — myself included.

What has helped me most: starting small and building from there. My morning routine began with just water and a few quiet minutes. Now it has grown into something I genuinely protect. I anchor new habits to things I already do — stretching while coffee brews, taking my supplements right after brushing my teeth. I make my goals visible by writing them somewhere I will actually see them.

Most importantly, I check in with myself at the end of each month — not just in January. A quick look at what is working and what needs adjusting. Resolutions do not expire in February. They are just getting started.

Resolutions I Am Not Making This Year

This part matters just as much.

I am not resolving to take up less space. I am not punishing my body for how I ate over the holidays. I am not starting over — I am continuing, with more wisdom and more compassion than I had before.

I am not chasing someone else's version of fit. I am not shaming myself for needing rest, slower seasons, or days when showing up means a gentle walk and a good night's sleep. None of that is failure. All of it is the work.

I hope you will give yourself that same permission.

Choose Your Wellness Word

Instead of a hundred things to do this year, consider starting with one: how do you want to feel?

Strong? Calm? Grounded? Present? Joyful? Free?

Choose your word. Write it down. Then let it guide what you say yes to, and what you let go of. Mine is rooted. Yours might be something entirely different — and that is exactly as it should be.

Stay Rooted, Not Rushed

Here is what I want you to take from this: you are not behind. Wherever you are starting from, whatever the month or the season, there is room for intention. There is room for a new ritual. There is room to begin again.

The goal is not to have a perfect year. It is to move through the year more deliberately than the one before. Stronger in some ways, calmer in others, and a little more honest with yourself about what you actually need.

If you want to come move together, check the Classes page for current locations and times — I would love to see you there. And if you are curious about any of the products I use in my own routine, the Nutrition page has more details.

Stay happy and healthy!