As we enter a new year, many of us will be thinking of some New Year goals to set ourselves. Instead of framing these goals as strict resolutions, why not think of them as intentions? Making this small shift enables room for a more flexible approach to our goals, focusing on progress, flexibility and self-compassion 💪. Our Development Officer, Molly Poulter William, asked the Sport, Exercise and Health team what their intentions are for 2025 in this week’s blog post.
Love them or hate them, New Year Resolutions are a hot topic in January. Social media ‘For You’ pages across the globe are full of ‘New Year, New Me’ messages, Pinterest-worthy vision boards, goal-setting journal prompts and pseudo-scientific motivational quotes. And here we are, adding another New Year blog into the mix…
I am painfully aware that the health and fitness industry can be the worst culprit for capitalising on this time of year. The assault of messages centered around weight-loss and hitting the gym five times a week – it’s no wonder most of us feel personally attacked in January. But we’re not going to do that to you, because we believe that “health” and “fitness” is more than just losing weight and getting fitter.
Contrary to popular belief, the Sport, Exercise and Health (S.E.H.) division is not just a team of burpee-loving, protein-shake-wielding, high performance athletes (shock). We are a diverse group, with a huge range of expertise, interests and goals.
So, I thought, rather than listing some arbitrary goals you probably weren’t looking to adopt this year anyway, it would be more interesting and – hopefully – inspiring, to read about the varied intentions that S.E.H. staff from across the division have set themselves in 2025. From yoga to screen time; digestive health and rest, our hope is that you find inspiration in our intentions, to inspire your own gentle health goals for this year.
I want to nurture my strength. This might be with exercise or making sure I’m getting enough downtime, I want to give my mind and body the opportunity to approach each day with the knowledge that I am strong.
– Ella Waite, Sport Development Assistant (Graduate Internship)
I’ve been meaning to start a regular meditation practice for ages, as I keep hearing all about the benefits for general wellbeing – things like quietening the mind and increased ability to maintain focus. I think it would help me both at work and in my personal life and actually sounds pretty simple to implement into my daily routine.
– Nicki Willis, Marketing and Communications Officer
I want to prioritise and protect my time to go to the gym – going earlier in the day so that it is done, and I can handle stress much more easily during the day. I also want to work on my consistency: meals, rest and recovery, as I feel my new role as General Manager has hit me hard and although I can manage my team, I quite often forget to manage myself!
– Jacob Garrett, Sport Centre Manager at Coombe Dingle
I rarely make resolutions as I find them hard to stick to, but with the 50 looming, I am acutely aware I need to make some positive lifestyle changes for my long-term health. Two goals I have are to get more sleep and drink more water. I have a habit of doom-scrolling for hours and before I know it, it’s 1am. I might invest in an alarm clock and leave my phone elsewhere. And even though I have been trying to wean myself off sugar in coffee, I need to swap some of the copious amounts of coffee I drink with fresh glasses of water (and make the most of the refill stations at the Indoor Sports Centre)!
– Amanda Richardson, Sport Administrator (Systems)
I want to get outside more. Most days I’m attached to a desk and spend little or no time outside. Specifically, I’d like to watch more student clubs on a Wednesday and plan to block time each week to make sure this happens. I will also be consciously planning walks and trips at weekends to make sure I spend quality time in the fresh air.
– Matt Birch, Director of Sport, Exercise and Health
I’m not a fan of the whole ‘New Year, New You’ narrative. Why wait? If there is a change to make, and a goal to set, the Nike approach is the way to go – Just Do It. I’ve got two lined up that I have already committed to… the first, which started in November, is dietary changes, with dietician input, to better support some enduring digestive health issues. The second is to run more; I signed up to MND fundraising-adjacent online challenge in January – just 31 miles in the month. I’ll have the satisfaction of having done it and positively supported a cause, a Strava badge, an electronic certificate, and I’ll be active.
– John Wilford, Sport and Health Manager
My goal is to ensure I am away from desk for at least 30-minutes at lunchtimes. This could include sitting at another desk or table to eat my lunch, to ensure that I actively take time for a break. I am often more productive when I take a clear break from work, return to tasks with renewed energy, and eat more mindfully when not simultaneously working.
– Vicky Dickson, Business Development Officer
If you’re not sure where to start on your health, fitness or wellbeing journey this year, don’t forget you can always reach out to us for your support. Contact a member of the Sport, Exercise and Health team today and we’ll be happy to help!