10 New Year’s Resolutions That Are Way More Specific (and Attainable) Than “Get in Shape”

Burpees are a full-body exercise you can do anywhere without any equipment, so they’re great for eliminating excuses. (No gym membership? Short on time? Snowing outside? Burpees are having none of these excuses.) Plus they’re effective as hell. Find your baseline by timing yourself for five sets of five with as much rest as you need between sets, then double that time to determine the number of days it should take you to work your way to 25 continuous burpees (if it took you 12 minutes, for example, you’ve got 24 days to reach your goal). Aim to do your 25 burpees five days per week, working up to two sets of 10, plus one set of five by the halfway mark, then decreasing rest between sets until you’re a bona-fide burpee master.

Signing up for a race is a great way to break down “get in shape” into an actionable training plan with a deadline and some accountability. Whether it’s your very first 5K or 10K or a longer distance like a half or full marathon, you can search Active.com for a local race that’s in line with your goals, then find a training plan that will get you to the finish line.

A strong core can make you better at nearly any activity from running to yoga to sex (yeah, I said it). If stronger abs are on your “get in shape” master list (and they should be), turn that desire into an actionable goal by finding a 10-minute ab routine and doing it every other day until you have it committed to memory and can do it without stopping. Find a great routine to start with, a quick routine from Barry’s Bootcamp trainer Astrid Swan, or a routine with just three moves. Whichever routine you choose, your abs can be transformed with a consistent approach.

If yoga is already part of your somewhat regular routine, choosing one pose to master is a great goal you can work on off your mat as well as in class. Pick a pose you like but can’t quite get all the way into or hold as long as you’d like. Maybe it’s Boat pose to challenge your abs, Eagle pose to work on balance, or a hip-opening pose to improve mobility. Ask your yoga teacher how you can work on the posture on your own — most teachers will be thrilled to help you break down the movement into smaller parts you can work on at home while you watch TV. Take a photo of yourself in the posture on Jan. 1, set aside 10 minutes to practice at lest three times per week, and see how much improvement you can make in just 30 days.

There is no shortage of plank variations, and nearly all of them will work your core and arms, plus provide a quick burst of cardio, making it a great specific exercise to tackle as part of getting in shape. Find a baseline by starting in a standard high plank (on hand and toes) and using a stopwatch to see how long you can hold it. Commit to spending some time in plank every day, trying to add a couple seconds every day until you can hold it for one minute. Want to take it up a notch? Try a plank challenge.

If your previous attempts to get in shape have been derailed by an injury or an inexplicable pain, you’ve got to address it before you can expect to push yourself. Make an appointment with a chiropractor or physical therapist and treat their rehab guidelines as your most important workout. From shin splints to IT band tightness to neck pain, there’s a surprising amount of improvement you can make with proper stretching, foam rolling, and rehabilitative strength training. Ask your health practitioner when you should expect to see significant improvements by, sign up for a fitness class or race after that date, and make self-care your job.