My Fitness Goals for 2026

 

This episode is for you if you are heading into a new year and realizing that your fitness goals need to support more than just how you look. Instead of chasing weight loss, control, or short-term intensity, we talk about what it really means to build habits that support energy, strength, and consistency for the long haul.

I walk you through my fitness goals for 2026, not as a checklist to copy, but as a framework you can use to rethink your own goals in a way that feels supportive and sustainable. This is about shifting the focus from extremes to aligned daily habits, building trust with your body, and choosing routines you can actually maintain as life evolves.

Here is what you will learn:

• Why weight loss is no longer my primary fitness goal
• The daily habits I am prioritizing instead
• How I approach strength training in a sustainable way
• Why total weight moved matters more than perfection
• How aligned habits naturally lead to lasting results

If this conversation resonated, you may also enjoy: Episode 602: 5 Weight Gain Truths You Need to Hear Right Now

If you want more from me, be sure to check out… 

Transcript

 (0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:06) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and (0:12) actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving (0:17) your authentic self.

Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get in. Let's go.

(0:28) Hello and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Your Real podcast. I am so excited about (0:33) the new year because it has allowed me to really be thinking about what I want my fitness to be (0:39) and how I want it to support my life. Not just how I want to look or the number on the scale, (0:43) that temporary goal that I chased for a few months and then abandoned, but really like how (0:48) do I want to feel on a day-to-day basis? How do I want to move throughout my life in 2026? And how (0:53) do I want my body to support me long-term? Because if I'm being really honest, I've had (0:57) seasons where my goals were rooted in control and intensity and really trying to prove something.

(1:03) And while those seasons have taught me a lot, they're not how I want to move forward anymore. (1:07) And so today I just want to kind of walk you through my fitness goals for 2026, not as a (1:12) checklist that you need to copy, but more as like a framework that you can use to think about your (1:16) own goals in a way that really supports energy and longevity and consistency instead of burnout. (1:22) So in today's episode, I'm going to be breaking down why my goals are no longer centered around (1:27) weight loss, the daily habits that I'm going to be prioritizing instead, how I'm personally (1:31) approaching strength training in a sustainable way, just being a new mom and being busy and also (1:36) working, why total weight move matters more than perfection, and then how aligned habits naturally (1:43) lead to results.

My hope is that this episode really helps you zoom out and ask a better (1:48) question than how do I just lose weight and instead start asking yourself like, okay, (1:53) what kind of habits does my future self actually need? Before we dive in though, (1:57) I want to share this review. She gave a five-star review and said, you need this. (2:01) Stop everything you're doing and listen, this is a nice dose of reality and motivation.

I've (2:05) been doing movement with Julie for a few months now, and I've never felt so empowered. Julie, (2:09) girl, you are changing the world one podcast at a time. I love this.

Thank you so much for (2:14) taking time out of your day. I am so grateful that you are loving the movement with Julie (2:18) workouts. If you aren't familiar, I do have an app and it's stumble only workouts, weekly workouts.

(2:24) Every week I give you five brand new workouts. We have lower body, upper body, cardio and core, (2:29) shoulders and glutes, and full body. All you need for my workouts is a few pair of dumbbells and a (2:33) small space.

If you have a bench, amazing, but I always give no bench alternates. Literally, (2:38) all you need is a light pair of dumbbells, which I typically say that's anywhere from five (2:44) to eight pounds, and then a medium to heavy, which could be anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds (2:49) at the bare minimum. So if you could have two sets of dumbbells, that's going to be a great (2:53) place to start.

Obviously, if you have more variation in dumbbells, that's going to give you (2:57) just a greater ability to work within the weight selection, but you really don't need a lot to get (3:03) yourself moving. And so if you want to learn more about my workouts, you can go to sale that's (3:08) sale.movementjulie.com. We have thousands of women in there that work out on a weekly basis, (3:13) and it's just such an empowering group of women. And also just knowing that you can do these (3:18) workouts anywhere, like you literally don't have to leave your house.

You can do them in your living (3:22) room. You can do them in your basement. You can do them in your bedroom.

You can do them in your (3:26) garage. I do all my workouts in my garage and yes, it's fricking cold. We just got an electric (3:32) heater in there.

So it's a little bit more bearable in the wintertime. As long as I remember to turn on (3:38) that heater like two hours in advance, but I get it done and I, you know, no excuses, just really, (3:44) it's putting your, your head down and just saying, how do I really want to feel? How do I want to (3:49) show up this year? And these workouts really help you with that. So again, sale.movementjulie.com. (3:55) All right, enough about that.

Let's dive straight into today's episode. So I'm just going to get (4:00) right into it. Number one, daily outdoor walks are a non-negotiable.

One of my biggest fitness (4:06) goals for this year in 2026 is simple, but it's powerful. And that is getting outside for a walk (4:12) every single day, daily walking. And I even sometimes it's a jog.

It just kind of depends (4:17) on how the day is and how the weather is. But that has been one of the most supportive things (4:21) that I've done for my body postpartum and just in this season of life, it really does help my (4:26) nervous system kind of downshift. It gives my mind a break from this constant stimulation (4:30) because I know that Blake's going to be in the stroller and I'm stroller walking him like he's (4:35) able to just like calm down and enjoy the ride.

And I'm able to just have like, you know, (4:40) some time where I can just create this sense of steadiness that really carries into the rest of (4:44) my day. Walking is one of the few forms of movement that supports recovery and progress (4:49) at the same time. And when you walk, especially outdoor, your body gets this consistent low (4:54) level input that is telling your body that things are safe, right? Cortisol levels begin to regulate (4:59) blood flow, begins to improve your lymphatic system, gets moving, which helps with inflammation (5:04) and fluid balance.

Gentle rhythmic movement also improves that insulin sensitivity, (5:10) meaning that your body can use that food that you're eating more efficiently instead of storing (5:16) it as stress. And mentally walking creates space, right? It slows your breathing down. (5:21) It softens your thoughts.

It gives your brain a chance to reset. And this really does matter (5:26) more than we realize. A regulated nervous system makes better decisions.

It recovers faster. It (5:31) responds to workouts instead of resisting them. And the goal has nothing to do with hitting like (5:35) a perfect step count.

Some days for me, it's a longer walk where I can really clear my head. (5:40) Other days it's 10, 15 minutes around the block just to get some fresh air and move my body (5:43) with intention. What matters is really showing up gently and consistently, not pushing harder, (5:49) right? There's also this self-trust component here that really feels important to name.

And (5:54) that's choosing to walk every day, like choosing care over punishment, right? It's a way of saying (5:59) that my body deserves movement that supports it, not movement that drains it. And that mindset (6:03) shift alone really changes how the rest of my fitness feels on a weekly basis. And I've noticed (6:08) that when walking is a part of my daily rhythm, everything else becomes more accessible.

I sleep (6:13) more soundly. My stress feels more manageable. I'm less reactive.

And when it comes time to strength (6:18) train, I can show up with more energy instead of forcing myself through it. And that's where (6:22) structure helps too, right? On the days where I'm strength training, having that movement with Julie (6:27) workouts laid out keeps it very simple so that I'm not overthinking. I'm not negotiating with myself.

(6:33) And I walk to support my nervous system. And then I train with intention, knowing that my routine (6:38) for strength is designed to build strength without burning me out. And when walking really (6:43) does become the foundation, the rest of your routine doesn't feel so heavy.

It feels supportive. (6:47) And that's the kind of relationship that I want to have and carry in to 2026 with movement. Number (6:54) two, finding movement throughout the day.

Another major shift in how I think about fitness is really (6:59) moving away from the idea that movement only counts if it's a formal workout, right? In 2026, (7:05) I want movement woven throughout the day that feels natural, that feels human, stretching between (7:11) tasks, standing up more, taking short movement breaks, carrying groceries, playing with Blake, (7:16) letting my body move the way that it was designed to move throughout the day, playing with Blake (7:19) outside, not just during like a scheduled hour, your body doesn't label movement as exercise or (7:26) not exercise. It just responds to input. It responds to blood flow, muscle, muscle engagement, (7:31) joint motion, and changes in posture.

So when you're moving regularly throughout the day, (7:36) even in those small ways, your joints are staying more lubricated, your muscles stay more responsive, (7:41) your nervous system stays regulated, and spreading movement out also helps with stiffness and (7:46) discomfort that can build up from long periods of sitting. Gentle movement increases that (7:51) circulation, which brings oxygen and nutrients to your tissues. It also can help to clear out (7:56) waste products that contribute to soreness and fatigue.

And over time, this consistent low-level (8:01) movement supports that joint health, your balance, and just overall mobility. There's also a metabolic (8:06) benefit here. When you move throughout the day, your body becomes better at handling blood sugar (8:12) and energy demands.

Like you're giving it frequent signals to stay engaged instead of staying in a (8:17) low energy shutdown state for hours at a time. But beyond the science, this shift can be huge in your (8:23) mindset. It takes so much pressure off workouts having to be perfect.

Like a missed workout no (8:27) longer feels like a failure because your body still moved that day. Your health isn't hanging (8:32) on one single session at a time, right? Your workout doesn't have to carry the entire load (8:38) of your well-being. It's part of a bigger picture.

And when you allow movement to be something that (8:43) you do all day long, not just something that you're earning or you're punishing yourself with, (8:47) fitness starts to feel supportive instead of stressful. And that kind of approach builds (8:52) consistency. It builds confidence and more compassionate relationship with your body, (8:57) which is something that I care deeply about going into this year.

Number three, strength training, (9:03) three to four, sometimes five times a week, depending on my schedule. Strength training for (9:08) me is still a very big cornerstone of my routine, but the way that I approach it has really evolved (9:14) a lot, right? This year, my goal is to strength train at least bare minimum, like bare, bare (9:19) minimum three times a week, but I would love to hit five times a week. That frequency to me feels (9:24) supportive.

It feels realistic. It feels sustainable for my body and the season of life that I'm in. (9:29) It's giving me enough stimulus to build strength and maintain muscle while also leaving room to (9:34) recovery and rest and I'll just use everything else outside of the gym and outside of my workouts.

(9:40) Strength training does so much more than just change how your body looks though. It really (9:45) does support muscle mass, bone density, metabolic health, hormonal health, and long-term resilience (9:51) as you age. I'm 35, so I'm not like super old, but I definitely feel like I'm at the, what do (9:59) call it, the geriatric age, right? But muscle tissue is metabolically active, which means the (10:05) more muscle that you maintain, the better your body handles blood sugar, stress, inflammation (10:10) over time, and that's a big deal for energy and your confidence, longevity, but here's the part (10:15) that oftentimes gets over missed or just missed in general, and that's that muscle isn't built by (10:21) going all out every single day.

It's actually built through a balance of stimulus and recovery, (10:26) and when you lift weights, you're creating a signal and the actual adaptation happens when (10:31) your body has time and resources to repair and rebuild, and that's where progressive overload (10:35) comes in, right? Getting stronger doesn't mean maxing out every workout. It means that you're (10:39) gradually increasing what your body can handle over time, and that might look like adding a (10:43) little weight, improving your form, slowing down your reps, staying consistent week after week, (10:48) small steady progress compounds in a way extreme pushes will never do, and this is also why structure (10:54) has become so important to me. When workouts are already planned, you're removing a huge (10:59) layer of mental load.

You're not standing there wondering what you're going to do, (11:02) how hard you're going to push, or whether you're doing enough. You just show up and you follow (11:06) the workout. You follow the plan, and that's really, again, how I personally use my dumbbell (11:11) workouts on the Movement With Julie app.

The routines are laid out. The progression is (11:15) intentional, and there's flexibility built in, so I can choose a shorter workout, a longer session, (11:19) depending on how my body feels, what my schedule allows that day, and that structure keeps training (11:24) focused and calm instead of just very chaotic. Also, that flexibility is what makes strain (11:31) training something that I personally can stick to long-term.

It doesn't feel like a test that (11:35) I have to pass. It feels like a practice I return to, and one that actually supports my body, (11:40) builds confidence, and fits into my life without draining it, and that personally is the relationship (11:45) that I want to have with strain training, and I want to keep nurturing as the year unfolds. (11:50) Number four, increasing total weight moved over time.

So, one of my most important goals has (11:56) nothing to do with how heavy one lift looks on a given day. It's, for me, about increasing the (12:02) total amount of work that my body can handle over time, and that shift alone takes so much pressure (12:07) off of my strain training personally. Instead of judging a workout by one number or one movement, (12:13) I am really looking at the bigger picture, and I'm gradually asking my body to do just (12:18) a little bit more than it did before, and I'm also asking myself, can I show up consistently (12:23) enough to give my body a reason to adapt, and that personally is what progress actually looks like.

(12:29) Increasing total weight moved over time can really show up in a bunch of different ways, (12:34) and so I don't want you to think, well, I only have the bare minimum of dumbbells that you (12:38) recommended at the beginning of the episode, so I can't do that. No, there's so many different ways (12:42) that you can increase that total weight moved. One of them is adding weight gradually.

This might (12:46) mean increasing your dumbbells by a small amount once something starts to feel more manageable, (12:51) not jumping ahead too fast, but allowing your body to earn the increase through consistency (12:55) and good form. Another way, though, is increasing reps with the same weight. Some days, (13:00) progress isn't heavier weights.

It's doing one or two more reps with the same load. That's still (13:04) going to challenge your muscles. It's going to improve endurance.

It's going to build strength (13:07) without overwhelming your system. Another way is to improve form and control, really slowing down (13:13) that movement, improving your range of motion, feeling a muscle work more intentionally. All (13:19) of those things count as progress, and better control increases time under tension, which is a (13:24) powerful driver of strength and muscle growth.

Another thing is just being consistent week (13:29) after week, and this is one of the most underrated forms of progress, is just showing up regularly, (13:35) even when the workouts feel simple. That's what's going to give your body repeated signals to (13:40) adapt. One great workout doesn't change your body, but a pattern of showing up does.

Progressive (13:46) overload, though, doesn't have to be dramatic. It doesn't require pushing or exhaustion or (13:51) chasing personal records every single session. It just requires consistency and patience, (13:56) and when you focus on a total weight moved instead of perfection, training becomes less (14:00) stressful.

You're no longer trying to prove something every workout. You're giving your (14:04) body space to learn, to recover, to grow stronger in a way that actually lasts, and this approach (14:09) also builds trust. You start listening to your body instead of fighting it.

You learn when to (14:14) push a little and when to hold steady, and over time, that's going to create confidence, not just (14:19) in the gym, but how you show up for yourself overall. This mindset shift personally has (14:23) completely changed how I relate it to training. Strength feels less like pressure and more like (14:29) progress, and that's something I want to keep carrying with me and keeping it on my app in (14:33) Movement with Julie as this year continues.

Last but not least, number five, building a body that (14:38) feels supported. This has been one of the, personally, one of the most important shifts (14:44) in how I approach fitness and health, especially being postpartum, but my goals no longer are (14:49) completely centered on pushing harder and eating less, especially eating less, because I have (14:54) learned in the decade plus of eating less and thinking that I had to work out more to get the (15:00) body that I wanted and to get stronger, and that was just the complete opposite, but instead, (15:04) they're centered on protecting and building my energy, right? Energy is the foundation everything (15:09) else rests on. When energy is supported, your body is more responsive.

When energy is depleted, (15:13) your body shifts into protection mode. Constantly under-eating and over-exercising sends this (15:19) stress signal to your system, and cortisol stays elevated. Recovery slows down, and the hormones (15:24) that regulate hunger, fullness, and metabolism fall out of rhythm.

That's when workouts start (15:29) to feel harder. Sleep becomes disrupted. Cravings increase, and progress stalls even when the effort (15:34) is high, but when energy is supported, the experience changes.

Workouts feel productive (15:39) instead of draining. Recovery improves because your body has the resources to repair and rebuild. (15:44) Mood and focus become steadier, and food feels calmer because you're no longer operating from (15:49) restriction.

Pushing harder doesn't build consistency. It builds burnout. Eating less (15:55) doesn't build discipline.

It builds stress, and neither of those approaches create a body that (16:00) feels strong, resilient, and supported long-term, but fueling your body adequately and training in (16:06) a way that sustains, that's going to build trust, and trust is what keeps you consistent, (16:10) and trust allows you to show up without fear, adjusted when needed, and listen to your body (16:16) instead of overriding it. There's also a self-respect component that matters deeply to me as well, (16:22) right? Choosing energy means choosing to treat your body as something worth caring for, not something (16:27) that needs to be controlled or fixed, and movement and nutrition stop being punishments and start (16:33) becoming support, and that's why having a very clear, simple framework around nutrition can be (16:38) so helpful. When you understand how to fuel your body in a balanced way without extremes, (16:44) the mental noise quiets down.

You're no longer guessing or swinging between restriction and (16:49) overeating. You're making steady choices that support your energy and support your life, (16:53) and that's exactly what I teach inside my Mackerel County Made Simple Online Academy. (16:57) The goal isn't perfection or rigid rules.

It's really learning how to fuel yourself in a way (17:02) that works with your body, your routines, and your training, so nutrition feels supportive (17:07) instead of feeling heavy. When you stop fighting your body and you start supporting it, progress (17:12) becomes more sustainable because consistency feels easier, and fitness starts to feel like (17:18) something that gives back to you, not something that constantly takes from you. Here's what I want (17:23) you to hear clearly.

This approach changes more than your results. It changes how you relate to (17:29) yourself. Progress stops feeling like something that you have to earn through suffering and (17:33) starts feeling like something that growth from care, patience, and trust.

That's the kind of (17:39) progress that lasts. All right, let me quickly recap this episode so that you can kind of just (17:44) wrap it all up, put a bow on it, and have it so whether you are writing notes in your notes app (17:49) or you're just wanting to kind of hear that recap so that you can remember it in your brain, (17:54) here it is. Number one, when you focus on aligned habits, results follow naturally.

Number two, (17:59) walking daily, especially outside, but even if you don't have the ability to walk outside, (18:05) inside is awesome. That's going to help to support that nervous system regulation. Number three, (18:10) moving throughout the day keeps your joints and metabolism responsive.

Number four, strength (18:14) training consistently gives your body a reason to build and maintain muscle. Number five, (18:20) fueling yourself appropriately provides the raw materials for recovery and energy. Number six, (18:26) prioritizing rest allows all of that work to actually stick.

Number seven, weight loss doesn't (18:32) need to be a goal for change to happen. For many people, chasing it adds pressure that works against (18:38) progress. And last but not least, number eight, when routines feel realistic, nourishing, and (18:43) repeatable, your body is more willing to adapt.

If you love this episode, I know you will also love (18:49) episode 602, which is five weight gain truths that you need to hear right now. I will go ahead and (18:55) link that in the show notes that you see, you can easily go check that out. And as you're thinking (18:59) about what consistency actually looks like for you this year, remember that you don't have to (19:03) hold everything in your head or figure it out alone.

Having some sort of structure in place (19:08) can really take the pressure off, especially when life feels full. And again, that's exactly why I (19:13) created my demo only weekly workouts. Your workouts are already mapped out for you.

The progression (19:18) is intentional so that you can simply show up and move your body without overthinking what to do or (19:23) how hard to push that day. Same goes for nutrition. When food feels confusing or overwhelming, it can (19:29) take up so much mental energy, but having a clear, simple framework brings a sense of calm back into (19:35) the process.

And that is the intention behind my macro economy and simple online academy. It's (19:40) there to help you understand how to feel your body in a way that supports energy recovery, consistency (19:45) without extremes or obsession. Both of those tools exist to support habits that feel steady and (19:52) realistic.

They're meant to make the process feel lighter, not stricter, so that you can build (19:56) routines that actually fit into your life and support you long-term. And that is all that I (20:02) have for today's episode. I do have both of those links in the show notes that you can easily go (20:06) check that out.

If you want to learn more about my demo only workouts, all you have to do is go to (20:11) sale. That's s a l e.movementwithjulie.com. If you're a brand new subscriber, you get 50% off your first (20:17) month. If you do want to join and commit for an entire year, you get four months free.

So I do (20:22) have a huge deal going on right now for my annual subscribers. So you can learn all about that at (20:27) sale s a l e.movementwithjulie.com. Also my current subscribers in the app, you should be getting a (20:32) notification a week before your annual renews, and it will have that offer for you to take up as well. (20:39) If you want to take advantage of those four months free.

And then for my macro academy and simple (20:43) online academy, all you have to do is go to macrocountingmadesimple.com. Again, that's (20:48) macrocountingmadesimple.com or just simply click the link in the show notes below. But that is all (20:52) that I have for today's episode. I love you so dang much.

I mean it. I'll talk to you in the next one. (21:04) All right, sister, that's all I got for you today.

But I have two things that I need you to do. (21:10) First thing, if you're not already following me on the gram, be sure to do so. Julie A. (21:14) Ledbetter.

Yes, it's with an A in the middle for that daily post workout real talk, healthy tips (21:20) and tricks and honest accountability to keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, (21:25) be sure to subscribe to Apple podcast to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining (21:31) me.

It means the absolute world. And I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most (21:36) beautiful women that I have met in my life are the ones who are completely confident and secure (21:41) in being authentically themselves.

Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface. (21:48) So go out there and embrace your room because you're worth it.

 
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