This fall, many people are turning over a new leaf well ahead of January.

The “Great Lock-In” trend, which has gone viral on social media, is about using autumn’s slowdown to tighten routines, build healthy habits and reset before the holidays begin.

Fox News Digital asked top experts how to make the most of the season and truly “lock in.”

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Start small and set realistic goals

Laurie Singer, a licensed psychotherapist and behavior analyst in California, said it all starts with identifying what you truly want to achieve.

“The act of achieving a goal, no matter how small, propels us forward,” she said.

Singer recommends starting with “small, attainable and realistic goals” and using a weekly task list containing five to 10 things you can check off and celebrate.

Some examples might include taking a 15- to 20-minute morning walk, eating a healthy breakfast and writing down one positive thing that happened that day.

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“The physical act of checking off the items will leave you with a positive feeling of accomplishment,” Singer said. Those small bursts of success build confidence, which then fuels the next step.

Focus on progress, not perfection

Registered dietitian nutritionist Lauren Harris-Pincus agrees that steady, realistic actions are key.

“Since only 10% of Americans eat the recommended amount of fruit and veggies per day, maybe committing to adding one serving of produce per meal is a simple objective that will bring multiple health benefits,” said New Jersey-based Harris-Pincus.

She also warned against perfectionism and guilt. “We are all human. Life happens, and it’s important to give ourselves grace when it comes to our own self-judgment and evaluation of success,” she said. 

“Committing to adding one serving of produce per meal is a simple objective that will bring multiple health benefits,” a registered dietitian nutritionist advised. (iStock)

Avoid burnout by pacing yourself

Marc Santa Maria, VP of Group Fitness at Crunch Fitness in New York, said that one of the biggest mistakes is “going too hard too soon.”

“The ‘all or nothing’ approach often leads to burnout or potential injury,” he told Fox News Digital. Instead, Santa Maria recommends “meeting yourself where you are.”

Start with two or three 30-minute sessions a week, he recommends, opting for something simple and enjoyable, like walking or stretching. As you progress, layer in challenge and accountability, which could be a friend who checks in, a shared goal or a small reward.

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Singer agreed that burnout often stems from setting overly ambitious goals.

“I see many people give up on their plans because they’re only focused on the goal and not the process,” she said. “We have to walk before we run.”

Anchor your goals in real life

Once you’ve set your focus, it’s important to anchor it in real life. Harris-Pincus recommends selecting a single nutrition habit, such as meal prepping, or adding a half-cup of beans to your daily diet to boost protein intake. 

Small shifts, compounded over months, deliver real results, the expert noted.

Experts recommend starting with something simple and enjoyable, like walking or stretching. (iStock)

“Life sometimes interferes,” the nutritionist said. “We get sick, go on vacation, or end up behind on a work deadline that overtakes our meal prep time. The key is to swing back to your routine as soon as you are able.”

For fitness, Santa Maria said, simplicity wins. He recommends scheduling workouts like appointments, and changing your phone background to an inspiring photo.

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When life gets busy, he emphasized the importance of prioritizing sleep. “Consistent, sufficient sleep is one of the most powerful ways to support your body and its recovery,” the expert said.

For mental rest, Singer suggests carving out daily micro-breaks — three to five minutes to breathe, reflect or write down one positive thing.

Make habits stick beyond the season

A true lock-in doesn’t end when the calendar turns, the experts agree. Harris-Pincus says the goal is to make habits so natural that they become part of your daily life.

When life gets busy, experts emphasize the importance of prioritizing sleep. (iStock)

One of the best ways to transition without losing progress or reverting to old habits is to find others who share your new lifestyle interests, Singer advised.

“If you’re interested in healthier eating, consider signing up for a cooking class,” she suggested as an example. “If you’ve embraced running, hiking or cycling, look for local clubs.”

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“Surrounding ourselves with like-minded individuals, with a shared interest, provides support and reinforces choices.”

Most importantly, Singer reminded, “Don’t stop engaging in the activities that brought you to where you are today.”

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Researchers are testing low-dose radiation to treat the painful symptoms of osteoarthritis in the knee.

The study, published by researchers in Korea and presented at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting in September, suggests that a single course of radiation can be a “safe and effective” treatment option.

Knee osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease causing pain, swelling and stiffness in the knees that worsens over time.

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The randomized clinical trial enrolled 114 patients with moderate-to-mild knee osteoarthritis who were each assigned a very low dose of radiation, a low dose or a placebo. The only other pain relief used during the study was acetaminophen.

The participants went through six sessions as researchers assessed “meaningful improvement” in at least two of the following markers — pain, physical function and overall assessment of condition.

The patients also completed a questionnaire to report pain, stiffness and function. None of them recorded any treatment-related side effects.

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After four months of treatment, 70% of the low-dose participants met the criteria, compared to 42% in the placebo. Those in the very low-dose group saw a 58.3% improvement.

These findings suggest the low-dose regimen “drove relief beyond placebo effects,” experts noted in a press release.

A researcher suggested that radiation therapy could delay the need for joint replacement. (iStock)

In the low-dose group, 56.8% recorded meaningful improvements in pain, stiffness and physical function scores, compared to 30.6% in placebo.

The study concluded that low-dose radiation led to significant reductions in pain and improved function after four months, a “small fraction” of what is typically used to treat cancer.

“For people with mild to moderate disease, this approach could delay the need for joint replacement.”

Dr. Byoung Hyuck Kim, principal investigator on the trial and an assistant professor of radiation oncology at Seoul National University College of Medicine, Boramae Medical Center, noted that people with painful knee osteoarthritis “often face a difficult choice” between the risk of side effects from pain medications and the risks of joint replacement surgery.

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“There’s a clinical need for moderate interventions between weak pain medications and aggressive surgery, and we think radiation may be a suitable option for those patients, especially when drugs and injections are poorly tolerated,” he said in a statement.

Other lifestyle factors, such as weight loss, should be factored into the consideration of low-dose radiation as treatment, according to the researchers. (iStock)

Radiation therapy may be a better fit for patients with underlying inflammation and preserved joint structure, Kim added.

“For severe osteoarthritis, where the joint is physically destroyed and cartilage is already gone, radiation will not regenerate tissue,” he said. “But for people with mild to moderate disease, this approach could delay the need for joint replacement.”

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This treatment should also be considered alongside other lifestyle factors, including weight loss, physiotherapy and medications because responses could be “even stronger when radiation is properly combined with other treatments,” Kim said.

“And patient satisfaction may be higher than with current options alone.”

The study did have some limitations, the researchers confirmed, including the relatively short follow-up period.

The researchers are planning for larger trials to evaluate the outcomes in specific groups of people, comparing low-dose radiation injections with medication regimens.