The beginning of a new year is the beginning of a new start. It’s a clean slate, a do-over, an opportunity to better your life. Sometimes we give up bad habits for New Year’s. Sometimes we pick up new healthy habits. Making healthy New Year’s resolutions is great, but it’s even more important to see those resolutions through. Here’s some advice to help you keep with your healthy New Year’s resolutions along with some inspiration to help you get started.
Ideas for healthy New Year’s resolutions
Giving up smoking and losing weight are always in the running for most popular New Year’s resolutions.
Sit less
A sedentary lifestyle increases your risk for numerous health problems and chronic conditions. This includes type 2 diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. The recent update to Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans says that every minute of physical activity counts towards your daily and weekly totals. Being more active and less sedentary will greatly improve your health.
Sleep more
This may seem like a lazy resolution, but many Americans don’t get the sleep that they need. Adequate sleep, and good quality sleep, are essential to good health.
Eat better
Along with regular exercise, a healthy diet is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. Eating healthy foods and staying at a healthy weight will improve your overall quality of life. It’s easier to eat a healthy diet if you know how to choose healthy foods.
Be happier
Health resolutions often focus on physical health, but mental health is just as important. Emphasize the positives in your life rather than fixate on the negatives. Make time to relax and manage your stress. Talk to someone about the things in your life that cause, depression, stress, or anxiety. Friends and family offer good support, and healthcare professionals are pivotal in promoting mental wellness.
Save money
Saving money is another popular New Year’s resolution, and being proactive about your health is a good way to save money in the long run. On average, half of a person’s lifetime medical spending occurs during his or her senior years.
Wellness is a great savings plan. The healthier you are, the less you will spend on medical costs. Visit your primary care physician for an annual wellness exam to ensure that you stay on the path of wellness.
Tips to stick with your healthy new year’s resolutions
It can be difficult to stick with New Year’s resolutions. The number of people who give up up on New Year’s resolutions altogether is astonishingly low. Healthy resolutions are worth seeing through, however. Here’s some advice that can help you achieve your resolutions.
- Go gradually instead of changing drastically. It’s going to be very difficult to transition from zero minutes of physical activity a week to an hour of exercise a day. Setting a goal for the end of the next year is a good way to gradually build healthy habits and healthy lifestyle and avoid getting discouraged or burning out.
- Make a plan to achieve your goal. It’s possible that your healthy New Year’s resolutions will just click into your normal everyday life, but many people need to plan things out to make this happen. Establish a routine that will help turn your resolutions into healthy habits.
- Don’t give up if you miss a step. When it comes to healthy decision making, it’s better to do a little bit than nothing at all. If you find that you’re not as consistent as you’d like to be, try again instead of calling it quits.