According to an article in CBS News, about 30% of Americans made New Year’s resolutions for the year, and an article in Forbes says 23% of those people want to live healthier and get happier. If you jumped on the resolution bandwagon this year and also want to feel healthier and happier, then you’ll need these tips for helping you achieve your goal.
Get Plenty of Nutrition
One of the hardest things for adults to do is to get inadequate nutrition. After all, you’re always on the go. Who has time to sit down to a full breakfast or lunch, let alone dinner? Ideally, you’ll have a good amount of protein, healthy carbohydrates, and healthy fat in your diet. It’s important to get nutrients in even if you don’t have time to sit down for a full meal. Think about items that you can toss into a bag and go. There are protein shakes, small packs of almonds, fruits like apples or bananas, and much more that are portable and healthy.
Exercise Every Day
Movement is essential for achieving fitness resolutions, but that doesn’t mean you need to slave away at the gym for an hour every day. Experts say that you need to get about 150 minutes of moderately intense aerobic exercise every week. Now, if you enjoy running on the treadmill or hitting the elliptical, go for it. If you don’t, though, you can get that exercise in a variety of other ways. Join a volleyball team, play tennis at the local recreation center, swim laps, or even just spend time in the backyard running after the kids every day. Even something as simple as walking is excellent exercise. Use a step tracker to make sure you’re getting in at least 10,000 steps per day.
Visit Your Doctor
One of the easiest yet most skipped things that you can do for your health is to be sure you’re visiting your doctor at least once per year for a physical. Your doctor will check your heart and lungs, as well as do lab work to ensure your cholesterol, blood sugar, and other numbers are where they should be. He or she may also do cancer screening, heart disease screening, or more, depending on your age and overall fitness level.
Go To Sleep
If you’re reading this in bed, chances are you have poor sleep habits that could benefit from an overhaul. Too often, adults go to bed way too late, then spend an hour or more scrolling their phones or other smart devices before they actually try to sleep. The result is a poor sleep schedule that leaves you feeling groggy and even irritable the next morning. To get your body back into a good sleep rhythm, try to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning (yes, even on the weekends). If you can, turn off electronics at least an hour before you want to sleep. Read a book or listen to some relaxing music instead. If you absolutely need your smart device, use a filter to turn down the blue light, which can decrease how much melatonin your body makes and make it harder for you to fall asleep and stay asleep.
Take Care of Your Mental Health
Too often, when people create health routines for their New Year’s resolutions, they don’t realize just how important mental health is to their overall well-being. Don’t fall into the trap of ignoring your mental health. Over time, poor mental health will begin to manifest as physical symptoms. If you have access to it, weekly therapy can be great for working through hard emotions. Do you feel too stressed and overwhelmed to go to work? Use your PTO. That’s what it’s there for. Spend time doing things you enjoy more often and honor your own needs.
Above all else, remember that fitness is a marathon (sometimes literally!), not a sprint. If you find that one goal isn’t working for you, mold it until it is. Spend less time at the gym and more time with the kids. Go to work an hour later in the mornings and have breakfast with the family. Health is about finding what works for you.
