New Year’s is a good time for “starting over”. Wiping our slates clean! Making new goals for the upcoming 12 months. In a recent poll done by health.com, most peoples’ New Years resolution is set for being more health conscious. What is your New Years resolution? Can’t think of any? Here are a couple of ideas to kick off the year with good health!
1) Get in shape! Now with all New Years resolutions they will not happen overnight, which is why most don’t last. But if you are seriously committed, with a little sweat and hard work you can succeed. Plan for bumps in the road. Have somebody to help you keep on track.
2) Quit smoking! Afraid that you’ve failed too many times to try again? Sometimes multiple attempts is the key to success. Smoking is one of the harder habits to quit, but most rewarding. Think of the cash you’ll save. Speaking of:
3) Save Money! By making healthy lifestyle changes, saving money is easy. Walk or ride your bike to work, explore carpooling or if available like in Steamboat take the free bus. Not only are you saving money, but you are also cutting back on air pollution. Take stock of what you have in the fridge and make grocery lists. Aimless shopping leads to poor choices for your diet and wallet. Cut back on gym memberships and start working out outside.
4) Stay in touch! Family, old friends, etc. It’s good for your health to reconnect with them. A lack of social bonds can damage your health as much as alcohol abuse and smoking. In our technology-fixated era it has never been easier to stay in touch, fire up Facebook and make a date to meet a friend in person!
5) Cut your stress! Long hours of work, lack of sleep, no exercise, poor diet, no socialization, are all causes of stress. Stress is an inevitable part of life, but you can learn how to manage it. A great way to manage it is with MASSAGE!
6) Volunteer! We always think our happiness relies on bettering ourselves, but it also increases when we help others. Happiness is great for your health. A 2010 study found that people with positive emotions were ~20% less likely than their gloomy peers to have a heart attack of develop heart disease. People who make this resolution are going to obtain tremendous personal benefits in their happiness department.
7) Cut back on alcohol! Drinking in excess affects the brains neurotransmitters and can increase the risk of depression, memory loss, or even seizures.
8) Get more sleep! A lack of sleep has been linked to a greater risk of obesity, depression, and type 2 diabetes. So take a nap and don’t feel guilty about it.
9) Travel! We often get stuck in a rut and cannot get out of our own way. Everything becomes familiar and too routine. Traveling allows us to tap into life as an adventure, we can make changes without having to do anything too bold. Great for the body and the soul!
Remember, you don’t have to pick just one New Years resolution, you can have multiple, just follow through. What is your resolution this year? Happy New Year and best of luck with your resolution in 2015!!!