Setting Goals to Improve Your Health in the New Year

Is there anything in life more important than good health? Often people don’t realize this until an injury or illness occurs, but good health is one of our most prized possessions.

Act now to create better choices in your daily health habits. This may include losing weight, improving your diet, starting an exercise plan, or improving your sleep schedule. It may even be as simple as drinking more water every day.

Whether you want to improve your physical or mental health, begin by identifying your goal, then planning action steps to achieve it.

Taking Steps to Improve Your Health

Exercise

When planning ways to achieve your goals, focus on 1-2 small, measurable action steps. For example: “I will go for a 30-minute walk 2 times a week.” A 30-minute walk can burn up to 100-200 calories. If you walk 5 times a week, calorie burn can increase to 500–1000 calories. This can translate into losing 1-2 pounds per week.

Improve Your Diet

Pack a healthy lunch 2–3 a week versus eating out every day. Processed and packaged foods tend to be much higher in calories than whole, minimally processed food. For example, a 100-gram serving of potato chips contains 545 calories, while the same size serving of a plain baked potato contains only 95 calories.

Watch What You Drink

Soda, coffee, alcohol, and other energy drinks dehydrate the body. Instead, stick to water—experts recommend drinking 8-10 cups a day. Water plays a key role in supporting health, particularly weight loss, because it removes toxins and other unhealthy substances stored in your fat cells.

Water also keeps you from overeating.  Studies have shown that feeling thirsty is often mistaken for feeling hungry, so before you snack, drink some water.

Improve Your Sleep Schedule

Lack of sleep can increase psychological stress, depression, hostility, and anger. It can even lead to heart problems. To improve your sleep schedule, try simple things like:

• Eliminating caffeine 7–8 hours prior to bedtime
• Turning off all electronic devices an hour before bedtime
• Finishing all work and chores several hours before bedtime

Setting Healthy Habits

Healthy habits require effort to become routines, with experts suggesting that performing the behavior for at least 20 days can help it become a habit. Once you develop healthy habits, you shift yourself to a healthier mental and physical state.

So, it’s a new year. Forget that old concept of making New Year’s resolutions—as we all know, resolutions are frequently forgotten after a week or month. Instead, work toward healthy habits, choosing 1 or 2 to start. Focus on the end goal of improving your overall health, as well as consistency in working toward that goal.

It may help to surround yourself with those who believe in their health and well-being. Join a group fitness class or find a workout buddy. Help your nutrition with dietary advice or study blogs regarding healthy eating.

Try not to get overwhelmed. Remember: small but consistent positive changes in habits can lead to remarkable results. Don’t take your health for granted.