A New Year, A New Healthier You

 

 

With only two months and 66 days until the New Year, the holidays in between will be upon us quite soon. This is a time when we begin to plan menus, make holiday shopping lists, and look forward to the time we will spend with family and friends. It's the most joyous time of year, and one we all plan on with anticipation and excitement.

The New Year is a time of celebration. Whether it's having the first holiday dinner in our new home, celebrating a new career change, or perhaps it marks the first anniversary of a year-long diet and exercise program that has resulted in a new and healthier you. No matter what the occasion, we lift our glasses to toast the New Year with enthusiasm and good wishes.

New Year's is also a time of resolutions. Most everyone today is focused on a healthier lifestyle and because they are, the resolve to engage in a diet and exercise program is always at the top of the list. More importantly, the resolutions made are kept and the New Year begins on a positive note for the majority of people who have made the commitment.

The key to better health is sticking to the resolution once it's made. In this report, learn how to:

· Make health-specific resolutions

· Keep those healthier resolutions

· Suggestions for resolutions for women

· Suggestions for resolutions for men

· Suggestions for resolutions for kids

· Make healthy diet changes

· Get into exercise

Tips for Making New Year's Resolutions

Consider this analogy: If you were to re-paint your entire home, you would most likely go to a paint store and choose a few colors, right? You would then paint a few strokes on the walls in your home and after a time, would choose the appropriate color. Well, the same holds true for a diet and exercise program. You would research the many diet programs offered; check out gyms or exercise DVDs; and then set up a regimen you feel will yield the best results for you.

Moreover, allowing enough time to prepare for this commitment will increase the likelihood that the commitment to a healthier you will be kept and thus, you will be constantly motivated.

Here are some tips on how to make and keep your New Year's resolutions.

Tip #1: Create short term goals that lead up to a long term goal. Take healthy resolutions one day at a time, or rather, one month at a time. If weight loss is one of the healthy resolutions on the list, break it down. Write "I resolve to lose eight pounds a month". Since a healthy weight loss is 1-2 pounds a week, this is a manageable goal you can stick to.

Monthly goals lend staying power to those healthy resolutions. Each month there is something to look forward to accomplishing. If setbacks are encountered, there's always next month to correct it instead of waiting until next year.

Tip #2: Decide what's important to you. Use empowerment to stay on track. We all falter, and you will too. Don't let it stop you from attaining your goals and please don't be so hard on yourself. No one is seeking perfection, and neither should you. Remember to enjoy life as you begin to make the changes you desire.

Tip #3: Stick to the basics. There are no hard and fast rules about the number of resolutions you need to make. Think of what changes you feel are necessary to make for a healthier life, and use these specifics to create resolutions. Resolutions are designed to get us started on a certain path. If health is your path, these suggestions will bring your goals into focus.

Tips to Keep Healthy Resolutions

Here is another analogy you may wish to consider. Teachers look upon March as a month where they hit the wall. Why? It is the only month in the school year that has no holidays. Thus, it's akin to running the marathon and mile 13 is when you "hit the wall." Simply put, you may falter but quickly pick yourself up and continue. Resolutions are sometimes like that. As long as you recognize it for what it is, you can continue. You've worked hard in preparation for it - keep going.

Tip #1: Enlist some help. Two people can keep each other accountable to their healthy resolutions. If the other person has the same health goals, you know where their encouraging words are coming from. They share the same struggles. A helping hand also keeps you motivated to follow through.

Tip #2: Reward yourself with each milestone. When talking about achieving healthier lifestyles, there are many milestones along the way to the big goal. With each pound lost; each mile run; know that you have accomplished something great. Don't downplay these milestones; celebrate them.

Tip #3: Write it everywhere. We write our resolutions down on a piece of paper and tuck it away in a drawer. Without them constantly in our face, we tend to forget what we even put down on paper. Write these healthy resolutions on note cards and Post-It sticky notes all around the house and the office. Everywhere we look there should be a friendly reminder to keep us honest and on track.

Tip #4: Don't give up. We all have setbacks. Throughout the year there are birthday parties, celebrations for friends, stressful situations, and any number of unforeseen circumstances. While we don't plan to be derailed, it happens to us all.

What do we do when we succumb? Start again. Don't start from square one; start where you left off. It is a common misconception that we have to go all the way back to the starting blocks. A setback doesn't have to cause us to lose all the ground we've gained.

Healthy Resolutions for Everyone

Resolutions are not necessarily gender-specific or age-specific, but men, women, and children have healthy goals that pertain more so to them. Here are some ideas for resolutions that can be included when we talk about health.

Healthy Resolutions for Women

"I will lower my cholesterol." High cholesterol in the blood leads to plaque formation in the arteries. This plaque narrows the opening through which blood can pass. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease. As a woman, changing what you eat can help lower the bad cholesterol in the blood. If the cholesterol number is over 200mg/dl, the doctor may suggest medication in conjunction with healthier eating habits to take your cholesterol out of the danger range.

"I will exercise at least three times a week." Women carry most of their weight in the hips and abdomen. Extra weight around the middle increases our likelihood of having heart disease and heart attacks. Childbirth also helps to increase our girth. To rid ourselves of the extra weight exercise must go along with healthier eating habits. Experiment with different exercises to find the one that suits your tastes. If you like it, you will stick with it.

"I will see my doctor regularly." Women are so used to taking care of children, husbands, and even parents that they forget about themselves. Early intervention increases survival. Regular checkups give doctors a baseline from which they can track changes in your health. Monthly self breast exams can detect lumps early so the outcome is better.

"I will take time for myself." Women need to relax, too. Built up stress can manifest itself as physical symptoms and bad habits. Stress can lead to depression, anxiety, pain, headaches, and lethargy. When we are stressed we tend to revert to bad habits. Stress can lead to overeating, smoking, drinking, and drug use. Taking time for ourselves can take the wind out of the sails of stress. Plan some time alone or with friends. See a movie; get a manicure. Daily "de-stress" regimens are a great coping mechanism. Soaking away the day in a hot bath and a good book keeps stress from snowballing in our lives.

Healthy Resolutions for Men

"I will get in shape." Men are mostly concerned with muscular development. They like large biceps, washboard abs, and tight buttocks. When men exercise, they concentrate on strength training. Strength training increases muscle mass, but aerobic exercise will burn the excess stored fat so that those healthy muscles can shine through. Men need regular aerobic activity for cardiovascular health. They don't have to take a step aerobics class; running on the treadmill, elliptical trainer, or a spinning class which are acceptable forms of aerobic activity.

"I will visit my doctor." Men are notorious for shirking their yearly visits. As men age, they are more susceptible to certain conditions. Starting at age 50, they should have a colonoscopy to rule out colon cancer. Regular health visits that include a digital rectal exam check the prostate gland. Routine blood work calculates cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels. Missed checkups can rob you of many years of your life if an important diagnosis goes undetected.