With a new year just around the corner, many people set New Year resolutions, which unfortunately they never get around to fulfilling.
You are far more likely to achieve your resolutions if you write them down, draw up a realistic plan to achieve them, and find an accountability buddy who is working on achieving a similar goal.
While there are many resolutions that you might want to set, one of the most important is to set clear health goals, something you should do regardless of your age or pre-existing health issues because it’s never too late to get healthy.
Since good health is rarely an accident, but usually a result of healthy habits that you consistently follow, here are some guidelines to consider when setting health goals for 2021.
Eliminate Unhealthy Choices
It’s going to be difficult for you to achieve any of your health goals if you do things that could compromise your health. For instance, quit smoking or drinking. If you’re struggling with something more serious, such as severe substance addiction, then an inpatient rehabilitation program will be the fastest way to put it behind you.
Make Exercise Fun
A workout routine provides many benefits including cutting down the risk of chronic disease, increasing your physical energy levels, optimizing your brain chemistry, improving the quality of your sleep, maintaining healthy body weight, boosting muscular strength, and enhancing bone density.
But there is a catch: you have to exercise regularly to enjoy these benefits. It doesn’t help if you have good intentions, a flexible schedule, or all the exercise equipment that you need if you never get around to exercising regularly.
One way to make sure that you exercise every week is to find a type of exercise that you enjoy. For instance, if you feel sore and exhausted after lifting weights, then this may not be the best type of workout for you. Perhaps your body responds to something different, such as yoga. When you find a type of exercise that you love, you’ll be consistent because you’ll look forward to exercising.
Pick a Healthy Diet
It’s difficult to define what a healthy diet is because there are so many interpretations of what makes up a healthy diet, but a general guideline is that you should eat foods as close to nature as possible and reduce eating packaged foods.
One way to eat healthier meals is to shop at your local farmer’s market. Not only will you be able to pick fresh fruits and vegetables in season, but you will also support your local farmers.
The best way to figure out the best diet is to research various diets and experiment with a few you like to see if it works for you. If, for example, you feel enthusiastic about following a ketogenic diet but later discover you don’t get the benefits promised in the ketogenic literature, then you may have to try another eating plan.
Another way to figure out your best diet is to set an appointment with a nutritionist. They will help you identify any food allergies and design a nutritious diet plan to help you achieve your energy and weight management goals.
Go Slow & Steady
You will increase your chances of sticking with your health goals if you set clear goals and establish your priorities.
One of the biggest reasons people fail to achieve their health goals is that they get overwhelmed, doing too much too quickly. So, start slowly, going easy on yourself, and taking small steps.
Focusing on taking things slowly will help your body to adjust to changes in diet, exercise, and other lifestyle adjustments that you hope to make. A slow and steady approach will also make it easier to schedule everything and track progress month after month.
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