At the start of the year, most of us make resolutions of some kind- and most commonly they involve something to do with health. It could be eating better, sleeping more, getting more exercise or drinking more water. They’re made with the very best of intentions, but the nature of these things means they’re easily broken. We make promises to eat less chocolate after a month of consuming the stuff for breakfast all month- it’s seems easily done at the time. We vow to get up an hour earlier for work to hit the gym, until we do that a couple of times and realise just how awful it is! Before long, we’ve slipped back into our old comfortable ways, and nothing changes. Don’t wait until next January to do this all over again, if you want to make a difference to your health then do something about it right now. Instead of setting yourself up with unrealistic expectations and impossible goals, why not go about things a bit differently. Here are some ideas for going about it.
Invest in a fitness tracker
Fitness trackers are absolutely brilliant. They can tell you how much exercise you’ve done and to what intensity, meaning you know exactly what you’ve achieved and don’t overestimate it (which research suggests that most people do). It can show you how well your sleeping, how quickly your heart recovers after exercise, what kind of fitness score you have compared with others your age and much more. The app even enables you to track your food and water intake, your menstrual cycle and much more. Having all of this data at your fingertips can be so motivating, you can see exactly where you are now and what you need to do to improve. Your tracker will set you little goals and challenges, and you can decide on your own too. It’s a great way to become more aware of your lifestyle and tailor it to be healthier.
Get professional help
If you’re struggling with health issues such as your weight or food allergies then it’s worth speaking to your GP or a health clinic. They can give you advice tailored to you, and help to get you on track. If you’re struggling and the things you’re trying yourself aren’t working, don’t suffer in silence. Utilise the help that’s out there.
Get your family involved
Making a positive healthy change long term means making lifestyle changes. It means cooking more from scratch, using healthy ingredients, exercising more, trying new activities. Get the family involved and make it fun, make it part of your routine. Instead of sitting in the house every weekend, go on a long walk or bike ride. Get the kids interested in cooking and teach them about different ingredients. All of the positive changes you make will mean a healthier life for all of you.
