Do you feel that your New Year’s Resolutions have taken a back seat in your life? It’s not too late to get back on track. Now is a good time to review where you’re at with your health and fitness goals and determine where you want to go.
Habits that are good for your health such as a nutritious diet and daily exercise also help improve the appearance of your skin and reduce your chances of developing chronic illnesses such as Cardiovascular disease, Type II Diabetes and various forms of Cancer.
Set realistic goals for yourself and follow these five tips to help you get started:
- Weight Loss – Lofty plans can easily get sabotaged and lead us to giving up entirely. A goal of half a pound per week is a realistic and achievable.
- Exercise – Did you aim for daily exercise and found it was too much and have now stopped exercising all together? Reset your goal and start exercising 3 days per week for one month. Once you have worked that into your schedule add a 4th day per week for the 2nd month; continue adding a day each month until you’re exercising five to seven days per week.*Contact your doctor before beginning any exercise program.
- Diet – If you want to eat healthier, start adding fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet. Also, pack your lunch for work or school with fresh produce, whole grains and lean proteins. You’ll save money too. Most medical experts agree that a Mediterranean Diet is generally one of the healthiest and fairly easy to follow.
- Medical and Dental Care – Have you scheduled your annual skin cancer check? How about your yearly physical/preventative care visit with your doctor? Are you up to date with your dental cleaning and check up? These are important for everyone; both males and females at every age for health maintenance, preventative care such as vaccines and for catching any problems that may be developing.
- Sleep – If you’re an adult, are you getting 7 hours of sleep per night? Chronic Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain, depression, hypertension and predispose you to Type II Diabetes. It also decreases your cognitive function during the day. Adults should try to get 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night for optimum health. Infants, children and teenagers need more, depending on their age.
Make this year the best yet, by reaching the goals you have set for yourself and your health!
Hit the subscribe button at the top of this page to receive an email update each time Nurse Carole publishes a new article. You can also follow Carole at: Just a Taste and Other Tips for Healthy Living, at: http://carole-jakucs.blogspot.com. *Contact your doctor or nurse practitioner for any questions or concerns you have about your health.
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