Setting and Keeping New Year’s Resolutions For Your Health

With the New Year comes New Year’s Resolutions, those self-improving goals that

are easy to set but tough to keep. And when it comes to New Year’s Resolutions, the

most popular always seem to deal with our health. As we begin 2016 and set

our resolutions, here are a few recommendations to help you set and keep reachable

resolutions that will benefit your health and life.

Set Specific Goals

It’s easy to set goals like “I want to eat healthy” or “I want to workout more,” but

those goals are just as easy to miss as they are to make. When setting New Year’s

Resolutions, we recommend setting specific goals that you can track. For instance,

try setting the goal of eating two servings of fruit or vegetables per day, or going to

the gym at 6:00 AM every weekday before work.

With specific goals, you’ll be able to track and monitor your progress and make

adjustments as needed. Make sure your goals are achievable and not too lofty. And if

you set long-term goals, such as losing 50 pounds, make sure to also set short-term

goals, such as losing 5 pounds in the first month.

Keep Track of Your Progress

Find a way to track your progress. You can keep a log with pen and paper, or choose

to download a mobile app designed to help you keep up with your successes and

challenges. When you track your progress, make sure to review your success on a

regular basis. If you miss a day in keeping your resolutions, it can be tempting to

give up altogether. Having a record of your success can remind you to keep going

and that when you fall, it’s important to get back up and press forward.

Ask for Support

One of the best ways to keep New Year’s Resolutions is to recruit a support team of

friends and family. Thanks to social media, you can easily share your resolutions

online and ask people to follow up with and support you. You may also want to

share your daily or weekly success or challenges on social media or with friends and

family, as they can offer support or recommendations for overcoming barriers.

Eliminate Barriers

There will almost certainly face barriers as you strive to live your New Year’s

Resolutions. Take some time to consider your situation and any potential barriers to

keeping your resolutions. For instance, if you’re trying to eat healthy but someone in

your home eats a lot of sweets, ask them to cut down on such purchases or hide

them in a place you can’t find them. Or if you have trouble getting ready for the gym

in the morning, take a moment the night before to set your clothes aside so you can

easily change and head out when you wake up.

Reward Your Successes

Decide on rewards for reaching your goals, both short and long term. Choose

something that will help motivate you, but try not to pick items that go against your

efforts. For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight by eating healthier, don’t make

your rewards donuts.

Your rewards don’t have to cost anything, either. Maybe your reward for going to

the gym every morning is to watch your favorite show in the evening. If you miss the

gym, you have to miss your show.

Seek Advice

We definitely recommend you seek advice as needed from health professionals

when setting health-related New Year’s Resolutions. You may want to see your

doctor or consult with a dietitian. Our team at Galloway Therapy is happy to provide

advice, recommendations, and support as well. Good luck, and happy 2016!

For more information about how you can benefit from physical therapy, contact

Galloway Therapy today at 501-319-7659