As the year draws to an end, you may be thinking about what healthy New Year’s resolutions you can implement into your life.
While I’m all for making and sticking to goals, taking care of yourself should be something that you do all the time.
Your health is your priority, and it’s really important to be leading a healthy lifestyle – not just making resolutions because everyone else is.
If you haven’t been able to lead the healthy lifestyle that you would like so far, that’s ok. The fact that you are wanting to do something about it now is certainly a great start!
The New Year period is the most popular time for healthy resolutions, so I’m going to give you some attainable New Year goals. See how many you think you manage!
HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
1) GET THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF SLEEP EVERY NIGHT
When you have a busy life, it can be difficult to get enough sleep every night. Perhaps you have young children, or you are really caught up in progressing in your career or new business.
I get it!
Even though we need at least 7-9 hours every night, sometimes we stay up til the early hours to get things done.
But, missing out on much-needed sleep is more damaging than you think. If you don’t get enough then you could face problems like:
- Mood swings
- Anxiety and depression
- Lack of focus and concentration
- Hormonal imbalance
- Slowed motor functions
- Slowed metabolism
- Increased hunger
- Fat storage and difficulty losing weight
And, if you don’t get enough sleep, you’ll struggle to get through your workouts.
Ensuring that you get enough sleep may mean rearranging your lifestyle. One less episode on Netflix is not the end of the world! You can also try stepping away from electronics earlier than you do now, so that your brain can relax.
You are likely to find that with getting more sleep, you can be more productive than before. And, sleep also helps you with losing weight.
2) HAVE REGULAR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS
Most people only go to their doctor when they have a problem but having regular appointments and preventative screenings can uncover any underlying medical issues.
Think of your body like your car. You always take your car in for servicing, even if nothing is visibly wrong. Your doctor can keep an eye on your overall health and will pick up any serious problems before it’s too late.
This also goes for dentists too. I recently read a story about someone who went to their dentist for a toothache, only to find out that they had stage 4 cancer! If they hadn’t have gone to the dentist, they could have been dead within 2 weeks.
3) PREP YOUR MEALS EVERY SUNDAY
When you don’t have a plan of what you are going to eat every week, it can be very easy to pick up takeaways when you don’t feel like cooking.
Making a plan and doing your grocery shopping on a Sunday, means that you will know exactly what you’ll be eating each day. You can try doing some batch cooking or having meal prep stables on hand so that it doesn’t take too long to get meals ready when you are busy.
4) EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY
It’s never a good idea to skip meals because you think you will lose weight. It will just make you feel even more hungry.
So, if you feel the hunger pangs coming on, eat something.
5) DO EXERCISE THAT YOU ENJOY
I know many ladies are put off by going to the gym and being surrounded by big muscly guys. Other people just simply hate running.
If you force yourself to do something that you don’t enjoy, you have less chance of actually making any progress – or sticking to it.
Find a form of exercise that you like doing, but don’t forget to mix it up with other types of workouts so you can work all of your muscle groups.
6) PUT YOUR WORKOUTS IN YOUR CALENDAR
When you set aside time for your workouts, you have a much higher chance of actually doing them. Rather than thinking ‘Oh I should do a workout this afternoon’, if you have it in your diary then you’ll know that that is your time.
You can even let your partner, family or friends know that you have specific times when you will be working out, so they know not to bother you.
7) DRINK 2-3 LITERS OF WATER EVERY DAY
I always stress the importance of drinking enough water. It really is one of the most useful things you can do to keep your body healthy. Water helps with all of your bodily functions and stops you from feeling sluggish throughout the day.
8) TAKE MORE STEPS
Did you know that it is recommended we take at least 10,000 steps every day? That may seem like a lot but its definitely not that difficult to achieve.
Walking helps to burn fat, keep your blood circulating, and is a good way to get some fresh air when you’re stuck in an office all day.
You can easily measure your steps by wearing a Fitbit or similar kind of watch. Alternatively, many smartphones have a built-in app that measures for you.
You guys know that I also LOVE walking for slimming down legs!
9) QUIT SMOKING
We all know the dangers of smoking, but I know it’s super hard for some of you ladies to kick the habit. Not only will quitting be much kinder on your pocket, but you will also be reducing your risk of heart disease and cancer.
TIPS ON HOW TO STICK TO YOUR HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS
1) WRITE YOUR GOALS AND KEEP THEM WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM
If you don’t write your New Year resolutions down, you can easily forget or ignore them. Having a list of them where you can see them throughout the day will help you to stay focused.
You could try posting them on the fridge, next to the bed, or putting them as a reminder in your phone.
Seeing your goals every day will help you stay accountable and committed.
2) SET MEASURABLE GOALS
Sometimes people fail at their goals because they can’t actually track their progress.
You might want one of your healthy New Year resolutions to be to lose weight. But how much weight exactly?
Do you want to go down a dress size? Or lose 1 kg every month?
Decide on a realistic goal that you can measure, and you will have more chance of achieving it.
3) PUT A PLAN INTO PLACE
Once you’ve written down your measurable New Year’s goals, decide on how you are going to make them happen.
If your goal is to lose weight or to take more steps every day, you might want to consider joining my 3 Steps To Lean Legs Program. This gives you lots of yummy healthy recipes and a full workout program that you can easily do from home.
Alternatively, you can take out a gym membership, start a dance class, and make a real effort to cut out junk food and stick to clean eating.
If your healthy New Year’s resolutions are fitness-based, it’s a good idea to get a workout buddy with the same goals. Then you’ll have someone to be accountable to.
4) REVIEW YOUR GOALS
When you know that you are doing something right, and you can easily see your progress, sticking to goals is so much easier. I like to review my goals every week, so I know that I’m on the right path. If I’m struggling to stick to a goal, I think about what I can change so that I can.
5) REWARD YOURSELF!
I can’t stress this part enough. If you’ve got a reward to look forward to, doing the hard work becomes so much easier?
Did you manage to drop down a dress size? Awesome! Treat yourself to that new bag or pair of shoes you’ve had your eye on.
WHAT WILL YOUR HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS BE?
It’s a proven fact that those people who set goals and monitor them regularly are more likely to succeed. This definitely works for me, and I hope that you can make it work for you too!
What healthy New Year’s resolutions are you going to make this year? Would love to hear them in the comments below!
I hope you all have a lovely Christmas celebrating with family and friends, and a fabulous start to the New Year! See you next year...
