5 Common Health-Related New Year’s Resolutions — and How to Keep Them

The New Year means new goals and resolutions, and for many of us, that means leading a healthier lifestyle. Fortunately, it’s not as hard as you might think to make healthy lifestyle changes, as long as you follow a few simple tips.

Our team at Minit Medical Urgent Care and Physical Therapy wants you to be successful in achieving your health-related New Year’s resolutions through on-site care and telemedicine visits for added convenience. 

Here, learn about five common health-related resolutions — and how you can achieve them.

1. Healthier eating

Improving dietary habits is a major goal for many, and a new year is a great time to take steps to achieve it. As with any new habit, the best way is to start small, making one or two changes at a time until they become easy habits.

One simple way to start is by adding more fruits and vegetables to your daily meals and snacks. Keep cut fruit and vegetables on hand, along with low-fat yogurt or peanut butter for dipping. Setting aside one day for meal prep also makes it a lot easier to stick to a healthy eating plan, because it keeps you from reaching for unhealthy prepared foods or opting for takeout.

2. Being more active

Most of us spend a lot of hours each day sitting in front of our computers or TVs, behind a desk, or even during our daily commute. Being more active offers major benefits for your health, and best of all, you don’t have to join a gym to enjoy those perks. 

Take a daily walk during lunch or after dinner, choose the stairs instead of the elevator, or simply turn up the tunes and dance for a half hour in the evening. Ideally, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio activities every week. Once you’re going strong with aerobic exercise, you can start adding in some strength and flexibility exercises to round out your fitness routine. 

3. Dropping those extra pounds

Losing weight tops the list for many who make New Year’s resolutions, and for good reason: About three-quarters of American adults are overweight or obese. Worse, being overweight increases your risks of serious health problems, like high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

The good news? You don’t have to lose a lot of weight to rack up the benefits associated with shedding excess pounds. Even modest weight loss can improve your physical health and help you feel more energized — and confident, too.

The first two items on this list, healthy eating and being more active, can definitely help you lose weight, and so can the next item on this list — better sleep. Our team can help, too, with lifestyle guidance and medical support to keep you on track with your goals.

4. Getting better sleep

Most of us lead busy lives, and as our obligations increase, sleep is often the first casualty when we’re looking for ways to fit more into our already-packed schedules. 

The problem? Sleep is when your body repairs itself and restores its natural energy supplies. If you’re not getting enough quality sleep — about seven to nine hours each night — your physical health and emotional wellness can really suffer.

Improving your sleep habits doesn’t have to be complicated; in fact, a few simple lifestyle changes may be all it takes. You can find a list of 20 top tips to improve sleep at this website. If you’re still having trouble, our team can help you find a medical solution that helps.

5. Quitting smoking

Smoking is a major cause of serious health problems, including cancer, heart disease, and lung diseases. Unfortunately, the chemicals in tobacco products make it very hard to kick the habit. 

The good news is, there are lots of resources online to help you quit, including tips and support services at SmokeFree.gov. Our team can also pinpoint ways to help you transition away from your habit with nicotine products, behavioral therapy, or local peer support groups.

No matter what health and wellness goals top your list of resolutions, our team can help. To get started on cultivating healthy habits that can last a lifetime, book an appointment online or over the phone at your nearest Minit Medical Urgent Care and Physical Therapy office in Kihei, Kahului, or Lahaina, Hawaii, today.