With the New Year in full swing and more wonderful wellness trends popping up to shape these upcoming months, we have an array of different ways in which we can be better, stronger, healthier in 2019. If you thought that 2018 was the year of health and fitness, it seems that 2019 is a fine contestant with even more potential to bring more people to the health and fitness-loving ranks. However, while we all love to make a brief list of resolutions that we’ll most often ditch before February kicks in, there are smarter ways to approach your resolution-making for this year.
Since we all have aspirations to improve, it makes sense to start with the one aspect of our lives that can always be better – our wellbeing. So, let’s take a look at a few clever ways in which you can infuse your 2019 life with more wellness and fitness, and ensure that your resolutions prevail!
An apple a day
Take a closer look at your last year’s resolutions list. If it was filled with vague statements such as “I’ll eat healthy”, then it’s no wonder you need a do-over. Not being very specific and goal-oriented can play havoc on your mind since there are no concrete steps to follow. Make a note in your diary, digital or physical, to actually swap your donut (or your chips, your chocolate, whatever) for an apple. Head to a store and stock on apples, while you give away those candy bars you stash at home.
This may seem irrelevant, but it’s only the beginning. Use the apple method for every other dieting idea you have. Swap your third cup of coffee for an herbal tea, your fast-food meal for a home-cooked one, and the like. Use your imagination, write it down, prepare your kitchen, and go for it!
Schedule your snooze
Most of us normally spend hours meal-planning and timing our snacks, but it’s our sleep that needs consistency as much as our nutrition does. After all, it’s in that down-time that our bodies use the nutrients delivered through food to repair the damaged cells and renew our energy for the day ahead. Say goodbye to a haphazard sleeping routine and start implementing a structured approach to your Zzz’s.
Try a few different scenarios before you find your sweet spot, because not everyone will find waking up at five as refreshing as others. However, aim for seven to eight hours of sleep every night, and to work them in roughly the same time, so that you allow your circadian rhythm to actually do its magic.
Find your energy-boosters
In addition to healthy sleep, which is vital for your energy levels, your daily menu should also include a few healthy additions that provide your mind and body with ample micronutrients responsible for your energy stores. Most of us are deficient in essential micronutrients such as magnesium, hence the common headaches, muscle cramps, drowsiness, and overwhelming fatigue.
To give a little power boost to your eating regime, include magnesium tablets that will provide you with the perfect balance to protect your energy. They will also come in extremely handy as soon as you kick-start your next goal on the list, since magnesium is vital in helping your muscles recover after a rough workout session!
Get moving one day per week
The dreaded resolution that few seem to accomplish unless they’ve always been into exercise, working out is an issue of creating a habit, much like anything else. To make it easier on your schedule and your body, why not apply the same “apple a day” method and start by adding just one workout day per week? For even more accountability, find a workout partner who will join you for your weekly jog in the park, that gym session, or an aerobics class.
Once again, write it down in a very clear format, such as “I will start my workout program on Wednesday, January the 23rd at eight pm with my booked class”. The ability to cross it off your list will give you a nudge of motivation to keep going every Wednesday, but then take it up a notch and increase the challenge to two days per week after several weeks, and repeat the process until you have at least three workout-infused days. Write down every single one of them as a determined goal in your diary, cross them off, and let the habit-building begin.
Find your quiet place
No, not the incredibly scary movie from 2018, but that little Zen nook inside your mind that will help you unwind before sleep, wake up with a smile on your face, and work through any inner or outer conflict you may experience. The global craze for meditation is there for a reason, as this simple, but powerful method has been very successful in helping people cope and recover through many a hardship.
You can try simple breathing exercises paired with affirmations, and note each of them down in your diary. Combine them with a yoga flow, perhaps, and you may find yourself in love with a new hobby that is also your little oasis.
Ultimately, it boils down to finding the most suitable ways for you, personally, that will inspire you to not just cross that one apple off your list, but look forward to each one in the batch. Use these little resolutions to make your 2019 the healthiest year thus far, and share your experience with others – you never know who will find inspiration in your success and follow in your footsteps!
