As every year during these special dates, it’s time to take stock of our personal experiences to feel satisfied with the things we did that came to fruition, and to gain momentum in order to get to work on those that were left pending or could have been done even better. In this sense, it is traditional to set new goals to achieve in the coming year, so from this blog we want to help you adopt some resolutions that can significantly improve your health and quality of life.
Since we are talking about health, the first thing we should do is go to our health center for a medical check-up. Through this, and thanks to diagnostic tests such as blood analysis, we will check if we need to improve on any specific area of our body and we can set more realistic goals for our body. Additionally, we should consider having these health checks at least every 6 months. If needed, our doctor and nurse will give us very useful advice to have iron-clad health.
We have already taken the first step, so let’s take the bull by the horns and talk about the two pillars that will support our health in the short and long term: nutrition and physical activity.
Following a healthy and balanced diet is of vital importance to prevent diseases and keep the body at its maximum capacity, however not everyone knows how to manage their diet, that is: what, how and when. Try to follow these guidelines within the Mediterranean diet:
– Try to have 5 meals a day. Include fruit in your mid-morning breakfast and afternoon snack.
– Limit bread to breakfast and lunch.
– Avoid soft drinks and beverages high in sugar. Isotonic drinks, natural juices and even a glass of wine are good substitutes.
– Reduce as much as possible the consumption of sweets and pastries, and if you include them in your diet, try to do so at breakfast.
– Both breakfast and lunch should contain sources of carbohydrates that provide us energy to face the day. However, try to make dinner rich in proteins through fish, white meats or salads – without dressing, of course.
– Make sure to drink 2 to 3 liters of water daily, preferably just before and between meals.
Initially, it’s not necessary to follow a specific diet, but to adopt appropriate eating habits. This way we can maintain an adequate weight by eating without restrictions beyond our feeling of hunger.
Regarding physical exercise, it’s important that it is done continuously, and what better option to be consistent than to do something we like. Therefore, we must look for those physical activities that we enjoy practicing and try to carry them out at least 2 days a week. They can be outdoor activities, in gyms, sports clubs or specialized centers. Don’t know what activity to do? Don’t hesitate to try new experiences, you may be pleasantly surprised even if you have never practiced any sport. You can start with classic activities such as swimming, yoga or hiking to find the athlete inside you. And if none of this convinces you, try taking the stairs instead of the elevator and, if time allows, walk or ride a bicycle instead of traveling in any other vehicle. These small changes will make us feel better about ourselves in less time than we think.
If we suffer from any pain or injury that may limit us when performing adequate physical activity, we can consult with a trusted physiotherapist. Through counseling and prevention, direct treatment of the health problem and/or recommendation of therapeutic exercise programs, they will help us achieve this goal of getting physically fit. We can even visit the physiotherapy clinic with some frequency to prevent injuries and relieve tensions typical of both physical activity and daily stress.
Although these two concepts, nutrition and physical activity, are basic for our health, there are many more healthy habits that we can establish as New Year’s resolutions:
– Quit smoking.
– Reduce alcohol consumption.
– Try to eradicate stress by always dedicating a part of the day to our personal and/or collective leisure. As with physical exercise, try new activities that help develop your creativity and give free rein to your ideas.
– Ensure adequate daily sleep hours –at least 8 hours–, introducing if possible a short nap –about 30 minutes– in the early afternoon. We should also consider changing our old mattress and/or pillow if they no longer guarantee comfortable rest.
These are just some examples we propose, but surely you’ll come up with many more original and fun resolutions. Would you like to share them?
