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It’s coming, are you ready for it? Of course, I am talking about a brand new year, and just maybe a brand new you! Now, I know that sounds cliched to death, and maybe a few eyeballs out there are already rolling at just the hint of that “R” word, resolution. But let’s step back and think about this – a brand new year deserves at least as much effort as painting a room, and everyone knows that a little prep work goes a long way to making that successful. So let’s do a little shiny new year prep and get ready for a healthy new year.
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How to Get Ready for a Healthy New Year
Start A Healthy New Year Smart – Get A Physical
If possible, get a physical to make sure you are healthy enough to start being healthier. Sounds ironic, but you need to have a certain base level of fitness before you can build on it to greater heights of healthy. If this is not immediately possible, start slow and pay attention to the way you feel.
Don’t push too hard, and if it turns into real work stop. You don’t want to overdo it at this early stage of the game, especially if you don’t have a doctor’s blessing to ramp up your regular physical exertion levels.
As you do get more physical and lay the groundwork for future physical gains, you can expect it to be a challenge. But if it feels like just too much effort is required, stop and evaluate your physical health. It is easy to have overlooked a serious underlying condition that has been merely annoying.
For example, children of the latter 20th century could have been exposed to Asbestos in their own schools. This can lead to health problems such as mesothelioma, which can be life-threatening as well make healthier living changes difficult. (Visit this link – https://survivingmesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/ – to learn more about mesothelioma).
Another silent but deadly issue you should watch for is high blood pressure. While it is true that exercise will help to control high blood pressure, it will also cause the readings to spike during exercise and possibly even drop quickly afterward.
If you have been living with high blood pressure, you may find that this drop in blood pressure may leave you swooning and dizzy. If this happens, stop and see a doctor or at least get a reading on your resting blood pressure. You can interpret your blood pressure numbers here. Getting a yearly checkup or physical is important in getting ready for a healthy new year.
Start Drinking More Water
Start drinking more water. It is surprising how many people fail to get enough direct water in their diet and rely on food to provide adequate fluids. It should not be surprising that the human body fires the same signal for hunger and thirst since both give the body its needed water intake.
You should also move from heavy sugar drinks to something that gives to your body in return. If you can’t make the leap from soda to water, consider something like sports drinks as an intermediate step. You need to be aware of the calories in a sports drink, but at least it is a step in the right direction.
Start Moving Now
Start moving now to prepare for the new year. You can do little things at first, and let it build from there. If you spend a lot of time couchsurfing, purposely hide the remote or leave it on the TV. Those trips back and forth to the TV will add up.
You can do other simple things as well to start moving more. For example, start taking the steps instead of the elevator (if you are comfortable with both your ability and safety). If you have someone to walk with, consider parking farther away from the front door and enjoy a brisk stroll in the brisk seasonal air that ushers in our Healthy New Year.
You can even use shopping tasks to help you move more. When you get to the store, forget every shortcut you know and make it a longer path. You can even leave the last two aisles from opposing sides for last, forcing you to walk farther to complete the shopping tasks.
Consider Exercise Gear To Help
We can use a helping hand when it comes to getting more exercise, and this is one place that technology has certainly grown in the past few years. In fact, we have talked about how only a single piece of exercise gear may be all that you need to start a good program.
Here there is a myriad of choices so you can choose based on your own preferences and budget, but remember that exercise gear, while helpful, is not a requirement.
As you can see, getting ready for a healthy new year is a lot like painting a room – the prep work can make all the difference. Starting slowly now instead of making a drastic change when the calendar flips will give you a running start on healthy habits that could make the new year your best year yet. You have to admit, that sounds like a great goal for all of us this coming new year.