5 Tips to Start the New Year Right!
January is normally a month of goals, resolutions, good intentions and getting ‘back on track’ after the festive break. Now, we rarely encourage drastic changes or overhauls to anyone’s routines in January, and prefer our members to focus on re-asserting good habits they had before the holidays, and possibly focusing on some new or different habits to complement them.
With that in mind, today we have 5 things to focus on to make sure you start the New year off on the right foot!
1) SLEEP. Good sleep improves your brain performance, mood, and health. Getting enough sleep (6+ hours per night) will have a positive impact on many of your other goals and behaviours.
2) STEPS. Getting your steps in will help you be active and can be considered a form of exercise. As we all know, exercise is important for our physical and mental health as well as giving us a boost of energy.
3) ALCOHOL. I am sure over the last month many people have increased their alcohol consumption and there is nothing wrong with that. However, what makes alcohol less healthy is the dose. Reducing your consumption to 1-2 drinks per week allows you to keep having drinks you enjoy (and socialising etc), but the quantity will hardly be detrimental to your health. Reducing alcohol will also help you improve your sleep.
4) FIBRE. A high fibre diet is good for your health. By eating a well-rounded, balanced diet that includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains, you will likely get the amount of fibre your body needs to run efficiently and lower your disease risk.
5) PROTEIN. A high protein intake can offer numerous benefits, including helping you lose weight, gain muscle, and improve your body composition and metabolic health. As you get older your muscle mass does decrease slightly per year which can be limited through resistance training and a high protein diet.
Focusing on these 5 things consistently will most likely make you feel good and more energised. These are good areas to focus on to get back on track after the holidays, but can equally be used as a reference point at any time of the year. If you stay on top of these 5 things, and sprinkle in a few more positive habits and behaviours (more individualised/tailored to you and your goals), you will be heading in the right direction with your health and fitness in no time!
~ Laura
