There’s nothing more important than your health so instead of making resolutions that are difficult or impossible to achieve, it makes a lot of sense to set practical goals that promote self-care and good health (and when we say health, we don’t mean counting calories, watching the scale or breaking a sweat at gym only) these goals are for over physical and mental wellbeing. Dr Swati Biswas Deb, general physician from Kolkata, Rahul Ranade, city-based fitness instructor and Manjaree Purohit, nutrition expert suggests some of the health resolutions that you must make this year that easily doable and can be made a apart of your lifestyle with some small tweaks in your habits.
Ranade believes that good health or a better body can only be achieved if one has the willingness to do it and the size of the goal doesn’t matter.
“Whether you want lose those flabs and want to get six pack abs, the key to every thing is determination. Never be in a rush to achieve your goal — take it slow and keep patience. It is always helpful to break your goals into smaller targets, write it down and measure it. For example, if you want to lose 10 kg in a two or three months, plan how much you want to lose in a week and how,” he advises on how one can stick to one’s goals. Similarly, Dr Deb, who doesn’t believe in crash dieting or starving oneself in order to become slim says, “It is not always about the bigger goals but what you do on daily basis that makes all the difference to your plan. If you are determined to stop binging on sweet, you can’t and shouldn’t do it in a day — begin small. If you ate two Gulab Jamuns in a day, then start with eating one; don’t stop them at one go. If you are planning to sleep early and get up early, you need to plan your day accordingly — complete your chores early, finish dinner earlier, send all emails and text messages, turn off your mobile data, put your phone on silent mode and go to bed. Practice this till it becomes a habit.”
Here are some of the resolutions that you can take this year:
Walk a mile after every meal
Purohit who believes that walking is one of the most effective activities, suggests that one must make it a habit to go for a stroll post dinner or lunch and if possible both. “A 15-minute walk after your meals are the most effective as they tend to control your blood sugar levels and also aids in a better digestion. However, ensure that you wait at least 30 minutes to an hour after meal, before going for a walk. This one of the most healthiest habits that you can develop this year,” suggests Purohit.
Cut down caffeine intake
Whether it is long working hours or your addiction to tea/coffee, it sipping on a lot on these beverage is an unhealthy habit, hence it calls for you to set a goal to cut down or stop its intake. “If you are one of those people who can’t get your day started without a cup of tea/cup, it means it is time to lower its intake. Begin by pouring less mount of the beverages into the cup, each time your strain it for yourself, followed by reducing the number of cups you drink in a day. Slowly, begin substituting them with infused water (cucumber lemon, mint etc) as they not only keep you hydrated but also aid weight loss,” says Deb. She wants us to understand excessive intake of tea and coffee leads to sleeplessness followed of fatigue, high blood pressure and so on.
Make fitness fun
“Why most people can’t stick to fitness routines is because they take it as a task, so this year make a promise to yourself that you’ll pick a fitness activity that you’ll enjoy doing and is easy. Activities like dance, zumba, doing yoga to music, playing badminton, or even running don’t require much equipment. Make it fun by including your partner or friends in it,” advises Ranade who says one need to choose an activity that makes them happy.
Take the stairs
Deb firmly believes one resolution that everyone should make is to ditch the elevator and take the staircase for a good health. “I can understand that not all of us have the time to hit the gym or go for a jog, but physical activity is a must at any cost, hence choosing to use the stairs instead of the lift should be a priority in your everyday thing. This will help lower your sugar, keep you energsied and burn calories!” says Deb.
Hydrate , detox, and say no to whites
Accordingly to Purohit, three healthy habits that we all must imbibe this is year to cut down on having excessive sugar, salt and maida and drink tons of water. “Cutting down on all the white things in your diet-sugar, salt and maid will make a huge difference to your health and body. Also, make it a point to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. Another important thing is to unplug from smartphones and simply relax. If you follow all these, you’ll definitely have a healthier year,” she concludes.
