Once the over-indulgences of the festive season pass by, many of us mark the beginning of a new year with resolutions to lose weight and get fit. But how easy is it to maintain these aspirations? In this article, we look at some easy ways to make a healthy new year less daunting and more doable.
Healthy new year resolutions
Christmas comes late for the gym industry. Our desire to make good on our fitness goals results in a seasonal surge in sign-ups every January.
More than 12% of gym memberships are taken out at the start of a new year. However, analysis shows that half of these new members will quit within six months.
So how can we make our resolutions stick?
Signing up for a programme that’s too time-consuming or that you don’t enjoy is a sure-fire way to lose motivation. You’re also putting yourself at risk of injury if you start into your training too hard.
Don’t sign a gym contract in the hope that the financial commitment will keep you engaged. Instead, take time to find something that works for you. Virtual environments, such as that offered by Technogym or Zwift, have been a major trend of recent years, and they offer a way for users to reap the benefits of social interaction and variety, staving off the boredom of the solitary workout.
Another big trend has been the move towards programmes that embrace a wide spectrum of health activities, such as recovery, rehab, personal training and wellness coaching.
Balancing the different aspects of your health using an integrated approach can supercharge your wellbeing. Researchers have long established the links between physical and mental health. Activities that invest in each aspect feed into each other, boosting your overall health.
This holistic attitude enables you to delve deep into your priorities and motivations, and it creates a lasting connection with your own wellness. The insight this brings can encourage long-term behavioural change, rather than the short-term fix sought by many resolution-makers.
If you’re planning a healthy new year, then, it’s worth considering a rounded approach that takes rehab and recovery, mental and physical health, stress management, sleep health, and diet and nutrition into account.
Our top tips for a healthy new year
1. Find a sport or activity you enjoy and that you can integrate smoothly into your daily life. Even if that simply means parking a mile away from work and walking in, small changes can make a big difference.
2. Keep a check on your stress levels. Take time to note when stress might be affecting you. While you can’t necessarily prevent stressful events, engaging in activities such as mindfulness, relaxation and breathing exercises, or talking therapies can prevent things reaching the point where your health is negatively affected.
3. Use a tailored approach to fitness. A qualified therapist such as our Corrective Exercise Therapist or Yoga Therapist can design a programme to address your individual areas of weakness. This will help you reach your goals more quickly while reducing your injury risk.
4. Address injuries straight away to prevent the risk of chronicity, or compensatory injuries developing. Osteopathy is a holistic treatment that evaluates whole-body health. Our osteopaths can help with injury recovery, pain reduction and lifestyle interventions.
5. Sleep is fundamental to health, both physical and mental. Look at ways of improving your sleep hygiene to improve your quality of sleep.
How we can help
Our team at OCHK in Central is dedicated to enhancing the health of our clients. We can offer an integrated service that targets your goals and shows rapid and long-lasting results.
Why not take advantage of our Christmas vouchers to give the gift of health to someone special?
So if you want a personalised plan for health and wellbeing, book now and enjoy a healthy new year!