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Happy New Year, and welcome to a new decade! A new year beautifully symbolizes a new chapter opening in the book that is your life. With this new chapter, many of us want change in our health, wellness, and fitness, but have trouble maintaining consistency throughout the year. Why is that? Where does that fire, determination, and excitement go? From my experience, it is common for us to treat these new goals like a sprint as opposed to a marathon. SLOW DOWN. In order to successfully achieve our goals, it is key to find balance with incorporating these new habits.
Out with the old and in with the new to a better you. When beginning this marathon into a stronger, healthier version of yourself, you must fall in love with the process of this growth. If better nutrition is your focus for this new year, take the time to develop better eating habits. A popular health trend this new year is finding balance in your diet to fuel your body. While a diet is sometimes good for structure, it typically ends up being a quick fix. Evaluate your current diet and determine which foods don’t make you feel your best, and which foods may better fuel your body. For example, if you have a full workday ahead, you should fuel your body with foods that will give you energy and help you feel fuller longer. A health trend that is continuously growing is superfoods. Boost your new healthy lifestyle with superfoods that offer some important nutrients that can power-pack your meals and snacks, and further enhance a healthy eating pattern.
Get comfortable feeling uncomfortable. Incorporating a new workout plan into your daily lifestyle can sometimes seem overwhelming, or even painful, as your body is being pushed in new ways. Be patient with yourself and give your body time to adjust to this new habit you are working on. Consistency is key to achieving your fitness goals. Look at your schedule and pre-plan your workouts for the week. Write it down in your planner, block it out in your calendar, and set yourself up for success! The biggest barrier to working out is finding the time to do so. But if you balance it out in your schedule before-hand, you will have better results with achieving your goals.
Balancing all that life has to offer is easier when you have a personal wellness plan. Wellness can be defined as “The quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.” It is important because life often comes with challenges and things we can’t control. Maintaining an optimal level of wellness is crucial to living a higher quality life. Wellness matters. Wellness matters because everything we do and every emotion we feel relates to our well-being. In turn, our well-being directly affects our actions and emotions. It’s an ongoing circle. Therefore, it is important for everyone to achieve optimal wellness in order to subdue stress, reduce the risk of illness, and ensure positive interactions.
All in all, finding balance in health, fitness, and wellness will set you up to unveil the best version of yourself. Remember that improving these areas of your life is a marathon, not a sprint. The more consistent you are, the quicker you will achieve your goals. Healthy living is 2020’s biggest trend. Take the time to develop a plan that will lead to a healthy mind, body, and spirit. Live your best life this new year and decade!
References:
Corte, R. (2019, December 13). What Is Wellness and Why Is It Important? Retrieved December 18, 2019, from https://introwellness.com/health/what-is-wellness/.
Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America’s most-trusted online dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merriam-webster.com/.
Romero, T. (2019, December 31). The biggest health trends of 2020 – from sweet potatoes to road races. Retrieved December 18, 2019, from https://www.phillyvoice.com/biggest-health-trends-2020-sweet-potato-high-tech-gym-road-races-telehealth-artificial-intelligence/.
About the Author:
Ariana Burrell is a lover of all things health and wellness! She found her passion while in college at the University of Oregon, where she received her Bachelor of Science in human physiology and psychology. At the age of 19, she became a personal trainer and fitness instructor for the university Recreation Center, and has been growing her knowledge and experience in the fitness world since. With a background in various training formats, from Pilates and yoga to sports performance and strength and conditioning, there is nothing she loves more about being in this field than inspiring others to live a healthy, active, and balanced lifestyle. In addition to fitness and wellness, she enjoys hiking/walking with her dog, baking tasty treats, and journaling.
