Category: New Year’s Resolutions

Stay Consistent To Meet Your New Year’s Goals

Perhaps the only thing more common than making New Year’s Resolutions is breaking them.  Everyone starts out with good intentions, of course. However, all too often, those sincerely-made resolutions wind up in the dust bin, not many weeks after they’re made.

If you have resolved to get fit and healthy in the new year, here are some helpful tips to help ensure you keep that resolution:

Focus on the Journey, Not the Destination

If your goal is to lose a certain amount of weight and start exercising more, don’t focus too much on your ultimate target.  Instead, break it down into bite-sized chunks, and focus on each of those in turn.  Lose two pounds this week, go to the gym at least twice.  Walk at least a mile today. Set small goals as part of your larger goal.

By focusing on the incremental steps designed to take you to your end goal, you’ll be better able to stay on task, and it will give you the opportunity to celebrate the small victories that will lead you to your ultimate goal.  Remember, getting healthy isn’t a “once and done” thing, but rather a conscious lifestyle change.

Don’t Get Discouraged

For most people, exercise isn’t fun or comfortable.  That’s why they call it a work out, rather than a play out.  It’s probably going to hurt when you start using muscles that you haven’t been using regularly.

The important thing though, is not to let that dissuade you!  If you stay at it, your body will start responding, and over time, it’ll turn into the well-oiled machine you always knew it could be. Try to find an exercise that you find to be enjoyable and exciting!

Don’t Forget Chiropractic Care

Many people only visit their chiropractor when something goes wrong or starts to hurt. Actually, regular visits to your chiropractor and a regular schedule of adjustments can help make your transition to a healthier you easier and less painful than it otherwise would be. So make that part of your New Year’s resolution, too!

Avoiding Injuries When Starting Your New Year’s Resolutions

The start of a new year means, among other things, New Year’s Resolutions. One of the most common resolutions people make is to get in better physical condition in the year ahead.

It’s a great goal, but unfortunately, the burst of enthusiasm can often lead to injury. The most common types of injuries are those born of repetitive use or strain and it’s not uncommon for doctor’s offices and chiropractors to see a sudden influx of patients suffering from bursitis, shin splints, stress fractures and the like. Here are some quick tips to help you minimize your risk of injury as you begin your journey toward better health:

Technique Matters

Sometimes, people get so caught up in the excitement of getting fit that they don’t pay sufficient attention to technique. Proper technique is essential, and can go a long way toward minimizing pain and injury when exercising.

Be mindful of your posture. If you’re using some type of equipment during your exercise routine, be sure you’re using it correctly!

Don’t Overdo It

If you’re new to exercising, then your strength, endurance, and flexibility aren’t what they could be.  It’s important to be mindful of your limitations as you start to exercise, so you don’t overexert yourself. Over-exertion can lead to pulled or strained muscles, or painful sprains.

Also in this category, it’s important that when you expand or increase your workout from one week to the next, you don’t bite off more than you can chew.  Don’t increase your exercise by more than 10% (distance, weight, or time) from one week to the next.

Warm Up and Cool Down

This is something that a lot of people overlook, but both are important!  Before you begin exercising in earnest, be sure to perform a short stretching routine to limber your body up for the exercises ahead.

In a similar vein, once you’ve completed your exercise routine for the day, another short round of stretches before you stop will help minimize your post exercise discomfort.

While following this simple advice won’t allow you to magically avoid exercise-related injuries, it will greatly reduce your risks. In turn, you will increase the chances that you’ll stick with your New Year’s Resolution and start seeing a healthier you!