Another year has come and gone, and we are now starting into 2024. This time of year, we’re all thinking of setting health-related resolutions. Losing weight, exercising more, or being more mindful of your back and joint health. After all, one of the best natural pain relievers is through taking better care of your mind and body.
That said, we know all too well that keeping to them can be hard. That’s why in this month’s blog, our chiropractor in Bridgend is sharing some tips to help you stick to a healthier lifestyle. Remember, if you make it past the first 21 days, then you’ve made a better habit!
1. Set Realistic and Specific Goals
“This year I will exercise more” doesn’t actually mean all that much. It doesn’t take your current stamina or condition into account and leaves you directionless. Be more specific by creating an exercise plan appropriate for your level of activity.
If you rarely exercise, starting off with a more realistic plan helps ensure you stick to it instead of giving up because you pushed too far in the beginning and became sore. A realistic resolution could be “start attending yoga beginner classes once a week” or “walk 30 mins twice a week”.
2. Create and Track Milestones
This is especially useful when you are exercising for the first time. As you get into the routine, your strength, stamina, muscle, and joint health should start improving. This allows you to start on more intensive or longer-lasting exercises later in the year. It also gives you a fulfilling sense of accomplishment when you pass a milestone.
Tracking your progress is good too, so that you have a quick and easy way to see how far you’ve come. There are plenty of smartphone apps made for this goal, but keeping a written record is good too. Again, it’s important that you are realistic with your milestones, and do not set them too close to each other. Pushing yourself too far too quickly could burn you out too quickly.
3. Don’t Do it Alone
Supportive friends, family members, or even a trusted accountability partner. External support and encouragement is great at helping you feel more committed to following through. They can offer support and solutions for when things are not going your way, or provide that hard edge to keep you from lapsing back into bad habits.
Working towards the same resolution together is also an option. You could go on walks or attend yoga classes together. Whatever you do, be sure to discuss how you will help each other meet your resolutions together to avoid any confusion or arguments.
4. Seek Support From Our Chiropractor in Bridgend
Setting resolutions because you’re hoping to improve your back and joint health? You can always ask our chiropractor for lower back pain or joint pain focussed stretches and exercises to get you started.
Remember, the team at Walker Chiropractic offers more than spine adjustments. We can offer a variety of lifestyle recommendations to help you towards your goal of natural pain relief. When you next come for an appointment, ask for help setting a plan for a better lifestyle.
You can also ask for resources from your GP, nutritionist, or a fitness instructor. Getting help from people who are more experienced can help you set more realistic goals and avoid burnout or disappointment.
5. Stay Positive and Accept Yourself
Be kind to yourself throughout the process. Getting into new routines and changing your lifestyle for the better is not easy. There will be slip-ups, there will be lapses, and there will be times when you’re not feeling the benefit of the progress you are making.
Remind yourself why doing this is important to you. A lot of the social media and broadcast media we surround ourselves with often paint an unrealistic picture of human health. As you improve, you may still be unfit, you may still need a chiropractor for lower back pain, and you may still need to visit us, but don’t call yourself a failure when you miss a milestone. Instead of solely focusing on the end result, embrace and enjoy the journey you had when working towards your resolutions. Treat yourself with patience, and forgiveness, and give it your best try next time.
Resolutions to improve your health require dedication and effort, but they also require a positive outlook from yourself. The biggest reason why resolutions fail is because the goalpost is set too high. By implementing our chiropractor’s strategies and staying committed to what is important, you can keep your New Year’s resolutions.