As the new year approaches people often make the mistake of trying to make too many changes every January. The idea is to “make up for lost time.” But what ends up happening is no one can stick to drastic resolutions and burn out ends the whole attempted health revolution.
Another common mistake is to only focus on physical fitness. Why not try our holistic 7 health tips this January and see if they work better for you?
1. NAPS TWICE A DAY
The most common health habit of people who live to be 100 is daily napping. Not only in their old age, but throughout their youth. I personally do two 15 minute naps each and every day. I do one at or before 1:30 PM and another at or before 6:00 PM. Stick to 15 minutes and realize that, at first, you won’t necessarily be able to sleep. You’ll have to train yourself just to lay there and relax. Eventually you’ll find yourself in a rhythm and will be able to drift at least into a twilight stage. But even if you can’t, you’re still resting and refreshing the mind and body. It will help you recover from workouts and stress and give you a boost of productivity that caffeine can’t match. Try it and see. And yes, you can listen to music or a stress-free podcast as you do this.
2. TWO CARDIO WORKOUTS PER WEEK
Don’t go for a marathon session if you’re new to training. Just do what is appropriate for your fitness level and health status. I recommend one of these sessions to be low intensity for long duration and another session during the week that is more intense and is of a shorter duration. Cardiovascular exercise is a great mood enhancer, brain oxygenator and stress reliever.
3. TWO WEIGHTLIFTING WORKOUTS PER WEEK
Again, use weights that are safe for you and make sure someone shows you how to lift properly. Technique is more important than how much you lift. But lift relatively heavy weights twice per week. For both men and women heavier resistance training strengthens joints, improves posture, prevents injury, balances hormones as well as increases metabolism and bone density. It is also a good mood enhancer and stress management lifestyle. Try and lift on days on which you are not doing your cardio workouts. Two cardio days plus two weight sessions per week puts you at a 4 days a week workout schedule. I feel this is spaced out well enough to allow proper recovery and make it easier to adhere to.
4. 15 MINUTES OUTDOORS EVERY DAY
Fresh air, seeing new things, people watching and connecting with nature. Spent a minimum of 15 minutes every single day out of doors. You can sit on a park bench. Go for a walk. Ride a bike or scooter. You can do it alone or with a friend. But do not plug into social media or use headphones. You need to experience nature in its raw form. If possible do it in nature. A park, beach, forest, etc. If you are in a large city try and find a green space. If that is not necessarily available every day, just go out into the streets or a balcony and be out of doors. Day or night is okay for you to do this.
5. READ FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES EVERY DAY
I strongly recommend an actual book. Not a magazine or an online article. Pick a topic you’re interested in or a classic literature work you’ve never gotten around to reading. Or pick a popular fiction, documentary, biography, etc. Set your clock for 5 minutes and get going. Doing this before going to bed (or while in bed) instead of looking into the blue light of device is amazing for your quality of sleep. It has also proven to be a far better relaxation tool than other types of passive relaxation. Not to mention that it fires the imagination, increases knowledge and gives your brain centers a workout.
6. CALL YOUR PARENTS 10 MINUTES PER WEEK
We all know we need to do this. We also know that it can be tricky to make it a habit. But, intergenerational relationships are healthy and necessary. In fact compared to previous generations, we are more cut off from our parents than any other group in North American history — if not in all of history. This creates heightened feelings of anxiety and/or depression in our parents and in us. Reaching out and making regular, quick calls can strengthen our emotional health as well as that of our parents. I don’t need to convince you that our modern lifestyles are too disconnected and too devoid of genuine contact as it is. Make this change and one day, you may find yourself the happy recipient of this habit from your own children.
7. DATE YOUR PARTNER 15 MINUTES PER WEEK
It is very easy to begin taking long term relationships too lightly. This causes breakdowns in emotional and physical connections. Not a good long term strategy. During the COVID lock downs my wife and I perfected the “home date.” You have to dress up, set the mood (imagine you’re hosting a first date in your home so turn on the romance), mix fun drinks, plan an activity, maybe a couple snacks. Chit chat, have fun and move to watching a show in the living room. I realize this is the non-15 minute version! And I do recommend it. But if this is too extravagant to do every week, how about the speed date? 15 minutes of cuddling on the couch alone together. Whether you chat, watch some silly youtube videos, etc. Connect for 15 minutes every single week. This is so easy to schedule it is inexcusable not to.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
Well, there you have it. Tips so easy anyone could stick to them long term. Make these your New Year’s resolutions and watch your life improve. This is a starting point and you can grow from here. But even if this is the extent of your changes in the coming months, they will greatly improve your physical, emotional and mental health.
Best of luck and go for it!