With January on the horizon, thoughts of new years resolutions for 2019 starting creeping into our minds. Who will we be next year and what will we achieve? January 1st can become the day of many peoples first foray into the health and fitness world. A daunting prospect indeed! Which is why I am here to share five achievable and realistic health and wellness new years resolutions with you.
Diversify Your Diet.
2018 was the year of the gut health hype. Everyone was discussing pre-biotics, probiotics and digestive health. Despite the wide variety of varied advice which hit the headlines, the one change which everyone consistently recommended was diversifying your diet. Consuming a wider range of plant based foods increases the diversity of your gut micro biome and supports long term gut heath. What is a great way you can turn this into a new years resolution? By aiming to try one new plant based food a week.
Sleep One More Hour A Night.
In 2018 I read the book Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, and it is safe to say it was more than little mind-blowing. Walker discussed the absolute necessity of sleep and its impacts on not only our short term health and performance but our long term wellbeing. In short he said that the shorter our sleep, the shorter our lives. Terrifying.
Walker recommends starting with incremental increases on your sleep quantity to reap immediate benefits. A great goal for 2019 would be to add one hour to your daily sleep quantity. This can be done by getting to bed an hour earlier in the evening – something which is easier than you think once you start being regimented with disconnecting yourself from technology.
Finally Get Into A Fitness Routine.
This is one of the most common new years resolutions come January, but many people get lost along the way. What equates to a routine? How should I work out? How long for? Should I be using weights? Do I need a gym membership? How do I progress over time? It is pretty damn confusing!
That’s why I created The Sculpt Guide, a 12 week training program to guide you gently through the first three months of the year. It includes 7 optional workouts a week, from which you pick 2-5 based on your preference and ability. They include weighted and bodyweight options and are 100% flexible to you and your schedule. Plus it comes with a supportive facebook community full of women who are on the same journey as you, to help keep you on track. Grab a copy here!
Regular Meditation.
Mindfulness is the new green juice and everyone is jumping on the trend, but this is one trend I hope is here to stay. The benefits are huge not only for mental health but physical wellbeing, in our increasingly stressful lives the value of taking a moment to connect with ourselves is increasing dramatically.
I understand that meditation can seem daunting and unachievable, and it can be if you set yourself the goal of meditating for an hour a day. Instead of doing this I recommend downloading Calm or Headspace and taking part in their free introductory courses from January 1st. These include 7-10 minute daily meditations which teach you the basics. Then after the introductory course you can use the timed meditation tool to take yourself through daily practice. Release expectations of meditating for 20 minutes. Personally, I aim for 3 minutes a day as this takes the pressure off, but often end up going for 5, 8 or 10 minutes.
Hydration.
You have heard this one a million times before it is popular for a reason: drink a minimum of 2 litres of water! We are made up of predominantly water and we need to be optimally hydrated to function adequately. As soon as I don’t drink enough water I can see and feel it in my mental clarity and physical performance. The most simple and easy way I have found to increase my water intake is to carry a large reusable water bottle. Aim for one which is 750ml or more in size, then you know you only need to drink it 2-3 times to reach your minimum daily water intake. Oh and always hydrate before you caffeinate.
Have an amazing 2019!
