January 1, 2020
Looking for ways to get a healthy start to the new year? If you are like most, you are setting your New Year’s resolutions and preparing for a health “restart” come the beginning of January.
If you are unsure of where to start, here are three ways to get a healthy start to the new year that are good for your body, mind, and soul.
Adequate amounts of sleep eliminate risk factors for many diseases such as stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. We make better decisions when we are well rested too. Lack of sleep can cause you to crave junk food, salty or sugary snacks, and starches. This is because sleep deprivation causes your hunger hormone ghrelin to increase and your appetite suppressing hormone leptin to decrease. If you sleep less than five hours per night, your risk of obesity increases by 50%, according to research from John Hopkins Medicine.
[Learn more tips for health: Why Staying Hydrated Is So Important]
Practicing gratitude has been shown to reduce depression, reduce stress, and lower blood pressure. Take a moment each morning to be mindful, count your lucky stars and make a note of what you are grateful for. Keep a gratitude journal if it helps. Focusing on the positives help you to realize how many things you have that are good in your life and takes the focus off the negatives a little bit more.
If you simply got out of your normal workout routine over the holidays, it’s time to pick back up where you left off. Or, if exercise is new to you, now is a great time to create a new workout routine. Either way, in order to avoid risking injury, start out slow.
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A physical therapist can help to show you ways to get a healthy start to the new year, including ways of safely starting an exercise program. Contact us at 1-833-861-6161 to find an Empower Physical Therapy location near you.
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