Goals

Keeping New Year’s Resolutions

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Man running in a gym on a treadmill concept for exercising, fitnIt is estimated that 80% of individuals make New Year’s resolutions, but as many realize, very few keep them. It is easy to make plans of being healthier and living healthier lives when we have the spark of motivation, but when we are faced with the 5am alarm clock going off to go to the gym, the snooze button can become a more viable option.

This blog is meant to give you tips and encouragement to help you through the rough points when you want to throw in the towel on those New Year’s resolutions. In addition, it is my hope that these tips would help make your efforts more successful. Because the number one new year’s resolution is weight loss, many of the examples I provide below will relate to that realm.

Make realistic resolutions.

One of the biggest barriers to overcome in my opinion is the barrier of preconceived expectations of ourselves. Regardless of what you have achieved in the past in regards to activity level and healthy eating habits, start out slow. If you are not exercising at all currently, do not expect to simply be exercising every day for one hour. For some individuals this works for them, but it is important to work your way into a schedule that works for you.

Prepare in advance for your resolutions/changes.

Many individuals struggle with keeping their resolutions, because life gets busy and old habits tend to be resorted to. If one prepares in advance, it is easier to avoid resorting back to these old habits.

Be forgiving of yourself. When you fall short, get back on track quickly and keep going.

Ultimately, New Year’s resolutions require habit changes. Habits can be very hard to change, and so, slip – ups are common and happen. Be kind to yourself and forgive yourself if you fall short. The changes you are making could be very new to you, and it is okay to fall short. I like to give the example of babies that are learning to walk. When a baby is learning to walk they often fall. You wouldn’t yell at a baby and be unforgiving towards them because they fell. You would applaud the 3 steps that they made regardless how small. Treat your successes as such and be quick to get back up and try again.

Be patient.

Change takes time and the results you want may not happen overnight. Be patient with this process. If you are finding you are reaching a plateau in results, it may be best to consult a health care provider such as a Naturopathic Doctor to see if there may be something more preventing progress.

Have a source of accountability.   

When we have someone or something that we make ourselves accountable to, this can help with success. Many times, individuals want to please others and if this acts as motivation, use it! Sources of accountability can include different apps, friends, family, or even your Naturopathic Doctor; especially if you are doing weigh in’s or measurements.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Dr. Elisha Cook ND by calling 226-232-7665 and book your appointment today!

Gratitude Practices

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GratitudeAs Thanksgiving approaches this weekend, it is important to consider what one is thankful for. However, as some may have heard before, an “attitude of gratitude” is a type of attitude that should be adopted year round. This type of grateful thinking on a regular basis can have many health benefits including, but not limited to:

  • Increased ability to achieve life goals.
  • Increased happiness
  • Strengthened and built relationships
  • Increase alertness and energy
  • Longer and better quality of sleep
  • Increased immunity
  • Increase overall physical health

For more detail on the mechanism and precise estimates on how much gratefulness can benefit your health, see my previous blog on the health benefits of being thankful. Now that we know what being thankful can do for our health, one needs to know how one can adopt this gratitude mindset. Different individuals may choose to do this differently. For some it will be more of an outward expression, for others it may be more internal. The bottom line is choose what suits you best, and go from there. The list below provides some examples of what has been researched and shown to have positive health benefits, but you do not need to limit thankfulness practices to these suggestions. Get creative and get thankful in the way you deem best! I challenge you to try and conduct a thankful exercise of your choice every day and see how it benefits you.

  1. Record happy events – improve well – being and positive emotions
  2. Express gratitude – improve well-being and positive emotions
  3. Give thanks to God for all you have both tangible and non-tangible – In some studies when expressed toward God caused decreased stress and improved health in stressful situations
  4. Record things grateful for – improve emotional well-being and interpersonal benefits
  5. Look in the mirror and say I appreciate you and am thankful for you – For the health benefits of positive self-talk and for some other self-affirmations you can speak over yourself, refer to my past blog on positive self-talk.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Sources:

http://ccn.aacnjournals.org/content/29/6/12.full

http://en.cnki.com.cn/Article_en/CJFDTOTAL-XLKX200903022.htm

http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/84/2/377/

http://roa.sagepub.com/content/28/2/163.short

 

Tips for Effective and Safe Strength Training

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Man running in a gym on a treadmill concept for exercising, fitnHow you approach strength training or exercise of any form can greatly impact the results you achieve and your safety while performing them. Here are some tips and strategies on how to avoid injury and get optimal results while exercising:

  1. Always warm up and cool down properly. Examples of warming up and cooling down include cardiovascular training for 10 minutes prior, and stretching following exercise.
  2. Use proper form to avoid injuries and maximize gains. If you are not using the proper technique, all of your hard work will be for nought! You can learn good form through a class or one-on-one sessions with a certified exercise professional.
  3. Breathe out when you are lifting or pushing; breathe in as you slowly release the load or weight. Never hold your breath while straining. This action, called the Valsalva maneuver, can temporarily raise your blood pressure and can be risky for people with heart disease. It also puts more stress on the pelvic floor muscles, and can lead to some unfortunate conditions including hernias and organ prolapse.
  4. Don’t lock your joints; always leave a slight bend in your knees and elbows when straightening out your legs and arms.
  5. Don’t be so eager to see results that you risk hurting yourself by exercising too long or choosing too much weight. And remember that it’s important to rest muscles for at least 48 hours between strength training sessions. It might be useful for novice strength trainers to start with a shorter strength training session, and gradually work their way up to longer sessions. This might also include starting with one strength training session per week and gradually working up to 2-3 times per week.
  6. If you’ve been sick, give yourself one or two days off after recovering. If you were ill for a while, you may need to use lighter weights or less resistance when you first resume exercising.
  7. Strength training exercises should not cause pain while you are doing them. If an exercise or movement causes significant pain, stop doing it! When performing an exercise, stick with a range of motion that feels comfortable. Over time, try to gradually extend that range. This being said, if you have experienced a specific injury in the past, it is important to consult a health care provider such as a Naturopathic Doctor so that they can help you modify exercises to fit your body’s needs and strengthen necessary muscle groups.
  8. Listen to your body and cut back if you aren’t able to finish a series of exercises or an exercise session, can’t talk while exercising, feel faint after a session, feel tired during the day, or suffer joint aches and pains after a session.

Have you benefitted from reading this blog? Know someone that would benefit as well? Share, Like, Comment, or Tweet this article, and let me know what you think.

Some of the information provided above may not be appropriate for everyone, please consult with your doctor before trying any of the above. If you are interested in Naturopathic Medicine and wanting a different approach to your health care needs, contact Elisha Cook via the contact portion of this website.

Source: Harvard Medical School