Here at Healthy Performance Towers, we always encourage people to make lifestyle changes to help improve their health and wellbeing. The New Year is the perfect opportunity for a fresh start and getting into new habits and yet, so many people fail to achieve what they set out to do. So, we have come up with our top 5 tips to help you  stick to your New Year’s resolutions and make healthy changes in your life:
1. Make your goal a S.M.A.R.T one.
Specific – Choose an area you want to improve (for example, I want to walk more).

Measurable – Make sure you can measure your goal (for example, I want to walk 2 miles twice a week).

Attainable – Make sure your goal has an end (for example, I want to walk 2 miles twice a week for the next month).

Realistic – Fit your goal in with your lifestyle. If you currently do no exercise and lead a busy lifestyle then setting a goal of walking 20 miles a week will not be realistic. Start small and add goals as you feel appropriate.

Time based – Make sure there is a time limit on what you do. The walking goal we have used above shows a weekly time limit (2 miles twice a week) and an overall goal based limit (doing this over the course of a month).

2. Start slow and build up – Too many drastic changes to a person’s lifestyle can often be too much to handle and can cause them to undo their hard work. Choose one area of your lifestyle (it could be exercise, nutrition, drinking or smoking) and make a manageable change. For example, if you want to eat more fruit, try adding 2 bits of fruit over 3 days a week to your lunch. See how you get on with this change for 3 weeks and if it works then build on it and add another subtle lifestyle.

3. Drink more fluid – The average person should drink more than 2 liters of fluid daily. This can be any form of fluid, but most fizzy drinks will be high calorie and caffeinated drinks can cause dehydration if too much is consumed. Try to drink water, sugar free squashes and flavoured water to increase hydration. The benefits of being well-hydrated include clearer skin, staying fuller for longer, decreasing fatigue, improving performance and increasing mental alertness.

4. Avoid the extremes and fads – If something looks too good to be true then often it is. Extreme exercise plans and diets will often cause short term weight loss but are always unsustainable. Remember that you are looking for long term lifestyle changes to help improve your health and wellbeing. Therefore, nothing is likely to change overnight. Avoid quick fixes and stick to small goals that fit in with your lifestyle. Soon enough these small changes will have a significant and positive impact on your life.

5. Invest in your health – Hire a professional to help you. Sometimes the Health and Wellbeing industry can be confusing so, why not invest in someone to help you make the right decisions and teach you how to become healthier. A personal trainer/nutritionist can be worth their weight in gold. Make sure you check their qualifications and the results they have produced so you get the best results possible.

This article was kindly written by our health assessor, Oliver McCarthy.