Start the New Year right with health resolutions that are actually achievable

It’s almost the new year and you strive to live healthier in the coming year. However, you find that no matter how determined you were at the beginning of each year, you have problem following through your healthy routine and would typically give up somewhere along the way.

Well, you’re not the only one who fail to stick to your health resolutions. TIME published a list of 10 most frequently forgotten New Year resolutions, and half of them were in fact health-related. These include eating healthier, quit smoking and getting fit¹.

Studies driven at understanding this behavior identified that the underlying reason could be that we have been setting a goal that is too vague or that our expectations may have been too unrealistic². Predictably, it is difficult for anyone to throw away a lifestyle we have grown so comfortable with and embrace a new one at an instant.

Nonetheless, it is a good start to have included health goals in your New Year’s resolutions. Healthy habits not only can help manage your weight, but also improves your mood and reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as diabetes³ so you are in the best condition to fulfill your other goals in life such as your family and career success. Being healthy also boosts your productivity and performance at work.

Here are three things you can do to help you live up to your health resolutions and live a healthier and better year.

1. Set specific, attainable daily goals

Goals such as “I will lose 10kg in two months”, “I will stop eating rice” are extreme, unrealistic goals which can be exhausting and disheartening, causing you to give up after a while. Instead, start with a set of well-defined, manageable and measurable goals. Aim to walk 10,000 steps a day or switch to a whole-grain diet. Measure the outcome you desire on a regular basis and gradually increase the intensity as you progress.

2. Reward yourself for achieving every milestone

Rewarding yourself for your little health victories can be a big source of motivation to help you sustain your fitness or diet regime throughout the year. Treat yourself to your favourite food or activity when you have made progress. Research has also shown that sprinkling reasonably sized desserts or treats into your diet encourages you to find pleasure in meal time and ensure that you do not feel the need to go overboard. The key is enjoy in moderation.⁴

3. Adopt a wellness programme to track your progress and incentivise you

If you have problem tracking your progress, consider getting onboard a wellness programme to help you. AIA Vitality is a science-backed wellness programme that works with you to make real change to your health. It provides a full-suite of capabilities to help you understand your physical and mental health, and then encourage you to live healthier. For instance, AIA Vitality measures your Vitality age (which can be much older than your physical age) as an indicator of your health status and offers advice on how you can lower your Vitality age. The programme also encourages you to take charge of your own health by rewarding you for every little step you make towards a healthier lifestyle. These rewards include grocery vouchers, travel and insurance premium rebates.

References

[1] Time: Top 10 Commonly Broken New Year's Resolutions

[2] Health: 21 New Year's Resolution You'll Actually Keep

[3] Health Line: The Benefits Of Healthy Habits

[4] Greatist: Are Cheat Days Actually Hurting Your Health?

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Start the New Year right with health resolutions that are actually achievable

1. Set specific, attainable daily goals

2. Reward yourself for achieving every milestone

3. Adopt a wellness programme to track your progress and incentivise you

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