Top New Year’s Resolutions to Boost Your Health
As we enter the new year, it’s likely that you’ve already made your resolutions and are ready to put them into action. Read on for our top health-related New Year’s resolutions that can help improve your physical and mental health in 2023.
Improve your sleep habits
According to the National Sleep Foundation, healthy adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Getting the recommended amount of sleep not only helps the body and mind to recharge after a long day, but it also helps maintain brain health and immune system function. Those who get less than seven hours of sleep per night are likely to experience short-term issues with memory, response time and mental performance, as well as long-term effects such as increased risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
To help you get a good night’s rest, put away smartphones and turn off TVs and computers at least 30 minutes before bedtime. This practice will help prevent the blue light emitted from the screens of our devices from interrupting the body’s natural production of melatonin, a hormone essential to a healthy sleep cycle.
Drink more water
Hydration is essential, helping the body regulate temperature, deliver nutrients to the cells and keep organs functioning. When we don’t drink enough water throughout the day, the body becomes dehydrated, causing headache, muscle cramps and fatigue. The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends men drink at least 124 ounces of water per day and women drink at least 92 ounces per day.
Get up and move
People who are active for at least 150 minutes each week have a 33% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who are inactive during the week, according to CDC research. Getting 20 to 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day has been shown to improve cognitive function, reduce the risk for disease, regulate body weight and strengthen bones and muscles. Whether it’s taking a walk, participating in a dance class or swimming, daily exercise significantly improves your overall physical and mental health.
Stimulate your brain
Finding time to exercise your brain is also important to your long-term health. Studies show that brain plasticity progresses as we get older, causing a decline in cognitive function. Regularly stimulating the brain through activities such as reading, doing a puzzle or playing a musical instrument can help initiate new connections between brain cells to build up a reserve that helps prevent cell loss in the future while keeping your mind sharp in the present.
To learn more about how you can improve your overall health for the long and short term, schedule a consultation with a physician at Midwest Express Clinic. Visit midwestexpressclinic.com/locations to find a clinic nearest you.
