(StatePoint) The new year is the perfect time to hit the reset button on your health and wellness. Don’t know where to start? According to doctors, you can get the biggest impact by making small, gradual adjustments to your daily routine.
“After the holidays, it’s quite common to think about how much you ate or reduce your physical activity and get frustrated,” says Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, president of the American Medical Association (AMA). “But the good news is that you don’t have to make big health changes all at once. “You can make small, positive health decisions now that can have a lasting impact.”
Want to get started today? Here are the 10 resolutions the AMA recommends to top your list this year:
1. Move: Exercise is essential for your physical and mental health. The American Heart Association recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity a week. Just can’t get to the gym? No problem: Start on a family walk, take the stairs at work, or park a short distance from the mall entrance when returning gifts after the holidays.
2. Modify your diet to include more water and fewer sugar-sweetened beverages. Replace processed foods, especially those with added sodium and sugar, with nutritious, whole foods. Stock your refrigerator and pantry with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, low-fat dairy products, and lean meat and poultry.
3. Some respiratory viruses spreading this winter can be serious and even life-threatening. Get up-to-date information about your vaccines to protect you and your family. These include the annual flu vaccine for everyone over 6 months of age and the updated COVID-19 vaccine. Vaccines are also available to protect older adults from severe RSV. New tools to protect infants during RSV season include maternal vaccination and monoclonal antibody vaccination. If you have questions, talk to your doctor and consult trusted resources, including getvaccineanswers.org.
4. Get tested. Estimates based on statistical models suggest that millions of breast, colorectal, and prostate cancer screenings may have been missed since April 2020 due to pandemic-related disruptions in care. Consult your doctor. If you are planning to receive preventive care, testing or screening, please make an appointment. These measures are designed to help keep you healthy and make sure your doctor catches some conditions before they become more serious.
5. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can increase the risk of heart attack or stroke and affects millions of Americans. Visit ManageYourBP.org to understand what your blood pressure figures mean and what you can do to control it.
6. One in 3 American adults has prediabetes, a condition that can lead to type 2 diabetes if uncontrolled. However, eating healthy and exercising can help delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes. Know your risk by taking a simple 2-minute self-assessment test at DoIHavePrediabetes.org. This resource also includes helpful lifestyle tips that can help you reverse prediabetes.
7. If you consume alcohol, drink only in small quantities. The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans define it as no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men and only for adults of legal drinking age.
8. Your health care provider can provide you with resources and guidance to quit tobacco and nicotine. Declare your home and car smoke-free to avoid exposure to secondhand smoke.
9. Follow your doctor’s instructions when taking prescription medications, especially opioids. Always store and discard medications safely to prevent misuse. Whenever you are prescribed antibiotics, take them exactly as directed. Not completing the full course can lead to antibiotic resistance, which is a serious public health problem, and it won’t make you feel better if you have a virus like a cold or flu.
10. Good mental health is part of good general health. Manage your stress, get enough sleep, exercise, and seek help from a mental health professional if you need it.
If you don’t have health insurance, the AMA encourages you to sign up for coverage, because people with coverage are healthier and live longer. Healthcare.gov has new, affordable insurance options. The enrollment deadline for 2024 coverage is January 15, 2024. Find more health resources at ama-assn.org.
For a healthy 2024 and beyond, invest in your well-being with these doctor-recommended New Year’s resolutions.
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