Can you believe the new year is right around the corner?

For many people, that means it’s time to make some New Year’s Resolutions for 2023. Making new year resolutions is easier than sticking to them.  You may want to feel healthier in the new year, or lose some weight or travel.  Any of these examples or any of the ideas you have for the new year, just has to be decided on.  Decide to do it, stick to it and work on it everyday!

New Year’s Resolutions and Your Health

There are some ways to compare between new year’s resolutions and your health, specifically physical activities.  Physical activities are sometimes hard to do, if you don’t know what to do.  Having a home physical therapist that can show you safe physical activities for the home, the proper technique of exercises and how many times to do the exercises to gain your confidence in your health journey for the new year! Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• It’s Not Going To Be Easy – It is not going to be easy to follow through with your resolutions, and oftentimes the same can be said about a physical therapy routine. It’s going to take hard work to see each through to the end. Just acknowldeging  and accepting that you know it is not going to be easy, will make it easier to follow through on your commitment each and every day.

• Develop A New Habit – A new habit is a tendency towards an action or condition, which by repetition has become easy, spontaneous, or even unconscious, a regular series.  So your physical therapy and new year’s resolutions force you to develop a new habit.  Getting in the daily habit of following through with a new routine is the basis for success for both physical therapy and your resolutions.

• If You Are Making Change, Change Your Diet – Wouldn’t you agree, the most common new year’s resolution is to lose weight or become healthier, and oftentimes our diet is at the center of this change. The foods you eat help give you energy to exercise or do your therapy routine, and similarly, poor food choices can leave us feeling lethargic and less likely to be active. Your diet also plays a key role in following through with physical therapy improving your diet will help with both your resolutions and your ability to follow through with physical therapy.

• Get A New Support System – Everyone needs help and if you don’t have a good support system, a home health team can be that new system for you! Your home health team can encourage you, because it will help you stay on track. You might also ask your neighbor if they want to take on your resolution with you!  Make it merrier, the more there are working together! Lean on all the resources you have, because they will help ensure your success.

• Cheer Yourself On!  – Focus on the small wins along the way and cheer yourself on!  Maybe you’re doing more reps, lifting heavier weights or down a couple pounds from the week before. When you recognize that you’re heading in the right direction, you’re more likely to continue along your path.

• You Are Worth It – Finally, with both physical therapy and your New Year’s resolutions, know that it will be worth it in the long run. It will be hard work, it won’t always be easy, but the payoff will make it all worth it. Whenever you run into a moment of doubt or are questioning if you should give up, know that the hard work will pay off in the form of a renewed sense of health and physical function and just know your health is worth it!  Your physical therapists and home health team will be so proud of you!

If you need a home health support system and a physical therapist, Kinetic Therapy Service is happy to help you, meet your New Year’s Resolutions!

Clarie