Be SMART: Achieve your 2022 Fitness Resolutions!

Among many things that the COVID-19 pandemic and its ongoing impact have taught us, the most important one has to be prioritising our health. Leading health experts across the globe, including the World Health Organization (WHO), have been stressing the importance of cultivating a healthy lifestyle.

As we usher in the New Year 2022, we will help you decode the SMART method to set healthy and sustainable fitness resolutions.

Keep reading to kick start your fitness revolution!

The Time For Cultivating A Healthy Lifestyle is NOW!

The COVID-19 pandemic was nothing less of a wake-up call for people across the globe. The dreadful coronavirus disease taught us the hard way that there is no alternative to a healthy lifestyle. Work from home and multiple lockdowns, the two main fallouts of the pandemic, forced even fitness enthusiasts to stay indoors and switch to a sedentary lifestyle, making weight gain unavoidable.

We all know that excess weight and body fat leads to obesity and life-threatening diseases like type-2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke, asthma, sleep apnea, nephropathy, retinopathy, decreased life expectancy, high-risk pregnancies, body-image concerns, depression, eating disorders – to name a few. However, the alarming fatality rate for COVID-19 patients with comorbidities drove the point harder than ever before!

How To Build A Healthy Lifestyle?

Slowing down, creating a healthy work-life balance, exercising enough, eating nutritious meals, and strengthening our immune system should top our priority lists this new year.

Health experts at the World Health Organization (WHO) advise that an average adult must engage in at least 150-minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week. They state that combining regular exercise with healthy eating habits reduces the risk of many life-threatening diseases by improving your overall health and strengthening your immune system.

We encourage you to consciously inculcate a healthy lifestyle that combines having nutrient-rich meals and getting enough physical activity, which is sustainable as it significantly enhances the quality of your life and boosts both physical health and mental well-being.

You must note that starting with small, achievable goals and engaging in a routine will ensure that you are consistently on the path to a fit lifestyle.

Here is how you can achieve this!

Set SMART Goals:

One way to achieve a healthy, long-lasting and sustainable lifestyle is to use the SMART goal-setting method.
SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-bound.

Here is a breakdown of how you can use the SMART method to transform your lifestyle:

Specific: What is my goal?
Example: My target is to lose 10kgs of fat.

Measurable: How will I measure my progress?
Example: I will focus on healthy and sustainable fat loss, measure my calorie intake, track workout sessions, measure my waist circumference, keep a tab on my sleep, and monitor my energy levels.

Attainable: Do I have the time, resources and energy to reach my goal?
Example: I will exercise for 30 minutes every day and follow a nutritious meal plan. I will avoid unhealthy food as much as I can. If I miss my workout session, I will resume the next day without guilt or pressure.

Realistic: Is the goal achievable?
Example: I will aim to lose 0.5-1kg fat per week. I might also lose those extra inches in the process. By eating healthy, I will be improving the quality of my life and reducing the risk of obesity-related diseases.

Time-bound: By when will I see results?
Example: I aim to achieve my target within the next three months.

DISCLAIMER:

In case you wish to start a new fitness regimen or opt for a customised one, it is crucial to consult an expert. We recommend seeking your doctor’s approval before starting any strenuous exercise and only train under the supervision of a certified fitness trainer. Moreover, you must consult a qualified nutritionist before making any changes to your daily diet to prevent any health complications, food allergies and achieve healthy weight loss.

Dos And Don’ts To Achieve Your Resolutions:

Here are some simple tips for healthy weight loss:

Try To Exercise Every Day: At the same time, watch your diet and rest well to remain consistent with your fitness routine.
Sleep Well To Maintain Good Health: Make sure you sleep for at least 8-9 hours a day.
Eat Balanced Meals: Pre-planning your meals will give you the time to curate all the essential nutrients your body needs without compromising your taste and preferences.
Avoid Crash Diets: Though they may provide instant results and a drop in your weight, they are not sustainable or healthy in the long run and may cause deficiencies and health complications.
Be Wary Of Fad Diets: Celeb diets or trending diets can be enticing. However, it is crucial to check their suitability with your unique lifestyle, health status, and other logistical limitations and proceed accordingly.
Hydrate Regularly: Drinking 8-10 glasses of water is a must to flush out toxins from the body.
Take Care Of Your Mental Health: Research shows that unregulated stress can cause weight gain. It could elevate your cortisol levels, which trigger your appetite leading to eating disorders and weight gain. This can also make it difficult to lose weight.
Include Meditation In Your Fitness Regimen: It helps ease your stress levels, thereby reducing the risk of being stuck in the vicious cycle:
Stress > cortisol release > stress eating > weight gain > increased craving > increased eating > more weight gain.
This can take a toll on your moods, behaviour, cause body-image concerns, obesity, metabolic syndrome and other lifestyle disorders.
Get A Customised Fitness Regimen And Meal Plan: Every individual has unique health needs. Thus, you need to follow a customised fitness regimen to get the best results. Seeking expert help will ensure you have a holistic approach to losing weight and achieving your health goals by inculcating a fit lifestyle.

We trust that this article will motivate and guide you to go ahead and set your new year fitness resolutions realistically and accomplish them at an achievable pace. For customised weight management solutions, visit Oliva Skin & Hair Clinic and build a healthy and sustainable lifestyle under the guidance of the best weight management experts.