With the start of a new year — and a new decade — many people are setting resolutions for a better lifestyle. Health and wellness experts offer tips to make your resolutions a habit.
MASSILLON — By now, your New Year’s resolutions are made.
A promise to drink less soda, exercise more frequently or stop spending those extra few dollars on a daily latte.
How’s it going?
According to the American Psychological Association, 93% of people set a resolution to achieve in the new year. The most common goals are health- and finance-related such as exercising more, eating clean or getting out of financial debt.
Despite many people starting off strong in January, research shows that 45% of people fail to keep their resolutions by February.
When it comes to living up to those good intentions, health and wellness experts suggest setting smaller goals, rewarding progress and finding ways to hold yourself accountable.
Baby steps
For Stephanie Wheeler, wellness director at Mercy Medical Center, living a healthier lifestyle is split into four pillars: exercise, diet, sleep and stress.
There needs to be a balance between those four pillars in order to be successful, she said.
Even the smallest changes can have a big impact, Wheeler said, adding that people often overlook small, simple changes and shoot for resolutions more difficult to obtain.
For example, if the goal is to drink more water, Wheeler suggests starting by cutting down to one coffee a day instead of two and replace that second coffee with water. If the goal is to be more active, start by exercising just 30 minutes a day or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
“I think that people need to take a step back ... and try to look at just one little piece of that day or that week that you can make a change for your health,” Wheeler said.
It’s important to reward yourself as these smaller goals are met, she said. Having something to look forward to can be a motivator to stick with your resolutions.
With 22 years under her belt in the health and wellness field, Wheeler has seen the difference making small changes can make.
Typically, she said, people who take baby steps toward a healthier lifestyle are more likely to reach and maintain their goals.
On the other hand, Wheeler said, those who are looking for a quick fix often find themselves back to where they started or worse off within five years.
“I’ve always been an advocate for small changes,” she said. “... If you try to change too many things at once, I think you set yourself up for failure. It’s hard to commit to multiple things.”
Accountability
Stacie Humm, recreation programs and facilities manager at Kent State University at Stark, can sum up in one word the key to keeping a New Year’s resolution: accountability.
Humm recommends dieting or working out with a friend or signing up for a class where other people can encourage you to meet your goal.
Health and wellness classes aren’t in short supply in Stark County, with options at the YMCA of Western Stark County, the Massillon Recreation Center, Mercy Medical Center and even at small businesses such as Essential Ways LLC.
Besides offering a number of courses from aquatics to dance workouts to Silver Sneakers, the Rec Center recently began its Commit to Fit Weight Loss Challenge.
Though the 60-day challenge started Jan. 6, people are still able to join at anytime, said Lisa Benton, special events and marketing coordinator. Participants can also talk with one another or share tips and recipes via a closed Facebook group, she added.
There are weekly weigh-ins throughout the challenge, and the person who sheds the most weight — based on a percentage — will earn the title “biggest winner,” Benton said.
The challenge ends March 6 and costs $10 for members and $50 for nonmembers, which gives them access to gym equipment during the challenge.
Personal journey
Mercy Medical Center offers a $30 discount package good for seven classes with a variety of exercises from yoga to strength training to cardio circuit, said Wheeler.
She recommended getting lab screening, which will show if a person is predisposed to high cholesterol, hypertension or diabetes.
The Massillon Rotary Foundation and Mercy Medical Center will have free lab screenings for western Stark County residents between 7 and 11 a.m. Jan. 25 at the Mercy Health Center of Massillon, 2935 Lincoln Way W.
The screenings test for cholesterol, anemia, kidney and liver function, thyroid, prostate, vitamin D and blood glucose.
Knowing this information can help people customize their goals or resolutions, Wheeler said.
Jade Myers, shop manager at Essential Ways, said the Charles Avenue business offers courses each day they’re open, including yoga, healthy eating such as Keto 101 and mental health courses like Essential Oils 101, as well as gratitude journaling and meditation.
Anyone starting out their journey to a healthier lifestyle is encouraged to talk with the staff and come up with a wellness plan tailored for that individual, Myers said.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all,” she said. “Health and wellness is a personal journey.”
A list of courses can be found on the business’s Facebook page. Anyone can attend the classes with prices ranging from free to $30, Myers said.
Someone interested in learning more may also stop by and observe, she added.
“People put health and wellness in a box and think, ‘Oh I have to eat healthy,’” Myers said. “That’s just one part. We try to look at all of them on all spectrums and help people wherever they’re coming from.”
Reach Samantha Ickes at 330-775-1133 or Samantha.Ickes@IndeOnline.com. On Twitter: @SickesINDE.
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