Walk, Stretch and Balance Your Way into the New Year

A new year can be very exciting and it’s common for people to set resolutions. This may include eating healthier, exercising, losing weight, spending more time with family and the list goes on. More often than not our resolutions fall short within the first couple of months. This is not to discourage you but rather to encourage you to set realistic goals or improve upon what you are already doing. When it comes to staying healthy, we know exercise is vitally important. The physical benefits are plentiful as are emotional and mental benefits. Here are some simple targets you can accomplish in the new year when it comes to healthy movement.

Let’s Go for a Walk

A brisk walk for as long and as fast as you can go can help you live a healthier life.1 Here’s how: • Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat • Improve cardiovascular fitness • Strengthen your bones and muscles • Improve muscle endurance • Improve your mood, cognition memory and sleep • Strengthen your immune system • Reduce stress and tension Walking with your spouse or a friend creates great bonding time which can also be healthy for your soul.

Stretch It Out

A daily stretch can help improve your body’s range of motion, relieve stress, improve flexibility and overall make us feel good. Simple yoga postures can be helpful as well. Plus, if you incorporate healthy breathing along with your stretching it can help to alleviate tension throughout your body. Easy stretching while seated in a chair can include the following just a few times a day: • Seated Forward Fold: Sitting in a chair and folding forward so that your chest rests upon the top of your thighs. This can release tension in your lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine. • Sit in a chair. Simply twist to one side and then the other to get movement into the spine. Inhale before you twist and exhale as you twist. • Lastly, gentle neck rolls. Simply drop your chin toward your chest and sway your head from side to side or make slow circular rotations in both directions.

Improve Your Balance

Our balance declines somewhere between the age of 40 and 50 years of age. While there are many reasons this occurs, we also have the ability to prevent falls from happening as we age. Try these balancing drills at least 3 times per day to improve your balance: • Practice getting in and out of a chair without using your hands. • Stand with your feet shoulder distance apart. Raise both arms out to the side. Lift one leg out in front of you. Then try it on the opposite side. • Heel to toe walk. Imagine walking a tightrope. Place one foot in front of the other, heel to toe, and continue for 10-20 steps.

Keep your momentum while walking, stretching and balancing in the New Year. You can do it!

References:

1. https://discoverhappyhabits.com/new-years-resolutionstatistics/#:~:text=Success%2FFailure%20rates%20over%20the,number%20 drops%20again%20to%2064%25. 2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/walking/ art-20046261