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Posts Tagged ‘motivation’

New Year’s Resolution Revival

Posted in Healthy Finances, Healthy People, tagged , , on July 11, 2019| Leave a Comment »

girl doing handstand on beach with sunset/ocean in background

New Year’s Resolution Revival

Many New Year’s resolution focus on making health and lifestyle changes. Halfway through the year is a good time to check the progress of your resolutions.  After the ball drops on New Year’s Eve, many people start out highly motivated and determined that this is the year things will improve. However, within about six weeks, motivation dwindles and many fall off track. If this is where you are at, take a deep breath, and remember that is never too late to pick up where you left off and make progress again towards those goals.

My first recommendation is to think about your New Year’s resolution. What is your “why”? Your “why” is the reason you decided to set a particular health goal. Examples include lose weight, more energy, improve chronic diseases or achieve a fitness goal like running in a race or playing a sport. Write down your “why”, and then set smaller goals that will help you achieve your bigger goal. Goal setting needs to be strategic, so check your goals to see if they follow SMART goal guidelines:

  • S- Specific. Is your goal specific?
  • M- Measurable. Does your goal have objective forms of measurement to check your progress.
  • A- Achievable. Is this the right time to make changes in your life?
  • R- Realistic.  Does your goal challenge you, but not so much that you are setting yourself up for failure?
  • T- Timely. When do you plan to achieve this goal?

Next, check out who your support system is. It is important to surround yourself with people who know and support the goals you have set for yourself.

Staying motivated and committed is critical in reaching your goal. Stay motivated by reminding yourself of your “why” frequently. Place  motivational quotes on sticky notes around your home or work.  It helps to have friends or family that are willing to check in with you regarding your SMART goal’s progress , and develop a plan of action for how you will stick to your goals when you are tempted to quit.

Written by: Susan Zies, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Ohio State University Extension,Wood County,zies.1@osu.edu and Sara Turner- Smith, Bowling Green State University Dietetic Intern, Graduate Student in Food and Nutrition.

Reviewed by: Dan Remley, Field Specialist, Food, Nutrition, and Wellness, Ohio State University Extension

Sources:

Treber, Michelle. Using your Vacation to Jump Start your Healthy Resolutions. July 14, 2016. Live Healthy Live Well Blog at https://livehealthyosu.com/2016/07/14/use-your-vacation-to-jump-start-your-healthy-resolutions/

Mayo Clinic Staff. Weight-loss goals: Set yourself up for success. August 1, 2018 Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/weight-loss/art-20048224

Meehan, Amy. Sticking to Your SMART fitness goals. March 27, 2018. Live Health, Live Healthy Blog at https://livehealthyosu.com/tag/smart-goals/

Lane McKenna, Achieving your SMART health goal. (n.d.) Be Well Stanford at https://bewell.stanford.edu/achieving-your-smart-health-goal/

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Move Your Way

Posted in Healthy People, tagged , , , on March 18, 2019| Leave a Comment »

Exercise has some amazing benefits. It can boost your mood, sharpen your focus, reduce your stress, and improve your sleep. So let’s get moving. Did you know that all activity counts? It all adds up. Adults need to shoot for 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity and 2 muscle-strengthening activities each week. What is moderate intensity aerobic activity? Anything that gets your heart beating faster. Even short bursts of physical activity can add up to a healthy lifestyle. What’s your favorite way to move? Walk, clean, shop, arm circles, gardening, dance, hike… it all adds up.

Health.gov offers an activity planner to help you plan your physical activity for the week. If you’re just starting out, pick an activity you enjoy and take it slow and easy. Once you get the hang of it, you can build on it — or try something new. Find an activity you really enjoy — whether it’s soccer or swimming, biking or ballet. You can have fun, let off steam, and stay fit at the same time.

Do you have a disability, chronic condition, or injury?

Don’t let a limitation become a barrier to exercise. There are lots of ways you can adapt activities to work for you. Health.gov has compiled a page of exercise resources for people with special conditions.

picture of man and girl walking in woods

Parents: Get your kids moving too

Kids need exercise too. In fact, they need about 60 minutes of physical activity a day. They also need muscle-strengthening (climbing and swinging on monkey bars) and bone-strengthening activities (weight-bearing like running and jumping) during the week. Encourage your kids to play actively with friends. Give rewards for active chores. Or move together… go for a walk, dance, or play an active game with your kids.

Need help getting motivated?

Feeling tired can be a barrier to starting exercise, but knowing that exercise can actually boost your energy is a great motivator. This two-minute video shares ideas for getting motivated and tips for getting started with exercise.

Move Your Way Logo with people doing various activities on top of MOVE

  1. Set yourself up for success. Get workout clothes out before you need them. Plan time in your schedule for your activity.
  2. Find an activity buddy. If you don’t feel motivated to exercise alone, friends can make it more fun.
  3. Make a pledge. Share your pledge with a friend or online, and you’re more likely to make it stick.
  4. Set small goals. Five minutes of exercise is a nice, small goal to start with. Something is better than nothing. Start small and work up from there

So what’s your move?

Sources:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2018. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition/

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Move Your Way Campaign. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2019. https://health.gov/moveyourway/

Written by: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County

Reviewed by: Misty Harmon, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Perry County

 

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