Make this year your healthiest year yet

Instead of dwelling on the problems and difficulties of last year some people are using it to motivate them to make big changes in their lives and to think more seriously about their health and fitness. Even small changes such as reducing the amount of sugar in the diet, taking more regular exercise or making time in the day for some mindfulness can result in losing weight, feeling an increased level of fitness and better mental health.

A popular activity for those who want to improve their stamina and get out in the fresh air is running or jogging. There are many benefits to running on a regular basis such as strengthening leg muscles and improving cardiovascular health and many people enjoy the challenge of running further and further each day. There are lots of brilliant running apps that can be downloaded onto a phone, often for free that can be used as a way to motivate the runner using voice prompts and music.

If running is not an activity that you enjoy or you can not run due to health issues a much gentler exercise but equally as good for you is yoga. There are various types of yoga out there some which are more challenging than others, so it is a good idea to start with the basics and build up to more challenging moves and poses. Even if it is not possible to attend a class there are many online videos to follow to get you started. An essential part of yoga is the focusing of the mind and many people believe that it is this that helps to reduce anxiety levels and improve their feelings of wellbeing.

A large part of keeping healthy is about what we eat but this does not necessarily mean going on a diet in fact many people find that simply changing the way they think about food can have a dramatic effect on their health. Whereas a few years ago it was all about reducing the fat in our diet current thinking suggests that reducing the sugar in our food intake is much more beneficial to our general health, improving energy levels and sleep quality. Lots of processed foods have added sugar and so it is sensible to check the labels to see just how much sugar is in a food product and consider whether there is a lower sugar choice.