With 2024 coming in close, it’s the perfect time to prepare for the new year by starting to think about healthy habits to add to your daily life. Set positive intentions, and kick start your journey towards a more confident, healthier, and happier version of yourself.
BREAKING THE CYCLE OF FAILED RESOLUTIONS
New Year’s resolutions often fail because they’re too demanding or simply not sustainable. But this year, we’re shaking things up by focusing on progress, not perfection. All these tiny shifts that add up over time, create real, lasting change. Starting early will also make sure you can build up these habits slowly so when 2024 comes you are totally ready to make use of your New Year motivation. So instead of focusing on an extreme makeover, let’s enhance the incredible person you already are. Whether it’s your daily walk, nourishing meals, or a weekly meditation, these habits are the foundation for a happier, healthier you.
FOUR Healthy Habits FOR A 2024 GLOW UP
To inspire and motivate you, we’ll explore six transformative habits that can be your roadmap to a 2024 glow up. Starting with the first one:
Daily Walk.
BENEFITS: Fresh air and sunlight can boost your mood, improve your brain function and improve overall well being. It’s a great booster for your mental health too and personally it lowers my anxiety because going on a walk by myself makes me feel more confident and resilient. Daily walks keep you active and healthy.
Taking a daily (power) walk is a simple yet transformative habit. It keeps you active without draining your energy. Personally I prefer heading out right after breakfast to start my day. During my one hour walks, I often listen to podcasts that motivate and inspire me or just teach me some new useful skills. You can also listen to music or just enjoy nature. It doesn’t really matter when or how long you go or even where, as long as you feel safe and are able to enjoy it. So don’t think you need some fancy beach or a cool forest for a hike, walking through your neighborhood or town is perfect too!
RUNNING FOR RESILIENCE.
BENEFITS: Running not only strengthens your body but also fortifies your mind and spirit. When you run, your body releases “feel-good chemicals”. Endorphins, often referred to as “runner’s high” flood your brain, boosting your mood and reducing stress. You build resilience by overcoming obstacles, running further, longer or faster. Whatever your personal running goals may be. Running build massive confidence that you can do anything you set your mind to. And when you run you realize that you are a lot stronger and go a lot further than you think.
Personally when I started daily runs as a new healthy goal it took a toll fast and I had some aches and pains that forced me to take a few weeks rest. So I would recommend starting a beginner running schedule now. Look for a schedule that starts really slow like 2 walks a week that consist of 1 minute of running then 1 minute of walking for 30 minutes. Every week you can build this up until you have build the stamina and strength to enjoy daily runs injury free! Another tip: always stretch before and after runs!
MORE PLANTS.
BENEFITS: Eating more plants (plant-based) means incorporating more fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains into your diet. This way you’re providing your body with an abundance of nutrients and vitamins. More energy levels, increased sustainable weight loss, improved health and a Eco conscious choice to contribute to a healthier planet.
The beauty of adding more plants to your diet is that it doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. You don’t have to become completely vegan to reap the benefits. Small, consistent changes, like tossing spinach in your morning smoothie, loading up on veggies for a stir-fry, or choosing a veggie burger over a beef one, can make a world of a difference. For 7 years I was a strict vegan but it became too restrictive for me and my personal health, so now a few years later I still enjoy mostly plans but don’t tell myself no to anything I desire. This builds a healthy, sustainable but also conscious lifestyle that you can enjoy and will benefit you in the long run.
Yoga or Pilates
BENEFITS: Even just 10 minutes of yoga a day can do wonders for your posture which in turn boosts your confidence and can even make you a bit taller! It also enhances your flexibility, tones your muscles, and calms your mind. While Pilates has similar benefits it focuses more on core strength and body control. Giving you a tone and lean midsection which can help strengthen your back, balance, stability and good posture.
Both of these will improve your confidence and make you feel empowered so you can walk into a room with shoulders back, head held high and feel amazing from the inside out! You can start looking at YouTube videos to get started, I would recommend looking for certified Pilates instructors so you don’t hurt yourself and get some sustainable results. Also various apps offer free yoga workouts like the Nike Training Club app. Since doing yoga daily my posture has improved greatly so I highly recommend starting this habit.
To help motivate you to stick to your healthy habits I have added a few inspirational affirmations that you can use and go back to each time you need a little boost to keep going! You totally got this in the bag!
