New Years Resolutions You Can Keep

photo credit: thebqb.com

Achieving a weight-loss goal is the most popular new years resolution. And 2012 is no exception.  For the industry, January means crowded gyms and a boost in sales for natural and healthy products. For us, this also means more frequent and amped-up exercise routines. 

Weight-loss goals often start out lofty – we set huge goals that require an even bigger lifestyle change. We don’t realize that setting one goal subsequently and inherently leads to the need to change many different aspects of your life. It’s like a domino effect. All of a sudden, that one healthy new years resolution to lose weight means giving up a whole lot more and changing a whole lot more than you anticipated, and this is why such resolutions sometimes don’t stick. By Valentine’s Day, our habits get the best of us and we are just too overwhelmed.

Well, don’t lose hope yet. We came across a great blog post from the Rodale Institute, an organization dedicated to health, fitness, and well-being, that offered accessible suggestions to help you keep your resolutions and thrive.

Dr. Jeffrey Rossman explains that it is not a matter of having the intention, but rather the goal being unrealistic, where will-power and dedication just aren’t enough – you are already set up for failure just by the very nature of your goal.

The answer? S.M.A.R.T goals.

Follow this S.M.A.R.T criteria when setting your resolutions and you will have a kick-start to success!

Specific – be straightforward and definitive. Generalizations leave too much room for interpretation, especially during times when you lack motivation.

Measurable – give a number so you have something concrete to meet.

Attainable -  know your own abilities and chose something that is in reach. You can always exceed your expectations, but falling short is discouraging.

Realistic – devise a plan for attaining your goal that works for you.

Timely – reinforce accountability by setting a timeline to reach your goal.

Now you are armed with the wisdom to devise your health goals. But leading a more active lifestyle brings a need to care for your body. When you feel good, it makes your workouts more enjoyable – and tart cherry juice is the perfect compliment.

The high levels of powerful antioxidants in tart cherry juice work to combat free radicals and thus slow the aging process. This means healthy skin, a healthy heart, and even healthy joints by reducing uric acid levels and swelling.

Due to their natural anti-inflammatory properties, tart cherries also helps soothe after-workout muscle pain. Studies show that by drinking tart cherry juice twice a day, runners and athletes had less soreness in their muscles and were able to recover more quickly.

And finally, sip on tart cherry juice to get the most out of your beauty rest. Tart cherries are the only fruit that contain naturally occurring melatonin – the hormone that sorts out our body’s sleep-wake cycle. You can get an average of 39 more minutes of sleep per night and a 6% boost in sleep efficiency. Less tossing and turning is always a good thing!

Happy New Year and Happy New You!

Sources:

choosecherries.com

healthrevelations.com

rodale.com