Good and healthy resolutions for the new year
A new year brings many new opportunities. Have you resolved to live a sportier and healthier life this year? We help you with our blog.
How to build up sports
Building up sports activities is important to prevent injuries and to gradually improve your fitness. Here are some steps to build up sports activities responsibly:
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Consult a doctor: Before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have not been active for a long time or have health problems, it is wise to talk to a doctor. This is especially important if you have pre-existing health problems.
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Set realistic goals: Determine what you want to achieve with your sports activities. Set achievable goals, such as increasing the duration of your training sessions or improving your overall fitness.
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Choose a suitable activity: Choose a sport or activity that you enjoy and that suits your physical condition. This makes you more likely to stay motivated.
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Start slowly: Start with short and less intense sessions, especially if you are a beginner or haven't exercised in a long time. Don't overdo it in the beginning to avoid injuries.
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Build up gradually: Gradually increase the intensity, duration or frequency of your activities. A general rule is to add about 10% to your training load each week.
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Do warm-up and cool-down: Pay attention to a good warm-up before your training and take time for a cool-down afterwards. This can help prevent injuries and promote your recovery.
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Listen to your body: Pay close attention to signals from your body. If you feel pain, don't ignore it. Rest if necessary and give your body time to recover.
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Vary your training: Avoid monotonous training and reduce the risk of overload by adding different types of exercises to your routine. This keeps things interesting and helps with balanced development of your body.
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Stay consistent: Regular exercise is important for lasting health benefits. Try to maintain a consistent training schedule.
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Take rest days into account: Rest days are essential for the recovery of your muscles. Overtraining can lead to injuries, fatigue and reduced performance.
How to maintain exercise
Maintaining exercise activity can be a challenge, but there are several strategies that can help you stay consistent:
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Set realistic goals: Make sure your goals are achievable and realistic. This makes it easier to stay motivated and achieve success.
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Make it fun: Choose activities that you enjoy. If you enjoy what you do, you are more likely to stay motivated to keep going.
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Vary your routine: Avoid boredom by adding variety to your workouts. Try different sports or exercises, and change your routine regularly.
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Find a training partner: Exercising together with a friend, family member or colleague can increase motivation. You can support each other and it becomes more fun.
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Make a schedule: Plan your workouts in your calendar the same way you schedule other appointments. This helps make exercise a regular part of your routine.
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Reward yourself: Set rewards for achieving certain milestones. These can be small rewards that motivate you to continue.
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Track progress: Keep a log of your workouts and progress. Seeing improvements can be motivating.
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Adjust your routine: If you notice your motivation waning, change your routine. This might mean adding new exercises, adjusting your workout time, or doing something else to keep it fresh.
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Remind yourself of the benefits: Think of the positive effects of exercise on your health and well-being. Being aware of the long-term benefits can help you stay motivated.
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Be flexible: It's okay if you miss a workout or if things don't go as planned. It is important to get back on track and not be too hard on yourself.
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Seek social support: Talk to friends, family or colleagues about your sports goals. Sharing your goals can increase your accountability and provide social support.
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Visualize your success: Imagine what it will feel like when you achieve your goals. Visualization can strengthen your motivation.
Remember, consistency is key. It's normal to have difficult moments every now and then, but with the right strategies you can help yourself persevere.
How to exercise to lose weight
Exercise can be an effective way to lose weight, but it's important to understand that weight loss is primarily influenced by a combination of diet and exercise. Here are some tips for using exercise as part of a weight loss program:
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Combine cardiovascular exercises with strength training: Cardiovascular exercises, such as running, cycling or swimming, help burn calories. Strength training helps build muscle mass, which increases basal metabolism and helps you burn more calories, even at rest.
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Choose activities you enjoy: It's important to enjoy the activities you do so you stay motivated. Try different sports or activities until you find something you really enjoy.
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Increase intensity gradually: Start with an achievable intensity and gradually increase it as your fitness improves. This can help prevent injuries and give your body time to adapt.
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Add interval training: Interval training, where you alternate between short periods of high intensity and rest, can be more efficient for fat burning than constant moderate exercise.
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Stay active throughout the day: In addition to scheduled workouts, try to stay active throughout the day. Get up, walk around and avoid sitting for long periods of time.
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Eat a balanced diet: Combine regular exercise with a balanced diet. Reduce intake of processed foods, sugars and saturated fats, and increase consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and lean proteins.
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Drink enough water: Drinking enough water is important for a healthy metabolism and can help reduce hunger and prevent overeating.
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Pay attention to portion sizes: Check portion sizes and eat consciously. This can help you better control your calorie intake.
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Get enough sleep: Lack of sleep can slow your metabolism and increase your appetite. Get enough sleep for optimal weight management.
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Consult a professional: Consider consulting a nutritionist or fitness professional to develop a personalized plan that fits your goals and needs.
How to maintain healthy eating
Maintaining a healthy diet can be challenging, but it is essential for good long-term health. Here are some tips to maintain healthy eating:
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Set realistic goals: Start with small, achievable goals instead of rigorous changes. This makes it easier to integrate adjustments into your eating habits.
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Make gradual changes: Make incremental adjustments to your diet instead of sudden, drastic changes. This makes it easier to adopt new habits.
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Eat a varied diet: Provide a varied diet with different types of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, proteins and healthy fats. This ensures that you get all the necessary nutrients.
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Plan meals and snacks: Make a weekly menu and prepare healthy meals and snacks. This helps to avoid impulsive choices and ensures that you always have healthy options at hand.
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Listen to your body: Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. Learn to recognize your body's signals instead of eating according to a fixed schedule.
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Portion control: Pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overeating. Use smaller plates and bowls to create the illusion of a larger portion.
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Drink plenty of water: Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Sometimes hunger is confused with thirst.
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Avoid processed foods: Limit consumption of processed foods, which are often high in added sugars, salt and saturated fats. Instead, choose fresh, unprocessed produce.
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Involve friends and family: Involve friends and family in your healthy eating choices. Eating together and supporting each other can be motivating.
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Give yourself a treat every now and then: It's okay to indulge in your favorite treats every now and then. It's about balance and moderation.
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Learn about nutrition: Understand the basics of nutrition and learn which foods contribute to a healthy diet. This can help you make more conscious choices.
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Avoid strict diets: Avoid extreme diets that promise quick weight loss. Such diets are often difficult to maintain and can lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients.
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Seek professional guidance: Consult a dietitian or nutritionist for personalized advice and guidance, especially if you have specific health goals.
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Keep a positive mindset: Changes in eating habits are a process. Be patient and focus on adopting a healthy lifestyle rather than short-term results.
Small, consistent changes can lead to sustainable habits that you can maintain over the long term.
Where and how to start eating healthy
Starting to eat healthy can seem overwhelming, but it's best to make changes gradually to develop lasting habits. Here are steps that can help you start a healthier diet:
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Self-reflection: Think about your current eating habits and identify areas where you want to make improvements. Consider your goals and why you want to eat healthier.
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Set realistic goals: Formulate achievable goals. These can be small changes such as adding more vegetables to your meals, reducing sugar intake, or eating healthy snacks more regularly.
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Make a plan: Develop a plan for healthy meals and snacks. Make a weekly menu so that you know what you are going to eat and what groceries you need to do.
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Eat more fruits and vegetables: Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. Try different types and colors to get a wide range of nutrients.
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Choose whole grains: Replace refined grains with whole grains such as whole wheat bread, brown rice and quinoa. Whole grains contain more fiber and nutrients.
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Add proteins: Get enough protein in your diet. Good sources include lean meats, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts and seeds.
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Limit added sugars: Reduce your intake of added sugars. Read food labels to be aware of hidden sugars in packaged products.
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Limit processed foods: Reduce consumption of processed foods, which are often high in added sugars, salt and unhealthy fats.
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Cook yourself: Prepare as many home-cooked meals as possible. This gives you more control over the ingredients and preparation method.
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Drink enough water: Make sure you drink enough water throughout the day. It can help stay hydrated and reduce hunger pangs.
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Eat at regular times: Try to maintain regular eating times. Skipping meals can lead to unhealthy eating habits.
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Listen to your body: Learn to recognize your body's signals, such as hunger and satiety. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied.
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Be patient and positive: Developing healthy eating habits takes time. Be patient and focus on positive changes instead of perfectionism.
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Learn about nutrition: Take the time to learn more about nutrition. This can help you make better choices and be aware of the benefits of healthy eating.
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Seek support: Involve friends, family or colleagues in your healthy eating goals. Eating healthy together and supporting each other can be motivating.
It's important to keep in mind that a healthy diet is not about strict diets, but about making sustainable changes that fit your lifestyle. Start small, build up gradually, and be kind to yourself during this process.
The basis for a healthy year
Hopefully the above information can help you get started in the new year. Here are some more basic principles for a healthy year:
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Balanced diet: Provide a balanced diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Avoid excessive intake of added sugars and processed foods.
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Regular exercise: Aim for regular physical activity. This can range from daily walks to scheduled workouts. Choose activities you enjoy to promote consistency.
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Enough sleep: Get enough good quality sleep. Adults are generally recommended to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night.
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Stress management: Implement stress management strategies such as meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, or leisure activities that promote relaxation.
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Hydration: Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Adequate hydration is important for overall health.
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Healthy habits: Develop healthy habits, such as regular hand hygiene, avoiding smoking and moderating alcohol intake.
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Social connection: Invest in social connections. Maintain relationships with friends and family. Social support can have a positive impact on your emotional well-being.
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Mental health: Pay attention to your mental health. If you find yourself struggling, seek professional help or talk about it with friends or family.
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Preventive care: Make appointments for regular health checks and screenings. Preventive care is important to identify potential health problems early.
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Self-care: Prioritize self-care. Take time for activities that make you happy and take care of yourself, both physically and mentally.
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Lifelong learning: Stay curious and keep learning. Developing new skills and broadening your knowledge can contribute to your personal growth.
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Sustainable habits: Focus on developing sustainable habits instead of short-term fixes. Sustainable changes have a long-lasting impact on your health and well-being.
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Positive mindset: Cultivate a positive mindset. Focus on what is going well and what you are grateful for. Positivity can increase your resilience.
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Live in the present: Practice mindfulness and live more in the present. Let go of worries about the past or future and enjoy the moment.
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Stay flexible: Be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances. The ability to adapt can help you deal with challenges.
These principles form a holistic approach to health and wellness. Everyone is unique, so adapt these principles based on your own needs and circumstances. The most important thing is to take consistent, positive steps toward a healthy lifestyle.