The Healthiest New Years Resolutions for 2015

Each January, roughly one in three Americans resolve to better themselves with their New Year’s Resolutions.

A much smaller percentage of people actually make good on those resolutions.

While about 75 percent of people stick to their goals for at least a week, less than half (46 percent) are still on target six months later.

We know it's hard to keep up the enthusiasm weeks or months after the first of the year, but trust us, it's not impossible.

This year, pick one of these healthy resolutions and enlist the help of FirstHealth services to help you stick with it.

Here’s to your health!

Lose weight and get active. With dedication and patience, this is one resolution worth sticking to.

          Here’s how:

• FirstHealth Fitness – Our fitness facilities are more than just gyms. They are medically based. Our personal trainers and fitness coaches have college degrees in the fitness field and a licensed dietitian is on staff, so you can rest assured you’re receiving quality information and guidance. For membership information at any of our centers, call (910) 715-1800.
• Healthy Living classes – Our healthy living programs are designed to teach lasting behavior change in physical activity and nutrition habits. For more information, call (888) 534-5333.
• Weight-loss Surgery - Have you been considering weight-loss surgery? Since it began in 1999, the bariatric surgery program at FirstHealth has helped more than 1,000 patients to lose weight and restore active healthy lives. Start your journey today and see if you qualify.

Quit smoking. It’s one of the harder habits to quit, but think of how great you will feel once you do (and how much money you will save!).

         Here’s how:

• FirstQuit -  A comprehensive tobacco cessation program using the latest techniques to assist tobacco users through the process of quitting smoking, chewing and other forms of tobacco use. Call (888) 534-5333 to quit today.

Cut your stress. If stress is chronic, it can increase your risk of depression, obesity, heart disease and more.

         Here’s how:

• Any type of exercise can help relieve stress. Try a group exercise class (yoga, aerobics, CrossFit) at one of our fitness facilities. 
• Relax. Sounds easy, but often times finding the time to relax is hard to come by. Make time for yourself by scheduling a massage. Our fitness facilities offer wellness services that include massage therapy. Call (910) 715-1811 for more information.
• Join a support group. Sometimes just talking to someone (or a group of people) can help you relax.

Get more sleep. We all know what a good night’s sleep can do for us. Sleep more in 2015!

• If you have trouble sleeping, you could have a sleep disorder. Talk to your doctor about your concerns and ask if you could be a candidate for a sleep study.

Regularly remind yourself of the benefits associated with achieving your goals. Create a checklist of how life will be once you obtain your resolution. And, don’t forget to give yourself a small reward whenever you achieve a goal – this will help you stay motivated and help with your progress! Don’t be hard on yourself - expect to revert to your old habits from time to time. Treat any failure as a temporary setback rather than a reason to give up altogether.