A new year geared toward well-being and healthy habits
How to improve your lifestyle to feel healthier both physically and mentally?
The end of the year and the beginning of the new one is the ideal time to draw up a list of good intentions and let go of the “old bad” habits.
Here is the perfect opportunity to think about the best strategies to face the next 365 days with an extra focus on well-being, both physical and mental.
Even with the best intentions sometimes you can start on the right foot and “get lost on the way” because of the thousand commitments of everyday life.
How to best start the year and continue your health journey without giving up as soon as the first difficulties arise?
Here are 5 practical tips to follow.
Set concrete and achievable goals
Firstly, we must not have too high expectations: set specific, realistic and easily achievable goals, proceeding step by step, perhaps with the help of an already structured program. For example, if your goal is to pick up running, start with 4 kilometres and then increase gradually: it will be easier to keep practising and train without stress and fatigue.
Focus on Fitness
Exercising regularly is one of the fundamental pillars to stay healthy, both physically and psychologically. In addition to being a real panacea for the body, moving and practising sports promotes the production of endorphins, the “good mood” hormones. As well as going to the gym and learning a new sport, it is important to take all possible opportunities to move more during the day: taking the stairs instead of the lift, favouring walking or cycling over taking the car, going for at least half an hour walks and using an exercise bike when watching TV. These are all examples of good practices that can be put in place for the new year.
Follow a balanced and healthy diet
Among the good intentions for the new year following a conscious, balanced and healthy diet cannot be missed. How? Introducing more seasonal fruits and vegetables, whole grains and seeds and reducing meat and dairy products. Avoiding skipping meals, especially breakfast and lunch with the risk of binging at dinner, when it would be best to have a lighter meal. It is not necessary to “force” oneself to follow restrictive diets that would only end up being counterproductive: the advice is to opt for a balanced diet that includes all macronutrients without unnecessary deprivation. In addition, after training, avoid pre-packaged snacks and instead opt for “real food” such as low-fat yoghurt, raw carrots, raw juices, oranges, bananas, apples, fresh tomatoes, or bread and jam.
Stay outdoors as much as possible
To keep healthy, don’t forget to spend as much time outdoors as possible, even in winter: going for a walk during your lunch break, trekking and hiking on weekends or going to the park can help relieve stress and improve mood. In addition, direct sunlight is essential for Vitamin D production which helps the immune system to function properly.
The importance of good sleep
Finally, one of the best tips to start the year right is to remember how important good sleep quality is. Sleeping well and resting for the right length of time relieves stress, improves energy and reduces the production of cortisol. On the other side, underestimating good sleep hygiene can lead to emotional discomfort, mood disorders, energy drops, and somatic pains, and, over time, facilitate the development of serious diseases such as hypertension, weight problems and type 2 diabetes.
Palazzo Doglio’s Fitness Center, a temple of well-being
Palazzo Doglio is a luxury hotel in the centre of Cagliari where to enjoy an extraordinary holiday discovering the Sardinian capital in maximum comfort. It boasts a fully equipped and modern Fitness Centre at the Doglio Club, an authentic temple of well-being to enjoy top-of-the-line exercising during your stay. The gym offers the latest generation Technogym equipment and expert personal trainers are available to help design a personalised program to guide guests in physical activity and in strengthening balance, stability and resistance.
Would you like to get back in shape in the fully-equipped Doglio Club’s Fitness Center and experience a holiday full of elegance and charm? Book a stay at Palazzo Doglio in Cagliari
