5 Healthy New Year's Resolutions For 2020 That Won't Be Hard To Keep

New Year not only means celebration but also signifies a fresh beginning to many of us. For a few of us, this also means setting goals and making new resolutions to be followed throughout the upcoming year. Most often, New Year resolutions go unsustainable or we end up making the same resolutions year after year. This is mostly because we end up breaking them within a couple of months or weeks.

To break this cycle, it is recommended that you choose ones that will not only improve your health but also be followed for a lifetime. Here’s a list of healthy new year’s resolutions:

1. Move More Frequently & Sit Lesser- Needless to say, a sedentary lifestyle poses several health risks. Most of us remain seated more than we should, thanks to our desk jobs. Sitting for a long time is found to be associated with an increased risk of overall mortality, says a 2016 study. If you’re working a desk job which involves long periods of sitting, set your resolution to take short walks of 10-20 minutes post-lunch break and make it a habit to walk for 5 minutes every hour.

2. Give Up Sweetened Beverages- Since sugary drinks increase the risk of obesity, insulin resistance, heart disease, fatty liver, and cavities, make it a resolution to cut down on sweetened beverages in 2020. When you gradually limit your intake, it might help you get rid of your sugary drink habit forever.

3. Eating More Whole Foods- This can be one of the best ways to improve your overall health. Include whole foods such as vegetables, nuts, fruits, seeds, whole grains, and fish which are enriched with nutrients required by your body to function properly. A 2017 study has reported that consuming a whole-foods-based diet might reduce heart diseases, body weight, blood sugar levels, and type 2 diabetes risk.

4. Limit Your Screen Time- Most of us have an overwhelming dependence on our mobile phones and computers, both for work as well as entertainment purposes, but spending a lot of time on such screens can affect your health. A 2017 study has reported that screen time, especially using social media has been associated with anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Thus, make it a point to limit your screen time this year.

5. Eat More Home-Cooked Foods- Make it a habit to cook more meals at home henceforth so as to improve your health. A 2017 study has reported that individuals who cooked more meals at home had better diet quality as well as lesser body fat composition compared to those who don’t. Begin by preparing just one meal per day and gradually increase the frequency until you eat the majority of your meals at home.