The new year is a great time to set health goals. Here are some ideas for doing just that:

1. Take fitness to the next level

Now is the time to take things up a notch—meaning, try things like increasing the number of days that you’re working out, trying new types of exercise, walking longer, etc. Do all of this safely, as you don’t want to overexert yourself to the point of injury. But, slowly pushing yourself to surpass your records and hit new goals is a great motivator when it comes to fitness. 

If you’re new to working out altogether, don’t let anxiety over how to begin prevent you from achieving your goals. Bold has a membership for people of all skill levels and even offers a quiz that will personalize your program! That way, you have a better understanding of what workout plan will work best for you at this time.

2. Nurture your mental well-being

What’s the point of being physically fit if you’re not mentally fit as well? The World Health Organization shows that over 20% of adults aged 60 and over suffer from a mental or neurological disorder. This includes depression, anxiety, dementia, and more. Take your mental health seriously and acknowledge when you’re struggling, as that’s the first step. The next step is to determine how you want to go about fixing your situation. Maybe you need to take more self-care days, or you need to be around loved ones. Speak with your doctor about next steps.

3. Improve your sleep schedule

We all know that sleep is important, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to get a good night’s rest. Many factors can play into the quality of your sleep—stress, surroundings, and medical problems are just a few causes of poor sleep. While some issues are harder to resolve than others, there are a few things you can do to potentially help yourself get a better night’s rest.

Setting a bedtime is a good option. Having a set time in which you go to sleep will help your body get used to winding down at the same time every day. Try not to go to sleep earlier or later than the time you set as it can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm.

4. Create a health routine 

Without a routine, it can get challenging to keep up with the new things you’re implementing in your daily life and stay on track. Instead of allowing things to get disorganized,  start the new year off with a healthy routine. It’s been found that routines have many benefits ranging from better sleep to improving eating habits, so it’s definitely worth trying.

A good place to start when creating a schedule is to write down the things that you already do in a journal. Then, from there, take note of any new things that you’d like to start trying. By doing this you can easily merge the two and figure out how to organize everything cohesively. Don’t forget to leave time for self-care in your routine, as you don’t want to overwhelm yourself.