Healthy Habits for 2025
There’s something super exciting about a new year. It’s a great chance to set some new goals for yourself and one of the biggest goals/new year’s resolutions people seem to make revolve around losing weight and exercise. I’m about to turn 50, and even though I’m not trying to lose weight, I am focusing on healthy habits as I go into this new decade of life. Here are the 5 healthy habits I’m bringing into the new year.
Healthy Habit #1- Walk Every Day
To be fair, I already walk pretty much every day. I’m an empty nester with a Labrador Retriever who needs lots of exercise. Finley and I walk at least once day, but most days we walk 2-3 times a day. You know what I find on the days when I’m tired and I don’t think I want to get outside and walk? I always feel better when I’m done. Literally always. There’s something about moving your body in conjunction with sunshine that just makes you feel good. It’s not only good only for your physical health, but your mental health as well. Last year about this time I ended up with a stress fracture in my left foot. My podiatrist recommended I wear Hoka Clifton 9’s and they are so very comfortable. Great cushion and support. They are my favorite walking shoes. My 2 daughters and I all got new Hokas from Santa.
Prioritize Drinking (Lots!) of Water
On September 26th of 2024 I had the very unfortunate experience of dealing with a kidney stone. It was absolutely awful. Like you feel like when you’re in labor without an epidural awful!! The weird thing is I drink lots of water so I would never think I would be a candidate for kidney stones.
After my surgery I met with the urologist and he ran some tests. Turns out eating lots protein is a problem for people like me. More protein = more kidney stones. Ugh!! Good news is, when I’m eating a lot of protein I just need to drink more water. Water with fresh lemon or lime juice helps break down the proteins so kidney stones (hopefully) won’t form. Other benefits of water intake include helping you stay full longer; therefore, it keeps you from overeating. Drinking water also helps your digestive tract move along and water makes your skin look fuller and more healthy! If you do drink a lot of water and worry about not having enough electrolytes, I love adding Liquid IV or Ultima to my water bottle.
Healthy Habit #3 -Reading for Fun- Not Just to Gain Knowledge
Ok. That probably sounds weird to some, but hear me out. I really enjoy reading, but a lot of what I read has to do with personal development or reading my Bible. I deeply love reading my Bible and growing in my faith. That’s something I’m already committed to. Something I’m not as good at is reading for pleasure. I always read at least one novel on vacation but I want to read more for fun. I enjoy an easy beach read and romance novels that aren’t too spicy. Historical fiction books are my favorite, so please share any recommendations in the comments section! Here are some of my favorite books in case you’re looking for a good read as well!
Healthy Habit #4. More Fun Adventures and Excursions with my Husband
Scott and I moved to the Denver area and became empty nesters at the same time. I wrote about that in a blog post you can read here. We are big University of Texas fans and kept our season football tickets when we moved. We want to see our college aged daughters, family and friends. With that being said, the vast majority of our weekends away have been in Texas. While we have loved every minute of those visits, we’ve been gone so much we haven’t explored as much round our new state. We want to ski more, hike more and explore the beautiful mountains.
Weight Bearing Exercises
As we get older it’s super important to do weight bearing exercises. As we age we lose muscle mass, our bones aren’t as strong and it’s easier to fall and break bones. We don’t belong to a big gym here, but we have a little gym in our unfinished basement. We have a Peleton bike, rack of weights, mats, and just got a balancing board. I’m excited to try it for a few weeks and will report back. We use the Peleton App with AirPlay to do strength workouts on the TV in the workout room. Lately I’ve been I’ve hearing a lot about weighted vests. As with most things, there are some haters out there, but most personal trainers seem to think they are a good idea. I ordered one for me and Scott to wear while we are out on our walks. Most people say if you don’t focus on your posture (tightening your core and keeping your shoulders back) you can injure yourself. Noted!
It’s important to choose healthy habits that you can maintain. If they are too restrictive or time consuming you’re less likely to keep them moving forward. I believe I can keep these healthy habits this year and moving forward. Do you have goals for 2025? I’d love to hear from you!
Grateful for you,
Julie
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