I recently had dinner with some friends and the conversation turned to “What do you hope to do better or different in 2015?” It was less a discussion of New Year’s resolutions and more about lifestyle improvements. One of our friends said he knew he did not sleep well, and he was doing research to see how he could improve the quality of his sleep. He was looking at vitamin deficiencies (yes – this can play a role in how you recover and sleep) as well as the ideal number of hours, naps and so on. Another friend said she felt she need to get in shape and eat better but wasn’t sure she really wanted to make the sacrifices. In the fitness industry we say she is in the ‘contemplative’ stage of change – thinking about it but not ready to commit. My husband agreed to join me in a couple of my lifestyle improvements and also wanted to increase his sleep as well.
Looking at 2015, I’ve realized there are a few things I’d like to improve or add.
1. Drink more water – This seems so simple since I like water, but I have found if I don’t make the effort hours go by with no water. When I used to sit at a desk or drive for some time, I always had water handy. Now my work has me on the my feet (a good thing) but no water close by. I am working on making the change to have a water bottle handy and increase my intake.
2. Race quarterly- I used to race a lot but in the past few years with my work schedule and less time to train I do about one race a year. When I do that race – I enjoy it. This year I am going to shoot for one race a quarter. I don’t need to be training year round but it’s a good fitness check to do a 5K from time to time!
3. Increase Vitamin D – More and more studies show MOST of us are deficient in Vitamin D, especially in the winter. If you are good about sunscreen in the summer you are likely to be deficient then, too. I am adding a vitamin D supplement to my regime and will be curious to see if I notice any changes such as better sleep.
4. Continue my pilates education – I always enjoy my annual conference and this year I had the opportunity to do McEntire Prime Post Rehab Training in the Fall as well. This is what keeps me inspired and growing. I do training for you and for me! I am considering my options for this year already.
As you can see, none of these changes are huge but the impact on my life could be. Sometimes we think we need to make a grand-scale change – no more sugar/alcohol or workout for an hour a day! Smaller modifications can be very impactful. What little tweaks or modifications will you make?
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