Four tips to help keep your wellness goals

You’re ready to live your best life and you’ve made the first step – recognizing your health needs. And while many of us hope to strive to live a fulfilling life-- setbacks, like lack of progress, can discourage you from continuing.

If you are struggling with keeping and achieving your health and wellness goals, read these four tips from our health care professionals to help you succeed.

Focus on your mental health

Your physical health and fitness are nothing without your mental wellness. But talking to someone about your mental health can be intimidating. Start with someone you trust who knows your health history, like your family medicine provider.

“Your mental wellness is a key component in taking care of your health,” said Dr. David Ensz, MercyOne South Sioux City Family Medicine. “Getting in shape mentally is just as important as getting in shape physically.”

Another aspect of mental wellness is your mentality around your goals. When you make a goal that is out of alignment or doesn’t excite you, you’re more likely to give up on yourself. The daily grind of working towards your goals can be overwhelming, so don’t beat yourself up if you fail and adjust your goals to what works for you.

“Failure is a part of any goal you set,” said Debbie Olson, health promotion facilitator at MercyOne Rehabilitation & Wellness Center. “This is not an all or nothing mentality and when you have bad days, because you will, it’s okay to take a break.”

Make sleep a priority

Multiple organ systems in our body rely on our circadian rhythm – including the heart, liver and pancreas. Aligning your rest and wake cycle is critical to optimal organ functionality and sleep is necessary to maintain that cycle.

“If you’re not getting enough sleep or enough good sleep your entire health can be impacted even if you are exercising and eating healthy,” said Dr. Ensz.

Getting enough sleep - seven hours for adults and more for children and teens – can be difficult. Take a look at your nightly routine and make small changes that help promote a more restful sleep including:

• Limit caffeine intake especially in the afternoon
• Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine
• Stick to a sleep schedule
• Pay attention to alcohol intake
• Softly stretch before bed
• Limit screen time – phones, computers, tablets etc. – before bed

Read more about how sleep impacts your health.

Manage diabetes risks

When it comes to wellness goals, preventing and managing diabetes risks can help provide you structure.

“I’d say one-third to one-half of my day is working with patients who have diabetes or are prediabetic,” said Dr. Ensz. “A healthy weight and lifestyle are the best medicine to help with diabetes.”

Cultivating a healthy lifestyle includes exercising regularly and eating healthy. Exercising doesn’t have to be something you suffer through or punish yourself with. If your wellness goals involve needing any type of exercise (most will) then make exercising work for you. Find what excites you and is sustainable to your lifestyle. Try things like:

• Exercise classes (HIIT, kickboxing, Orangetheory Fitness, YouTube, etc.)
• Running or walking
• Bicycling
• Roller skating
• Yoga
• Weightlifting
• Resistance training

“When we say exercise, we don’t mean you have to go to a boot camp or only do high intensity workouts. It can simply be walking—you just need to move in some form,” said Sheri Purdy, manager at MercyOne Rehabilitation and Wellness Center.

And while going to a gym is a great, you don’t need to do something that makes you uncomfortable or is inaccessible to be healthy. Getting a couple pairs of at home dumbbells, resistance bands and online at home workout classes are easy ways to make exercising accessible in your life. If you’re limited by joint pain – try low resistance workouts like resistance bands, swimming and stretching/moving your joints more to help strengthen the muscles around it.

Build your relationship with your provider

Your primary care provider is there to help you live your life to the fullest.

“You and your provider are partners in your health care,” said Dr. Ensz. “They need you to be an active member in your health.”

Having a relationship with your primary care provider can help improve your overall wellness in several ways. Whether it’s keeping you on track with your wellness check-ups and cancer screenings, or helping you set attainable wellness goals, your provider and health care team are here for you.

Find a provider near you or schedule an appointment to start your wellness journey