4 Health Resolutions You Can Make
By Natalie Gingerich Mackenzie, REDBOOK
Forget grand, sweeping promises that quickly flame out (starting today, no more cookies-ever!). It's time to focus on one simple health change you can stick with, like these readers. Here's help.
1. I Want To... Quit Sipping Diet Soda
"My mom has osteoporosis, and her doctor told her to give up soft drinks because they may weaken bones. I have a daily diet soda habit, and want to avoid the same fate." -ANN W., 28, OKLAHOMA CITY
Your game plan: First, relax. No cold turkey! Ramping down gradually is the best way to quit any dietary habit, says dietitian Keri Gans, R.D. Start by subbing a different brand for your usual fix. Why? "You won't love it quite as much, making it easier to cut down," Gans says. After a few days, stop at half a can per day. After another week, go to every other day for a while. At that point, your habit has been thoroughly interrupted and you can drop the stuff completely or switch to sparkling water with lemon.
2. I Want To... Run A 5K Race
"Last year I walked a race, and now I want to run one! But when I try, I get out of breath quickly and stop." -LIZ M., 47, CARSON CITY, NV
Your game plan: Instead of running until you're pooped and then stopping-that only gets you in the habit of quitting-mix short intervals of running with walking three times a week to build stamina, says Matthew Goodemote, a beginning running coach in Gloversville, NY. Warm up with a five-minute walk, then alternate 30 seconds of jogging with 30 seconds of walking for a mile and a half. Add 30 seconds to the run portions and a half mile to your distance each week. In a month, you'll be up to three miles, jogging a majority of the time. Add the excitement of race day, and you'll fly through 3.1 miles!
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3. I Want To... Get More Sleep
"My husband and I plop in front of the TV with our computers and before I know it, it's after 11 p.m. Then, once I get to bed, my brain won't shut off."-CHRISTINE G., PEARL RIVER, NY
Your game plan: Cozying up to Friends reruns may seem like the perfect way to unwind, but light from television and computer screens disrupts your internal clock and makes it hard to doze off, says Lisa Shives, M.D., a specialist at Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston, IL. Her advice: Figure out what time you need to get up and count back seven or eight hours; that's your bedtime. An hour before that is your TV's bedtime-same for laptops. Spend that time winding down or reading instead.
4. I Want To... Never Take Another Puff
"I quit smoking when I got pregnant, but after I had my son, stress got the best of me and now I smoke a few cigarettes a day. I want to set a better example. Help!" -BEVERLY R., 28, ATLANTA
Your game plan: Thirty-nine percent of puffers say they're "occasional smokers," but even that raises your risk of cancer and heart disease. Drugs and patches are overkill for light users, says Saul Shiffman, Ph.D., who studies social smokers at the University of Pittsburgh, but here's what works: Pick a quit date and tell people about it. Then, when stress strikes, ask yourself what, other than lighting up, might help. A quick walk? Texting a friend? If the craving doesn't pass, pop a piece of nicotine gum or a lozenge-but no more than two a day. "Once you make it to 30 days, your chances of quitting for good go up significantly," Shiffman says.
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