After spending the better part of a month preparing for the holidays, running around buying presents, attending parties and simply not following the strictest dietary plans, many of us see the New Year as the time to right ourselves and become better people than we were the previous 365 days (or 366, since 2020 was a Leap Year). That means setting New Year’s resolutions – objectives we strive to attain in the calendar year ahead.
As we explain in another feature surrounding the topic of New Year's, we prefer to identify resolutions as goals. Resolutions are too “do-or-die” for our liking, while goals achieve results based on one’s effort. That article also provides some valuable insight on how to plan out our goals for the coming year. If you read that first, it will help you understand the five goals we recommend here, or with any other goals you decide on doing this year to better yourself. If you haven’t read it, don’t worry, this will still make sense. It just hurts a bit that you didn’t check out the other piece we slaved over while the holidays bore down on us. But we’re okay. We’ll get past this. (*snif*)
Let’s set some goals, shall we?
1. GO SEE A DOCTOR.
Yes, we can hear some of you out there: “Go to the doctor”? That’s a resolution? Surely, you can’t be serious.” Oh, yes, we are serious. And don’t call us – never mind. Too easy.
Seeing a physician is absolutely, positively worth setting as a goal for the year. Why? Several studies reveal that men are about a quarter as likely as women to visit a physician over the next 12 months, and up to three times less likely than women[1] over a five-year period. A 2019 national survey by the Cleveland Clinic revealed that 72 percent of men would opt for doing household chores over going to a doctor. Men’s reasons varied – they either felt embarrassed to go or like less of a man, or they suspected they may have a health issue but chose to avoid confronting it.
If you ever find yourself wondering if you should go to a doctor when you don’t feel well or make sure all of the plates are in the dishwasher, then seriously, get your priorities in order. Clean plates mean nothing if you’re no longer around to eat off them. Besides, if you’re establishing some New Year’s goals that truly are uncharted territory for you, like working out or changing your nutritional habits, the best thing you can do is get checked and receive guidance from a doctor first. See? We’re giving you good reason for a layup goal here!
Also consider the fact that we now live in the Age of Telehealth. Sure, there are exceptions, but much of what ails you can be diagnosed, discussed and treated by a doctor online. Your “visit” is private and you never have to leave your home. (Check out our FAQ for a breakdown of the process, or order an at-home hormone testing kit that also includes a virtual consultation with a Peak physician.) C’mon, guys. There’s no excuse now.
2. ADD AN EXTRA HOUR OF SLEEP TO YOUR BEDTIME.
Friends, the power of sleep is extraordinary. Yet all of us, ourselves included, take it for granted. Sadly, it’s one of the first things we sacrifice for a myriad of what, at the time, seem like good, acceptable motives: There’s extra work to do around the house (like cleaning those damn, dirty plates). You want to deal with bills that you’ve put off way too long to pay. There’s a must-watch UFC pay-per-view that will run into the wee hours if you live on the East Coast. You’re writing an article about New Year’s goals that only clicked for you at 9:47 this evening, while you were trying to wind down. You get the point.
The point you should get, however, is that seven to 10 hours of sleep a night is extremely beneficial. It helps keep your body strong, your mind sharp and your emotions in check. If you think you function well enough on five hours of sleep, then you’re likely not thinking straight, which is a side effect of sleep deprivation. So’s high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart disease. Studies also show males’ testosterone levels drop as much as 15 percent[2] when they’re not getting enough rest.
If your T-levels are down and you’re not sleeping enough, you’re not just burning the candle at both ends. You’re also making it that more difficult for your partner to light your candlewick.
In short, make a goal of adding at least one extra hour of slumber to your evening regimen. At least sleep on the idea.
3. YOU GONNA HIIT THAT?
“Exercise more” is always one of the more popular resolutions people make. It’s also pretty generic and can leave you with more questions than answers. Exercise more what? Do you have a goal in mind for what you want to achieve? By when do you want to achieve your desired results, and what types of exercise do you think will help you do that?
In our other feature, we refer to the S.M.A.R.T. technique and the importance of mapping out your New Year’s goals on paper. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable (or Achievable), Relevant and Timely. It’s a tool that a lot of us associate with being part of a job interview process, but it’s perfect to employ for a goal like this.
In terms of choosing a form of exercise, it really depends on what you want to accomplish and by when you want to accomplish it. Personally, we recommend HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). These short-but-intense workouts are great for losing weight, increasing endurance, adding muscle mass and reducing fat. For men specifically, HIIT is also a very effective means of naturally boosting testosterone.[3] Plus, it lends itself well to the S.M.A.R.T. technique, as it’s easy for you to measure and map out – “Increase HIIT workouts every four weeks to achieve a 3-to-1 work-to-recovery ratio.” (This means increasing your workout to the point where it runs three times longer than your rest or recovery period.)
We’ll be honest: HIIT is intense and challenging. But the health benefits are fantastic and, when it’s done right, it doesn’t eat up hours in a gym. A reminder, though: Before you begin any type of physical exercise, have your health provider run a thorough checkup first. Beginning a workout regimen only to discover it’s putting too much strain on your body is not only a health risk, but it will likely derail you from seeing your goal through.
4. EAT HEALTHIER? WEIGHT FOR IT…
If making New Year’s resolutions was a sport, then “Lose weight” would earn its own Hall of Fame wing. Sadly, it would also be adjacent to the wing of “Failed New Year’s resolutions.” So many of us start the year thinking that we’re going to “buckle down,” “get disciplined” and lose weight. Yet, so many of us make this resolution with absolutely no idea as to how we’re going to attain it.
Strategizing before executing on a weight loss plan is critical. If exercising more is one of your New Year’s goals, that’s a great start to meeting this one. Another way is to change up your nutritional intake. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but it is attainable. With some guidance from a physician or nutritionist, outline the amounts of protein, carbs, healthy fats and calories you intend to consume daily. Map out a chart of meals you can prepare in advance for the week and eat at home more often. Don’t think that makes much of a difference? One study shows that having home-cooked meals five nights a week were 28 percent less likely[4] to have an overweight body mass index.
In addition to scheduling an end date to achieve your targeted weight loss, build in specific dates to lose the excess poundage in smaller increments. You may not hit those exact dates, but that’s all right. Those dates exist to help you focus, and any progress is still progress. The success will come, and you’ll feel all the better for it. So will your waistline, your energy levels, your testosterone and your overall health.
A final piece of advice to chew on: Instead of using the word “diet,” go with something like “lifestyle change.” “Diet” not only gives off a negative connotation that your plan is finite, but it also contains the word “die.” That just puts a bad taste in our mouth.
5. DE-STRESS FOR SUCCESS.
A resolution to “stress less” sounds a bit nebulous, but it’s an important goal to set. A study conducted by the American Institute of Stress showed that 77 percent of its participants expressed experiencing stress that impacted their physical health. Mental health didn’t fare much better at 73 percent, while 48 percent verified that they had trouble sleeping due to stress.
No one needs that kind of stress, but how do we get rid of it? Can we, or do we just teach ourselves to “deal with it”? That distinction is very important, for it helps clarify whether your goal is to eliminate or manage the anxiety in your life. Many of us wish for the former, but most of us can actually do something about the latter.
Exercising, resting more and losing weight are all excellent ways to de-stress. So is making a to-do list of your priorities; if your thoughts are organized, you feel more capable of coping with the things that previously seemed insurmountable. Then there’s trying something new, such as yoga or breathing exercises, or taking up a hobby, like building model planes or painting. (John, a member of the Peak community, actually builds guitars. Check out John's story here.) And let’s not forget even the simple act of scheduling a daily “me-time” so you can do something you like and that relaxes you (reading, going for a walk, etc.). Any or all of these things may seem stressful to complete at first – you’ll need to fight that mentality of deprioritizing things that are designed to benefit you – but in the long run, your health will thank you for it.
If you want to learn more about how to organize New Year’s goals before you set them, then please check out our article here.
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References:
[1]Mahalik JR, Backus Dagirmanjian FR. Working Men's Constructions of Visiting the Doctor. Am J Mens Health. 2018 Sep;12(5):1582-1592. doi: 10.1177/1557988318777351. Epub 2018 May 23. PMID: 29790408; PMCID: PMC6142142.
[2]Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men. JAMA. 2011 Jun 1;305(21):2173-4. doi: 10.1001/jama.2011.710. PMID: 21632481; PMCID: PMC4445839.
[3]Timón Andrada R, Maynar Mariño M, Muñoz Marín D, Olcina Camacho GJ, Caballero MJ, Maynar Mariño JI. Variations in urine excretion of steroid hormones after an acute session and after a 4-week programme of strength training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007 Jan;99(1):65-71. doi: 10.1007/s00421-006-0319-1. Epub 2006 Oct 19. PMID: 17051372.
[4]Mills S, Brown H, Wrieden W, White M, Adams J. Frequency of eating home cooked meals and potential benefits for diet and health: cross-sectional analysis of a population-based cohort study. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2017 Aug 17;14(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12966-017-0567-y. PMID: 28818089; PMCID: PMC5561571.