Stick To Your New Year’s Resolutions

January always seems like a new start. We've over-done it a bit over Christmas, so it's a great opportunity to start again. But all too often, our New Year's Resolutions don't last past the first week!

However, Heart is on hand to make sure that whatever you decide to give up, you'll see it through this time!

Lose Weight
One of the most common desires come January is to lose weight. And there is no shortage of people telling you how best to do it. Do you go Atkins? South Beach? Or maybe eating less fatty foods? What about heading to the gym every evening after work?

There is a simple equation you can use: if you burn up more calories than you consume, you will lose weight. If you eat more than you use up, you’ll put on a few pounds. So a combination of eating healthy foods and doing exercise will pay off.

To find out more about eating well, see our 10 Top Dieting Myths.

Give up alcohol
Most of us will overdo it over Christmas. We’ll catch up with friends, drink mulled wine and champagne - and there’s a good chance that someone will give you something alcoholic for Christmas! So you decide enough is enough – no drinking in January.

This one will be down to willpower. If you’ve been invited out for a drink, can you drink orange juice while everyone else is on something stronger? Of course you can, you just have to be strong and tell yourself “no”!

If you’ve already got a party planned in January, don’t let that put you off abstaining for the test of the month. Just make an exception of that night.

Get Fit
You get tired just running for the bus, so you’ve decided that come the New Year, you are going to get up off that sofa and get fit.

There’s a multitude of ways you can boost, but the most important for improving your fitness is to get your heart beating. Cardio-vascular exercise will burn far more calories than other forms of exercise and make your heart stronger and healthier.

So whether it's running, swimming, yoga, gym classes or Heart Hulaerobics, get active.

To find out more about getting fit, see our Guide to Getting Fit.

Give up smoking
Nowadays, there’s no one out there that doesn’t know that smoking is bad for them. It’s bad for their lungs, bad for their heart and bad for their complexion. New Year is a great chance to give you a push and kick-start the quit.

You’re going to need a lot of willpower to do this, but there are also steps you can take to make it easier. There will be plenty of times when you want a cigarette, especially if you’re out with friends, but you have to remain strong.

To get hints and tips on how to quit, visit the Big Quit website.

Learn something new
How many times have you promised yourself you’d do something more useful with your time than watching TV?

There are hundreds of different courses you can take - from cookery to business, salsa to massage and piano to wine tasting. Pick a topic that you are interested in and sign-up for a course.

Your local Adult Community College will have a wide range of subjects for you to choose from.




Get organised
It’s all too easy to decide that you have better things to do with your time than doing a bit of paperwork. But it doesn’t take long for the piles of letters start building up and clothes to be strewn across the floor.

Whether it involves paperwork, food, clothes or anything else, being more organised will make your life easier. If nothing else, by getting organised, think of all the free time you’ll have that you currently spend hunting for things!

Do more for charity
You’ve had a good year, so why not try helping out those less fortunate?

Whether it is volunteering some of your time to help out a charity, or by taking part in a sponsored event, this would be a great way to help others and use your time for good.

Find out more about charities on the Charity Choice website.