10 New Year's Resolutions That Can Improve Your Health in 2010

Want to change your health habits? Try focusing on a smaller but closer target

As we enter 2010, plenty of people are (once again) pledging to get fit, run a marathon, or lose 50 pounds. Those are all admirable goals. But aiming somewhat lower, at a closer and more specific target, may be the best way to get where you want to go. Consider 10 more-achievable New Year's resolutions that could really improve your health in 2010.

Add exercise to your schedule most days
If you're like many people, this is a promise you've made before. Regular exercise reduces the risk of many health problems. Specifically, you'll get the most health benefits from at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week—brisk walking, ballroom dancing, or gardening, for example—or 75 minutes per week of vigorous activity, such as jogging, aerobic dancing, or jumping rope. But any burst of physical activity lasting at least 10 minutes counts toward the goal. And both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises are acceptable, according to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which apply to all Americans ages 6 and older. On at least two days per week, aim to do muscle-strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups of your body, including the abdomen, arms, back, chest, hips, legs, and shoulders.
 The guidelines suggest that 6- to 17-year-olds get one hour or more of exercise daily, mostly aerobic activity but also incorporating muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities. And older adults and those with disabilities should make an effort to meet the guidelines. In situations where it's simply not possible, they should still try to be as active as possible and work with a healthcare provider to develop a workout plan that is manageable.

Use yoga as a stress reliever
For sure, 2009 was a stressful year for many, as the economy worsened and jobs were lost. And stress can have a negative effect on the body, leading to headaches, back pain, chest pain, heart disease, high blood pressure, decreased immunity, and sleep problems. So as 2010 begins, it's a good time to incorporate stress relievers into your life. One choice can build strength and flexibility, too: yoga. The discipline, which involves controlled breathing and assuming a series of postures, can help you relax, research suggests. A study published in October found that a 16-week yoga program was effective in decreasing stress and improving well-being in medical students. A study published in May found that pregnant women who took part in a seven-week yoga program saw reduced stress levels, anxiety, and pain. You don't have to attempt every pose your instructor suggests, according to advice from the Mayo Clinic, and should stop if a position is too uncomfortable.

Eat more fruits and vegetables
Eating fruits and vegetables can help ward off diseases such as certain cancers, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and diabetes. The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published jointly by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture in 2005, recommend that you include lots of fruits and vegetables in your diet. That means five to 13 servings (2.5 to 6.5 cups) of fruits and vegetables per day, depending on your caloric intake. So for someone who consumes 2,000 calories daily, that means nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day, or two cups of fruit and 2.5 cups of vegetables. How do you accomplish this? Rather than focusing on denying yourself treats, try incorporating a variety of fruits and vegetables into your meals, and choose from all five subgroups of vegetables—dark green, legumes, orange, starchy vegetables, and other vegetables. An updated edition of the Dietary Guidelines will be published in 2010.

Try hypnosis to quit smoking
A study published in 2008 found that hypnotherapy was as effective as standard behavioral counseling when combined with nicotine patches in helping smokers quit smoking and stay away from cigarettes for a year. During hypnotherapy, patients are coaxed into a relaxed state and then provided with a series of skills for coping with withdrawal symptoms and the urge to smoke. Patients are given an audiotape of this training to reinforce these messages at home, and over time it is hoped they will gain increased confidence in their ability to stay off cigarettes for the long term. Hypnosis was particularly helpful for would-be quitters who reported a history of depression.

Get your vitamin D level checked
You've probably seen it in the news: Being deficient in vitamin D—known as the "sunshine vitamin" because sunlight helps encourage vitamin D production in the body—may be tied to poor health outcomes ranging from increased risk of diabetes, depression, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer to osteoporosis and bone fractures. But these studies were mainly retrospective and not of the gold-standard variety, making it hard for clinicians to base treatment decisions on the findings, according to an article published in December in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Randomized clinical trials are needed to determine whether treating people who are vitamin D-deficient with supplements can change their outcomes. These trials are needed sooner rather than later, the article says.
 With that said, it's still a good idea to get your vitamin D level checked, which can be done via a quick blood test at your doctor's office. Then comes the tricky part. If you are deficient, should you take a supplement? If so, how much? The Institute of Medicine is expected to release a report in May 2010 with additional guidance for vitamin D intake. The highly anticipated IOM report may change current guidelines, which suggest that people need 200 international units of supplemental vitamin D per day from birth through age 50, 400 IU from age 51 to 70, and 600 IU for ages 71 and older. Some experts think that people should be taking as much as 1,000 to 2,000 IU a day and that currently recommended upper limits—1,000 IU per day for babies up to age 1 and 2,000 IU per day after that—should be increased.

Get a flu shot
The H1N1 flu virus may not be as widespread as it was, but it's still circulating, and there is potential for a third wave of H1N1 to cause more illnesses and deaths in the coming months. We're also heading into prime time for seasonal flu. So rather than deal with the fever, cough, sore throat, headaches, chills, and muscle aches that come with the flu, consider getting vaccinated. The H1N1 shot is now available at some retail clinics and doctor's offices, but call ahead to check availability since many clinics have run out of the seasonal flu shot and may not have received their supply of the H1N1 shot. Children ages 6 months to 18 years, adults 50 or older, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical problems should get a seasonal flu shot, according to the CDC. The H1N1 shot is recommended for those groups plus anyone 6 months to 24 years old. The Department of Health and Human Services' Flu.gov can help you locate flu shots in your area.

Buy a power toothbrush
Power toothbrushes are gaining in popularity—both because of ease of use and effectiveness. A 2005 review by the Cochrane Collaboration Oral Health Group, part of an international, not-for-profit organization that provides information about the effects of healthcare, found that so-called rotation oscillation toothbrushes (in which the brush head rotates in one direction and then reverses) are more effective at removing plaque and reducing gingivitis than regular, no-tech brushes, assuming normal use. An earlier review yielded similar results. Several other types of power brushes failed to outperform the manual kind, Cochrane found, including those whose heads move side to side or vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies; ones that claim to use an electrical charge to defeat plaque; and other rotating-style brushes whose heads move in only one direction (circular brushes) or that feature adjacent packs of bristles rotating in opposite directions (counteroscillating).

Get tested for HIV
About 1 million people are living with HIV in the United States, and about a quarter of them don't know that they have the virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Despite the CDC's recommendation that everyone ages 13 to 64 should be screened for HIV at least once, not everyone follows this advice. Annual testing is advised for high-risk individuals, including anyone who has had more than one sex partner—or whose partner has had more than one partner—since last being tested and all men who have sex with men. In addition, pregnant women and anyone who needs to be tested for tuberculosis or for another sexually transmitted disease should get an HIV test. If you decide to get an HIV test, also consider getting tested for other STDs, such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis.

Sleep well
One in 3 adults sometimes experiences insomnia—difficulty falling or staying asleep—and 1 in 10 has chronic insomnia, defined as having symptoms at least three nights per week for more than a month, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. But research shows that sleep genuinely does a body good—and a lack of it can have the opposite effect. Researchers have shown that the obesity epidemic is partially being driven by a decrease in the number of hours that Americans sleep and that insomnia is linked to a decreased quality of life nearly to the same extent that such chronic health problems as depression and congestive heart failure are. To sleep better in 2010, try these 9 safe ways to help cure insomnia.

Try looking online for moral support
Not feeling well can make it tough to maintain relationships with family and friends, let alone forge new friendships. But social support is important for your well-being, studies show. Nowadays, it is coming not just from people you interact with in person but also via online forums, social networking sites, and messages boards that allow people to communicate, commiserate, encourage, and share tips and advice with one another. A study published in February 2008 found that online support groups are becoming a new venue of support for people with drinking problems and other types of addiction, for example. Because of this, the authors wrote, addiction counselors should consider referring clients to online support groups. And people with severe illness can also benefit from online support. A 2003 research review found that online cancer support groups seem to help people cope; 9 out of 10 studies reviewed by the authors concluded that online support groups helped people deal more effectively with their illness. Still, there's also a potential for harm. A 2004 research review found that more study is needed to identify who gains most from online support groups and how the benefits can be maximized.
- US.News & World Report December 30, 2009