“New Year, New Me!”
It’s a tale as old as time.
As the calendar flips to January, the message surrounds us.
Out with the bad habits. In with the best, healthiest, most vivacious version of you.
Any website that advertised great deals on gifts for the winter holidays now shows ads for the newest water bottle, shiny dumbbells, and beautifully colored, pristine yoga mats.
Fresh starts can be good, experts agree, thanks to something called the Fresh Start Effect.
According to the Fresh Start Effect, people are more likely to take action towards a goal after temporal landmarks (aka special occasions) that represent new beginnings.
Just like the start of a new year.
5 of the Most Popular Wellness Resolutions
Some of the most common new year’s resolutions include wellness goals, like the ones below:
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- I will exercise regularly.
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- I will get enough sleep.
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- I will quit unhealthy habits.
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- I will take care of my mental and emotional well-being.
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- I will set realistic goals and track my progress.
… And then, Reality
You’re psyched up with your new, beautiful yoga mat rolled out, only to realize that once you sit down, you can’t get up without your sciatica flaring, let alone complete any kind of yoga pose.
Or what you intended as an invigorating run only reminded you that you haven’t run since your high school gym classes.
Or you sign up to join a local sports team or pickleball league, and have to admit your physical health just isn’t where you thought it would be, so your sign-up was essentially a donation to the sports league because there’s no way you can go back.
And then you’re bombarded by the news stories of how resolutions rarely make it beyond the end of winter.
So you may be left wondering — why bother?
But Wait!
What if I told you that all of the common new year’s resolution goals mentioned above can be addressed or enhanced with physical therapy?
The Role of Physical Therapy and Wellness
Let’s revisit our resolutions. This time, notice how physical therapy can help improve your physical health, and in turn, the promises that you’ve made to yourself.
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- I will exercise regularly.
If you’re injured or experiencing issues that impact your ability to live your life, it’s nearly impossible to pick up a sport or attend classes at the gym.Physical therapy helps identify your conditions and create individualized plans to minimize pain through personalized treatment, helping you get stronger and more balanced, so you can move beyond your physical limitations.
- I will exercise regularly.
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- I will get enough sleep.
For some, drifting off to sleep is more work than rest. Physical therapists, who are knowledgeable about how the body’s systems work together, can work with you to create an appropriate exercise program that can help regulate sleep.They can also provide education about proper body positioning in bed, as well as any bed-related mobility issues for their patients.
- I will get enough sleep.
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- I will quit unhealthy habits.
It’s the snowball effect. When you start taking care of your body and respecting it, treating it with gentle kindness, you want to keep doing that.Physical therapy can help you identify a personalized self-care and wellness regimen that can help you achieve your personal goals. As an example – when you’ve worked so hard all day to stay hydrated, move, and pay attention to your body’s needs, you’re less likely to light up a cigarette that negates that work.
- I will quit unhealthy habits.
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- I will take care of my mental and emotional well-being.
If chronic pain is part of your life, this can be a chicken-and-egg issue. Does the pain cause you to miss out on things that make you happy? Or are you unhappy because of the pain?Either way, taking care of the pain can help you live into your goals of wellness for the new year. Patients experiencing pain or suffering from languishing can benefit from wellness physical therapy, as physical therapists can help prevent injury and disability and promote healthy lifestyles — all of which contributes to mental and emotional wellness.
- I will take care of my mental and emotional well-being.
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- I will set realistic goals and track my progress.
Physical therapists are great at helping you identify goals that provide enrichment and fulfillment in your life – exploring the “why” behind the goal, which is the secret sauce for helping you to stay on track.
- I will set realistic goals and track my progress.
Let’s say your goal is to live without neck pain. That goal is much more meaningful if you attach it to your why – say, you’d love to participate in a yoga class or hike Mission Trails with your children or grandchildren. A good physical therapist will listen to you, answer your questions, and learn what makes you the individual you are, including what inspires you and what it takes to fill you up.
Are you ready for that fresh start?
Contact Live Life Physiotherapy today, to see how we can help you live your best life.
About Live Life Physiotherapy
Live Life Physiotherapy provides customized mobile physical therapy in San Diego to those who need it, where they need it most. Every day, we help residents of La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Lakeside, Del Cerro, San Carlos, and the surrounding areas with their physical therapy needs by removing many of the common restrictions and challenges of traditional physical therapy. Our ultimate goal is to help you live your best life.
