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Extension Today: Live Healthy in 2022

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ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Happy New Year! What are some of your goals for living well in 2022?

Are you determined to start living a more healthy lifestyle? How can you incorporate healthy behaviors into your existing lifestyle, and make it easy and fun to keep up the momentum of your changes over the long haul? Jenny Lobb, Extension educator, sat down with Stephen Moore, Extension educator for OSU LiFEsports, recently to talk about how best to get started and keep going throughout the year.

What's the main goal, no matter what? Yep – "keep trying."  Your stated goals can address any aspect of your life – wellness in emotional health, social health, financial health, or physical health, for example. And remember, improving your physical health also improves your mental health and well-being.

SMART Goals: Many people make New Year's resolutions this time of year, and then often abandon them by the end of the month. If you want a healthy habit to stick beyond January, try setting some SMART goals, rather than making general resolutions. These types of goals are:

  • Specific
  • Measurable
  • Attainable
  • Relevant
  • Timely

How do I get started? Write down your goals. Then figure out small steps you can take to achive those goals. For example, "I want to improve my physical health" is a pretty broad goal. Simple ways to get started on this goal include: adding a few minutes of exercise every day (as simple as walking up or down stairs at work versus taking the elevator); drinking more water; eating more fruits and vegetables; and making diet swaps (i.e. exchanging Greek yogurt for sour cream in select dishes).

Jenny shared a great article last year about how to Start the Year with a SMART Goal. 

GET THE FACTS!
Our Ohioline site provides numerous free fact sheets on various topics. We have several great resources for wellness beyond physical fitness – for your mind, body and overall health.

LEARN MORE!
OSU Extension family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals share all kinds of other helpful tips and tricks on their Live Healthy Live Well blog. Their latest article is very timely – How Can We Make Our Resolutions Stick?

Other Extension educators have offered their advice as well. Check out this article on Sticking with Your Goals for the New Year.

Speaking of specific steps AND realizing you can take small, often repeated, steps in this process, read how one person tackled some personal fitness goals in Reclaiming Fitness and Reclaiming Fitness, Again.

And speaking of wellness – your financial wellness plays a big part in your peace of mind, ability to weather potential fiscal challenges, and having options available to you for improving your quality of like. Using good money management practices and savings strategies can make a huge difference between being financially secure and being in a perpetual crisis-mode. Learn more about money management from our FCS pros online.

CONNECT WITH OUR EXPERTS!
OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) serves thousands of people throughout Ohio every year. Our team of FCS professionals delivers the highest quality, research-based educational programs focused on building healthy people, healthy finances, and healthy relationships. We help people keep healthy through good nutrition and food safety, use their money wisely, and balance the demands of life and work. The goal of living well is built into the fabric of our FCS programs, as well as the DNA of our professionals whose mission is to make sure "Ohioans have the information, tools, and resources to actively engage in creating conditions in which they thrive as individuals, families, and communities."

The OSU Wexner Medical Center also has nutrition experts who can help clarify confusing nutrition advice you might hear in the media, via your friends, or through others. Ohio State’s registered dietitians are here to help! Check out their Wexner Medical Center blog posts, as well as videos on a variety of nutrition topics.