3 Simple Health Goals for the New Year

3 Simple Health Goals for the New Year

It is easy to overcomplicate health today. Supplements. Wearables. Cold plunges. Apps. Red light therapy. The list keeps growing. While all these can have benefits, they are not necessary to make real and lasting progress. For those with New Year’s health resolutions, the problem is not a lack of tools, it is usually a lack of focus or direction. Dr. Deryk Harting of Chambers Medical Group, one of the highest rated car accident medical doctor care programs in Florida, discusses  3 simple goals to focus on that affect how you look, feel, and function.

1. Increase exercise capacity

Exercise capacity is your ability to move and function without feeling exhausted. It is stamina, endurance, and recovery. If exercise capacity is low, everyday life feels harder than it should. Good capacity allows you to walk quickly, climb stairs, carry items, and stay active without needing frequent breaks. It also improves heart health, insulin sensitivity, and metabolism.

Regular walking, cycling, swimming, or short bouts of higher intensity conditioning performed a few times per week should be enough. Moving at a moderate pace for 20 to 40 minutes and recovering enough to do it again tomorrow is the goal.

2. Improve body composition

Body composition is how your weight is divided between muscle, fat, and bone. It matters more than the number on the scale. Two people can weigh the same but look, move, and feel completely different. The goal is to lower body fat while maintaining or building muscle. Excess body fat is strongly linked to metabolic disease, joint stress, and hormonal dysfunction.

Improving body composition can be done with consistent resistance training, regular movement, adequate protein intake, and portion control. If clothes fit better, waistline decreases, and strength is maintaining or improving, you are succeeding.

3. Build and maintain strength

You need enough strength that everyday life does not feel difficult. Strength is required in ordinary daily activities: carrying things like groceries, getting up from the floor, maintaining balance, moving furniture, doing yard work and household chores are just a few. Muscle loss accelerates with inactivity and aging. Strength is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health and quality of life.

Basic resistance training 2 to 3 times per week covers this goal. Focus on compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups like squats or sit to stands, hinges, pushes, and pulls. Progress slowly and consistently. If tasks that used to feel heavy or strenuous now feel manageable or easy, you are building functional strength.

Keep it simple. Good health does not require perfection or constant optimization. If you increase exercise capacity, improve body composition, and maintain functional strength, many other health benefits follow naturally. These goals are easily measured, and they work year after year not just in January.

— This article is written by Deryk Harting, DC, one of the members of Chambers Medical Group’s team of car accident chiropractors who offer a variety of treatments and therapies ranging from diagnostic testing to various soft tissue therapies for car accidents and injuries in Florida.

— This article is written by Aaron Workman, DC, one of the members of Chambers Medical Group’s team of car accident chiropractors who offer a variety of treatments and therapies ranging from diagnostic testing to various soft tissue therapies for car accidents and injuries in Kentucky

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