The new year is here! With that comes the chance to start fresh and prioritize your health in 2025. Whether your goal is to reduce pain, manage stress, or simply feel more energized, you don’t need to make dramatic changes to see significant improvements. Small, consistent steps can lead to big results — and the best part is that you can start right away!
Here are the top three things we recommend you can do to live a healthier, more energetic life in 2025. These simple habits don’t require major time commitments, and they can help lay the foundation for a healthier year ahead.
1. Manage Stress More Effectively
Chronic stress is a major contributor to a wide range of health issues, from sleep disturbances to muscle tension and even weakened immune function. Finding effective ways to manage stress is essential for your long-term well-being.
What You Can Do:
Address your beliefs about stressors: did you know your beliefs about your stressors can worsen your stress? For example, if you believe that work shouldn't be as hard as it is, your stress levels will increase more than if you didn't believe that. Addressing beliefs a root of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). If you're struggling with this, we suggest seeing out a CBT therapist.
Practice mindfulness or meditation: Even just 5–10 minutes a day can help reduce stress and improve mental clarity. Apps like Headspace or Calm can guide you through short meditation sessions.
Prioritize relaxation: Whether it's reading a book, spending time in nature, getting a massage or practicing yoga, make time to relax each day. Setting aside time for self-care can help you recharge and maintain balance.
Exercise regularly: Physical activity is one of the best ways to reduce stress. Whether it's a walk, a workout, or a yoga session, moving your body can help release pent-up tension and improve your mood.
2. Focus on Mobility & Posture
In today’s world, many of us spend long hours sitting, whether at a desk, on the couch, or scrolling through our phones. Over time, this can lead to poor posture, back pain, neck stiffness, and even headaches. And when you're in pain, you tend to feel more distressed. But the good news is that small changes in how you move and sit can make a huge difference in how you feel.
What You Can Do:
Sit with intention: Pay attention to your posture while sitting. Keep your feet flat on the floor, your shoulders relaxed, and your spine in a neutral position.
Take frequent breaks: If you're working at a desk or sitting for extended periods, make a habit of standing and stretching every 30 minutes. Try simple stretches like reaching overhead or standing and rotating your torso.
Move more throughout the day: Simple activities like walking, stretching, or even standing up while taking phone calls can improve your overall mobility.
Watch our Less Pain at Work Webinar: if you'd like some more details on how you can help your posture-related pain, click here.
3. Stay Active & Prioritize Recovery
Exercise is a cornerstone of good health, but it’s not just about staying active — how you recover from physical activity is just as important. Overdoing it or neglecting recovery can lead to injury and burnout.
What You Can Do:
Find an activity you enjoy: Whether it’s walking, swimming, biking, or dancing, choose an exercise you look forward to. The more enjoyable it is, the more likely you are to stick with it.
Stretch regularly: Stretching improves flexibility, reduces muscle tension, and helps prevent injury. Incorporate dynamic stretches before exercise and static stretches afterward to keep your muscles and joints limber.
Get enough rest: Your body needs time to recover after physical exertion. Aim for adequate sleep and consider incorporating rest days into your exercise routine to allow muscles to repair and rebuild.
Consume adequate protein: Protein is the building block of your tissues. When you exercise, you cause damage to your muscles and tendons. The rebuilding of these tissues is what causes you to gain muscle mass. But, if you don't have adequate protein in your diet, you might struggle to properly recover after exercise. The recommendation of adequate protein for someone who exercises regularly from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram or 0.35 grams per pound of body weight per day for general health. For more information on protein, click here.
Prioritize your recovery efforts: this can include chiropractic and massage care. If you need a little help in that department, schedule your appointment!
Bonus: Make simple, healthier swaps!
Here's a secret: you don't have to completely overhaul your entire diet to start seeing benefits to your health. While it would be beneficial to rarely eat things like pizza, burgers, and the rest of the things America loves to eat, the key is to start incorporating more things like vegetables and fruits instead of eliminating things entirely.
Instead of having french fries with your meal, try making potatoes cooked in olive oil with some spices. Instead of 70-30 ground beef for burgers, try a leaner option of 80-20 or 90-10. Instead of a cinnamon roll for breakfast, try oatmeal.
It doesn't have to be crazy swaps. We're not telling you to go from eating a burger to eating a salad instead. Just make a few swaps a week and see how it goes!
Small Steps, Big Impact
As we step into 2025, it’s important to remember that better health doesn’t require huge, life-altering changes. By focusing on simple habits like improving your posture, managing stress, and staying active with proper recovery, you can make lasting improvements to your health and well-being.
In the end, consistency is key. Small steps, when practiced regularly, lead to big results over time. So, take it one day at a time, and remember: the choices you make today have the power to shape a healthier, happier tomorrow!
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