Post #14: My New Year's Resolutions: Health Edition

January 4th, 2024

In today’s post, I want to share my health related new year’s resolutions, in case any of them sound worth your while to try out. The resolutions are based either on new learnings over the break or in areas that I didn’t commit to this past year.

1. Practice Mindful Breathing: This is a topic that has been shown over hundreds of years to be effective in helping with stress reduction, increased energy levels, improved cardiovascular health, balanced autonomic nervous system, enhanced emotional well-being, better sleep quality and a boosted immune system. Techniques such as pranayam, coherent breathing (h/t Areef!) and others have been in use by millions of people around the world and I am hoping to integrate this into my daily routine. Success metrics that I will track to gauge how well I am doing are improvements in my respiratory rate, my Heart Rate Variability (both measured by most wearable devices) as well as my energy levels and sleep quality. 

2. Manage my Micro (and Macro) Nutrient Consumption to Match my Exercise Levels: In the second half of 2023, I covered about 8.5 miles (13.5 kms) on average per day. Most of this was done during walks while on the phone, some amount as part of my post meal walk and the rest playing soccer. This led to a combined 127 minutes on average per day of having my heart rate at elevated levels (88 mins per day in zone 2) and (39 mins per day in cardio zone). However, I wasn’t able to keep up my nutritional intake, both macro and micronutrients, with this level of activity. This can increase oxidative stress, and negatively impact metabolism, muscle function and tissue repair. The quantitative success metrics I plan to look at are my Vitamin D (25 HYDROXY) and Vitamin B12 levels through blood tests as well as monitor my sodium, magnesium, calcium and oxidative stress levels using urine strips. I also plan to monitor qualitative metrics, such as my energy levels and ability to recover from hard exercise days. I will share my learnings on what worked and how it reflected in my success metrics.

3. Focus on Balance and Stability: While I engage in a reasonable amount of walking, strength training and cardio activity, I have realized one area that plays a crucial role in a good healthspan is balance and stability related exercises, both of which I have not paid any attention to. Together, they provide insight into musculoskeletal health, including joints, muscles, and bone health. They also reduce the risk of injuries related to falls and are also closely tied to neurological function in that they can reveal how well the nervous system is integrating sensory information and coordinating muscle responses. Finally, it reflects one’s cardiovascular health. I have started down this path of improving my stability and balance with one of those balance boards and my success metric will be a few different standard balance tests, such as the Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, Functional Reach Test, etc. I will report back on progress in these areas to see what worked and what didn’t.

As always, check with your doctor if you have any pre-existing conditions before attempting the above points. 

I loved this quote I read somewhere: We are willing to die for our loved ones but are we willing to live healthier for them? Here is to a healthier 2024!