tag:theconversation.com,2011:/es/topics/new-years-resolutions-13614/articlesNew Year's resolutions – The Conversation2024-01-10T22:10:05Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2208512024-01-10T22:10:05Z2024-01-10T22:10:05ZTime for a Weed-Free January? How cannabis users could benefit from a ‘dry’ month<iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/time-for-a-weed-free-january-how-cannabis-users-could-benefit-from-a-dry-month" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>By now, most are familiar with the idea of Dry January, a voluntary month without alcohol that follows a month when many drink more than usual.</p>
<p>The idea of <a href="https://time.com/6552262/dry-january-origins-alcohol-drinking/">Dry January</a> started in the United Kingdom in 2012, and has become popular internationally since then. The point is to use a date on the calendar that traditionally prompts resolutions to encourage drinkers to make a month-long commitment to giving their bodies a break and resetting their attitudes and habits in a healthier way for the rest of the year and possibly beyond.</p>
<p>For those who use cannabis, the idea of taking a month off is also worth considering, whether it’s January or not.</p>
<h2>1 in 4 use cannabis</h2>
<p>Canadians are among the world’s biggest consumers of cannabis, especially since <a href="https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/cannabis/">it was legalized</a> in 2018. Prior to legalization, about 15 per cent of adults used cannabis once a year or more. Today, about <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/research-data/canadian-cannabis-survey-2022-summary.html">one in four</a> adult Canadians use cannabis once a year or more, with a higher concentration among young adults.</p>
<p>Frequency of use varies widely, but there is a sizable group of people who are daily or near-daily users — <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/research-data/canadian-cannabis-survey-2022-summary.html">about 25 per cent</a>. Within that group, nearly three-quarters report <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2023006/article/00001-eng.htm">impaired control over their cannabis use</a>, a key feature of <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/health-effects/addiction.html">cannabis use disorder</a>, the medical definition of cannabis addiction.</p>
<p>Though daily use and cannabis use disorder are not identical, daily use is nonetheless a reasonable way to identify people who are more likely to experience negative consequences and might benefit from taking a break. </p>
<p>Beyond frequency, the amount of cannabis one uses and the concentration of <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/about.html">THC, the psychoactive component of cannabis,</a> are important considerations in the likelihood of experiencing harms. Many of the risks and harms from cannabis scale to the amount of THC consumed, so it’s not just a matter of consuming less frequently.</p>
<h2>The benefits of a weed-free month</h2>
<p>A Weed-Free January could do more good than cannabis users may realize. Any month will do, of course, but January is traditionally a time for resolutions and fresh starts, so it may be the most natural time to cut out weed.</p>
<p>Based on the existing evidence, regular cannabis users could expect to experience a number of positive physical and lifestyle changes from a 31-day pause.</p>
<p>Among them:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Resetting one’s tolerance for cannabis. In response to cannabis use, the body’s <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569">endocannabinoid system</a> adapts over time, causing users to develop tolerance. Indeed, for heavy users, unpleasant symptoms of withdrawal also follow these adaptations, although cannabis withdrawal is not life-threatening like alcohol withdrawal. Users could expect that taking a month off would be enough for the body to revert to its natural set-points.</p></li>
<li><p>Clearing the mental cobwebs. Cannabis use is associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2015.12.002">reduced cognitive functioning</a>, especially <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1206820109">heavy persistent use</a>. Even short breaks from cannabis have been found to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.0335">reduce cognitive consequences</a>, and a month of abstinence has been shown to return cognitive functioning to the level of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/archpsyc.58.10.909">non-cannabis users</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Giving your lungs a break. It’s well established that inhaling combusted cannabis smoke is bad for the lungs <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmed.2023.107494">in a number of ways</a>, which may be one of the reasons cannabis has been linked to <a href="https://newsroom.heart.org/news/marijuana-use-linked-with-increased-risk-of-heart-attack-heart-failure">heart attack and stroke risk</a>.</p></li>
<li><p>Developing other habits and routines that take advantage of a clearer mind, such as sports, reading and sober socializing. A rich repertoire of activities without substance use is an important lifestyle counterbalance.</p></li>
<li><p>Saving money. Cannabis is not cheap and adds up quickly if you consume daily. A Weed-Free January could save hundreds of dollars.</p></li>
<li><p>Taking stock of whether you may have a problem. Cannabis use disorder is real and can have serious consequences. A weed-free month can provide a chance to do a self-check and see how hard it is to stop. If quitting for a month is impossible (or feels like torture), it may be time to talk to a health professional. <a href="https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/current-treatments-for-cannabis-use-disorder">Effective treatments do exist for cannabis use disorder</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Importantly, many people have authorizations to use medical cannabis to manage a variety of conditions and this is not to suggest that those individuals should abruptly stop for a month, just as it would be foolhardy to recommend an annual abstinence from cholesterol, blood-pressure, or other medications. For medical cannabis patients who think it might be beneficial to take a break, a chat with their authorizing physician or family doctor would be in order.</p>
<p>Bottom line, though, if you use recreational cannabis regularly, especially daily, having a Weed-Free January could be both good for your health and a good way to promote other healthy resolutions. A real win-win.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220851/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James MacKillop receives research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Canada, the National Institutes of Health, and other non-profit funders. He is a principal and senior scientist in Beam Diagnostics, Inc., a technology transfer startup. No Beam products or services are related to this topic. MacKillop has previously consulted to Clairvoyant Therapeutics, Inc. </span></em></p>A Weed-Free January could do more good than cannabis users may realize. Regular cannabis users could expect to experience a number of positive physical and lifestyle changes from a 31-day pause.James MacKillop, Peter Boris Chair in Addictions Research; Director, Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research; Director, Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research; Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2199472024-01-03T22:40:45Z2024-01-03T22:40:45ZThe science behind building healthy habits can help you keep your New Year’s resolution<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567790/original/file-20240103-17-ggw22c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6048%2C4010&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Strategies like setting SMART goals and enlisting social support can help turn resolutions into habits.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/the-science-behind-building-healthy-habits-can-help-you-keep-your-new-years-resolution" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Every New Year, millions of people make resolutions, with the most common <a href="https://www.forbes.com/health/mind/new-year-resolutions-survey-2024/">resolutions being health-related</a>. Despite their popularity, <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/canadians-quick-make-new-years-resolutions-slow-see-them-through">up to 80 per cent of resolutions fail</a>, mostly within a few weeks. As a result, many <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063084">people make the same resolutions year after year</a>. </p>
<p>At the same time, resolutions can bring focus to an area that’s important to you. I research the importance of behaviours to health, and write the <a href="https://drscottlear.com/">Become Your Healthiest You</a> blog. Here’s how using scientific strategies can increase your chances of success with your resolution.</p>
<h2>Setting SMART resolutions</h2>
<p>Resolutions are like goals and putting time into planning your resolution can increase your success. Using the SMART goal framework (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely) is a good foundation for setting your resolution.</p>
<p>A specific resolution is clear and focused. Unfortunately, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18063084">most people set vague resolutions</a>, such as wanting to exercise more, be healthier or lose weight. While admirable, resolutions that provide a clear description of what you want to achieve (exercise three times a week for 30 minutes, lose five pounds) provide more direction and are more readily attained. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A couple in a kitchen setting a bowl of fruit on the table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567766/original/file-20240103-23-fxxv3m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A goal of eating healthier is hard to measure, whereas a goal of eating three fruits a day can be easily measured.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Also, aim for positive resolutions such as eating more vegetables, in contrast to eating no junk food. Positive resolutions are approach-oriented, while negative ones are avoidance-oriented. In a survey of 1,066 people, those who had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0234097">approach-oriented resolutions were more likely to be successful</a>.</p>
<p>A measurable resolution means you can assess when you’ve achieved it. A goal of eating healthier is hard to measure, whereas a goal of eating three fruits a day can be easily measured. Essentially, your resolution becomes a target. And a target can also bring focus to your resolution, such as with wanting to run a marathon under four hours. In a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2015.2417">study of nearly 10 million marathon times</a> there were far more finishes at 3:59 than at 4:01, which suggests that having a clear target may have helped people run faster.</p>
<p>You also want your resolution to be attainable, which means it’s realistic for you to achieve. Big, long-term resolutions may be more easily approached by breaking them into smaller ones. However, your resolution also needs to be challenging, as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0030-5073(68)90004-4">challenging ones result in better performance</a> and are also found to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.09.002">more satisfying</a> than easier resolutions.</p>
<p>A relevant resolution is one that’s meaningful to you. For example, exercising so you can have more energy throughout the day. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Marathon runners" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567768/original/file-20240103-25-w31e13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=494&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">In a study of nearly 10 million marathon times, there were far more finishes at 3:59 than at 4:01, which suggests that having a clear target may have helped people run faster.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Relevant resolutions are more likely to be intrinsic in contrast with extrinsic ones, which are externally motivated (such as getting a promotion, winning a trophy or receiving praise). Extrinsic resolutions tend to be fleeting while intrinsic resolutions are associated with <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.32598/jpcp.8.2.28.2">greater well-being</a> and <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/213709669?&sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals">satisfaction</a>.</p>
<p>The last part is having a resolution that’s timely. This means having a deadline for when you wish to achieve it. A resolution without a deadline rarely gets done. A timely resolution helps prioritize your days and weeks leading up to it. If your resolution is to lose five pounds in two months, this can be the foundation for your plan on how to achieve it.</p>
<h2>Succeeding at your resolution</h2>
<p>Having a good implementation plan is as key as having a clear resolution. In some cases, you may need to change your environment to be more supportive of your resolution. This may mean moving snacks out of sight, putting your workout gear near the front door or using sticky notes as reminders.</p>
<p>If your resolution requires starting a new habit, combine it with a habit you already do. If you want to floss your teeth, combine it with brushing your teeth. Combining a new habit with an old one is referred to as piggybacking, stacking and temptation bundling.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in exercise clothes with a towel around her neck wearing headphones" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567770/original/file-20240103-15-rhl1zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Temptation bundling means bundling a newly desired activity with one you already enjoy, like exercising while listening to audiobooks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Temptation bundling is a more specific version of piggybacking in which you choose an activity you enjoy and bundle it with your newly desired activity. If you want to start exercising, bundle it with a favourite TV show, podcast or music. People who used temptation bundling with audiobooks were <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2020.09.003">more likely to keep up with their exercise routine</a>. </p>
<p>To encourage yourself along the way, try positive thinking. This can be as simple as saying to yourself <em>I can do this</em>, <em>I’m proud of myself for trying</em> or <em>I have the power to change my mind</em> a few times each day. Positive thinking may help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-014-9593-5">increase perseverance</a> and is believed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2005.06.001">increase the neurotransmitters dopamine</a> and <a href="https://www.jpn.ca/content/32/6/430">serotonin</a>, associated with pleasure and mood, which can reinforce behaviours.</p>
<p>Enlisting the support of others can also help in achieving your resolution. People with greater social support networks are <a href="https://doi.org/10.2190/78UQ-5NMW-7YLD-TFWV">more likely to achieve their goals</a>. </p>
<p>Social support can be broken into four categories:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>instrumental support consisting of someone doing something for you, such as driving you to the gym or helping in meal planning; </p></li>
<li><p>informational support in the form of someone giving you advice, whether it be from family, friends or professionals such as your doctor or a dietitian; </p></li>
<li><p>appraisal support, including evaluation and constructive feedback, which may come from the same people who provide informational support; and </p></li>
<li><p>emotional support from people providing love, empathy and caring.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>Challenges and setbacks happen</h2>
<p>Even with proper planning, challenges and setbacks can happen and are a normal part of any process of changing one’s behaviour or attempting something new. </p>
<p>Some setbacks may be temporary, such as an illness interrupting your exercise program. Others may occur regularly, such as dinner parties that may affect your desire to eat a healthy diet. These challenges can be minimized by planning ahead. In this example, your plan may include contributing a meal to the dinner that fits your needs.</p>
<p>If a setback occurs, accept this as a natural part of the process. Focus on the progress you’ve made so far and review your plan. What has worked for you to date? Is there anything you need to revise to account for any future challenges? </p>
<p>Starting a new behaviour can sometimes be a process of trial and error, and learning from setbacks can support future success. Good luck and Happy New Year!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/219947/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Scott Lear receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Hamilton Health Sciences, and has received funding from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Novo Nordisk, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.</span></em></p>Resolutions are like goals and putting time into planning your resolution can increase your success. Using scientific strategies can increase your chances of sticking with your resolution.Scott Lear, Professor of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2167882024-01-03T17:41:21Z2024-01-03T17:41:21ZBeing humble is a good new year’s resolution – but it requires knowing what you value most<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567662/original/file-20240103-21-rvjox4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/photo-of-man-on-top-of-mountain-during-daytime-Rdut9-JPQuQ">Clay Knight|Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As the new year gets going, many of us make resolutions to better our lives and our selves. Counsellors and psychologists alike will tell you that the key to self-improvement is being humble. </p>
<p>Author and coach Anna Katharina Schaffner has <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-art-self-improvement/202006/the-art-humility">described</a> humility as an “ancient virtue” that does not equate with low self-esteem but rather, “is a form of spiritual modesty”. It is triggered, as she puts it, by understanding where we stand in the order of things. </p>
<p>Trying to actually define humility though, philosophically, is quite difficult. This difficulty is neatly encapsulated in the paradoxical nature of the statement: “I am humble.” As the playwright and writer Alan Bennett <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2382326?seq=1">neatly put it</a>: “All modesty is false modesty, otherwise it wouldn’t be modesty.”</p>
<p>My research <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11229-020-02879-7">argues</a> that things aren’t quite that clear cut. Both self-doubt and indifference to what other people think is central to being truly humble. </p>
<h2>A self-doubt account of humility</h2>
<p>The paradox stems from the sense that true humility is incompatible with a belief in one’s own humility. Someone who is humble necessarily believes that they are not humble. The philosopher <a href="https://www.routledgehandbooks.com/doi/10.4324/9781351107532-3#!">Julia Driver</a> argues that humility requires an underestimation of one’s own good qualities. We might call this an “ignorance account” of humility. It says that to be humble is to be ignorant of your good qualities. </p>
<p>But, humility, as Schaffner put it, is considered an intellectual virtue. So too is having true beliefs. Driver herself <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24439388">agrees</a> that having true beliefs is central to intellectual virtue. But this is at odds with her idea that humility requires having false beliefs. It should be possible for someone to have – or at least, to strive towards having – both virtues: being humble and being honest about yourself.</p>
<p>The philosopher Aaron Ben-Ze'ev <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20014461?seq=1">argues</a> that that humility is compatible with having accurate beliefs about one’s own qualities. Some people might have a falsely low opinion of their good qualities. We can call those people servile. Others might have a falsely high opinion of their own good qualities. Call those people prideful. </p>
<p>Humble people, by contrast, get the balance right, with an accurate opinion of their good qualities. So humility is good to the extent that it involves having accurate beliefs. Ben-Ze'ev’s is an “accuracy account” of humility.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A person sits on a rock looking at a tall waterfall in a green landscape." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=750&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567665/original/file-20240103-19-dy1y51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=942&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Care about your goals and not the praise they elicit.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/aerial-photography-of-person-sitting-on-rocks-near-waterfalls-3AMSIl2YxQc">Muhamad Rizal Firmansyah|Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But humility need not involve having accurate beliefs about everything. The most accurate beliefs would involve being certain of what is true, but humility seems to require that we avoid certainty, as we should always allow the possibility that we are mistaken. </p>
<p>Indeed, I have argued that we should not be certain of even the most obvious truths, such as 1+1=2. We should always allow for the possibility that our cognitive faculties have let us down. </p>
<p>This “self-doubt account” of humility allows you to truthfully say “I am humble”, as long as you are open to the possibility that you might be wrong. </p>
<p>The typical aim of asserting “I am humble” conflicts with the literal meaning of the phrase. Such an assertion is usually intended to impress people, which isn’t something someone who really is humble generally tries to do. </p>
<p>This brings out an important feature of humility that is still missing from the self-doubt account: that humility requires having the right kind of desires as well as the right kind of beliefs. Call this an “indifference account” of humility. It is, as the philosopher George Frederick Schueler <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/2382326">puts it</a>, about simply not caring whether others are impressed by you for your accomplishments or skills.</p>
<p>So as you set about achieving your goals for the year to come, dwell on this thought. True humility, Schueler says, is about caring about what you set out to accomplish, not about being praised or getting credit for accomplishing it. To be humble, you need to examine what is really valuable: to know what it is that you value most.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/216788/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Darren Bradley receives funding from the John Templeton Foundation.</span></em></p>Self-doubt and being indifferent to praise is central to being truly humble.Darren Bradley, Professor of Metaphysics and Epistemology, University of LeedsLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2204512024-01-03T15:50:28Z2024-01-03T15:50:28ZExpert advice to help young people keep their new year resolutions<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567686/original/file-20240103-27-8diqjr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=90%2C54%2C5916%2C3953&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/successful-man-raising-arms-after-cross-152853110">Dirima/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>If you’re in need of some extra motivation to stick to your new year resolutions, there’s no better place to look than The Conversation’s archives. Our <a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947">Quarter Life series</a> is full of expert advice to help readers in their 20s and 30s navigate life’s transitions. Read on for some pieces to help you reach your goals this year.</em></p>
<h2>Take care of your mental health</h2>
<p>If you have resolved to take better care of your mental health this year, you might as well start first thing in the morning. Saying <a href="https://theconversation.com/positive-affirmations-how-talking-to-yourself-can-let-the-light-in-199798">positive affirmations</a> aloud can help you get into a positive mindset and cancel out patterns of negative thinking. And they are easy to find – just look to your favourite books or songs. </p>
<p>Work can be a major source of stress and anxiety, but these three <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-mindfulness-and-meditation-techniques-that-could-help-you-manage-work-stress-208328">mindfulness and meditation techniques</a> may help you cope. If it’s available to you, you could also consider taking a mental health day – here’s how to <a href="https://theconversation.com/taking-a-mental-health-day-can-be-good-for-you-heres-how-to-make-the-most-of-one-186493">make the most of one</a>.</p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
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<p>If you are feeling persistently sad or lacking motivation, you may be thinking about starting therapy. But with so many different types of therapy, this can be daunting. Our <a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-start-therapy-but-not-sure-what-type-will-be-right-for-you-here-are-four-to-consider-206524">guide to four popular types of therapy</a> can help you figure out what’s right for you.</p>
<h2>Live a healthier lifestyle</h2>
<p>If you’re taking advantage of those January gym membership deals, read this before you hit the treadmill: focusing on <a href="https://theconversation.com/focusing-on-functional-fitness-in-your-20s-and-30s-can-help-you-stay-ready-for-anything-and-many-exercises-can-help-you-achieve-it-216053">functional fitness</a> can help you stay mobile and fit as you start to get older. </p>
<p>If you are someone who deals with a period regularly, you may have heard of “cycle syncing”. As you move through the month, your energy levels may change due to hormonal fluctuations. <a href="https://theconversation.com/tailoring-workouts-to-your-menstrual-cycle-may-help-your-physical-fitness-but-only-if-done-properly-195773">Tailoring your workouts</a> around your menstrual cycle may make it easier to stick to your exercise routine.</p>
<p>The new year always brings a glut of diet advice, but eating healthily isn’t just about weight loss. If you’ve struggled with immunity in the past year, you are probably already thinking more about what you put into your body. Here’s what the <a href="https://theconversation.com/long-covid-a-range-of-diets-are-said-to-help-manage-symptoms-heres-what-the-evidence-tells-us-197821">evidence says</a> about some popular diets that are said to help manage symptoms of long COVID. </p>
<p>And trying to get more sleep is always a good goal – but if you don’t manage one night, don’t panic. <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-a-night-of-poor-sleep-can-affect-your-next-day-at-work-and-four-ways-to-function-better-201896">Here are some tips</a> on how to function better at work the next day. </p>
<h2>Be more eco-friendly</h2>
<p>Climate change is prompting many people to live a greener lifestyle. If your new year resolution is to be more eco-friendly but you’re not quite ready to give up travel, you can still make your next holiday <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-next-holiday-better-for-the-environment-203445">better for the environment</a>. </p>
<p>Veganuary (going vegan just for the month of January) is a popular way to start the year with a smaller carbon footprint. Keeping it going for the next 11 months is another story. You may want to try being a <a href="https://theconversation.com/as-veganism-grows-in-popularity-some-people-are-still-eating-meat-with-friends-could-a-social-omnivore-diet-work-for-you-199999">“social omnivore”</a> as a way to cut down on meat consumption without giving it up entirely.</p>
<p>Tackle two resolutions (saving the planet and saving money) by making your clothes last longer. Here’s a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-make-your-clothes-last-longer-its-good-for-your-bank-account-and-the-environment-too-201823">guide to decoding</a> all those little symbols on clothing tags that will help you take better care of your clothes.</p>
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<img alt="Friends passing vegetarian dishes across a crowded table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567689/original/file-20240103-19-gxm3y2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Could your diet save the planet (and your wallet) this year?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hands-cropped-unrecognisable-woman-man-passing-1021018564">LStockStudio/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<h2>Scroll less, read more</h2>
<p>I know I’m not alone in vowing to spend less time on Instagram and TikTok this year, and more time getting through the pile of books on my nightstand. But <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-social-media-detox-may-not-be-as-good-for-you-as-you-think-new-research-217484">new research shows</a> that quitting social media cold turkey may not be as good for you as you think. </p>
<p>With this in mind, there are steps you can take to <a href="https://theconversation.com/social-media-how-to-protect-your-mental-health-187935">improve your relationship</a> with the apps. For example, being more active – messaging and interacting – rather than passively doomscrolling and lurking can help you feel more connected to the social side of social media. And if you struggle with feelings of envy while looking at your feed, you may want to <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-steps-for-getting-over-social-media-envy-advice-from-a-psychologist-214446">unfollow or mute the accounts</a> that make you feel bad. </p>
<p>As for transferring your attention to books, TikTok can help with that. BookTok trends are having a powerful impact on the publishing industry, and may be <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-booktok-trends-are-influencing-what-you-read-whether-you-use-tiktok-or-not-213311">influencing what you read</a>. </p>
<h2>Be a better friend</h2>
<p>Making friends as an adult can be a challenge, especially in an era when many people are working from home. If your 2024 goal is to make new friends, try looking outside your age group. Research shows that <a href="https://theconversation.com/struggling-to-make-friends-as-an-adult-why-you-should-try-looking-to-older-generations-189814">intergenerational friendships</a> can be especially rewarding.</p>
<p>To nurture the friendships you have already, <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-be-a-good-listener-and-how-to-know-when-youre-doing-it-right-211556">this excellent read</a> can help you develop empathy and sharpen your listening skills. And if you need to have a difficult conversation, here are some <a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-to-have-hard-conversations-with-your-friends-without-making-things-worse-207675">tips to approach conflict</a> without hurting your friendship.</p>
<p>Finally, life is worth celebrating no matter the size of your accomplishments. This year, make an effort to toast to your friends (and yourself) for <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-weddings-how-celebrating-small-wins-and-unconventional-milestones-can-bring-joy-197755">little wins and unconventional milestones</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220451/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
These highlights from The Conversation’s Quarter Life series can help you stick to your goals in 2024.Avery Anapol, Commissioning Editor, Politics + SocietyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2189952024-01-01T14:45:14Z2024-01-01T14:45:14ZTrying to be more mindful in 2024? Try these tips for being mindful with your partner and kids<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565609/original/file-20231213-19-m2xack.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5591%2C3741&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Mindfulness means being attentive to those around us and not just ourselves.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/trying-to-be-more-mindful-in-2024-try-these-tips-for-being-mindful-with-your-partner-and-kids" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>With the new year comes new year’s resolutions. Many of us might be making those familiar promises to be healthier, go on that trip we’ve always wanted to take or learn a new language. But if you’re among the many wanting to be more mindful in 2024, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/play-your-way-sane/202012/the-ultimate-new-year-s-resolution-mindfulness">you’re certainly not alone</a>. </p>
<p>Mindfulness involves being attentive to the present moment and navigating experiences without judgement. It means being more attentive to our own needs as well as the needs and well-being of those around us. </p>
<p>Although much psychology research has shown that being mindful can help you feel better mentally and emotionally, recent evidence suggests that self-centred mindfulness can have a downside, particularly when it comes to our social lives. </p>
<h2>A dark side to mindfulness?</h2>
<p>In its Buddhist origins, <a href="https://www.contemplativemind.org/practices/tree/loving-kindness">mindfulness involves showing compassion towards yourself and all living things</a>. However, western psychological perspectives often highlight a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01500-x">self-focused form of mindfulness</a>, encouraging self-compassion and self-acceptance while ignoring compassion towards others.</p>
<p>There is a good reason that self-focused mindfulness has so long been emphasized in psychology research. This form of mindfulness has been shown to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003481">improve symptoms of depression</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992575">increase empathy</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2015.01.006">improve well-being</a>, among a host of other benefits.</p>
<p>However, while being compassionate to yourself might sound like a great new year’s resolution, recent research has shown a darker side to this self-focused mindfulness. It may lead you to prioritize your own emotional well-being over the well-being of those in your social circle, leaving them by the wayside. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A black woman meditating in a park." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565928/original/file-20231214-17-hryv8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">In its Buddhist origins, mindfulness involves showing compassion towards yourself and all living things. However, western psychological perspectives often highlight a self-focused form of mindfulness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>For example, there is evidence that people who practise mindfulness meditation are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000298">less likely to feel guilt or want to apologize</a> when they have hurt others. Other research has found that mindfully self-compassionate jailed inmates are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167217717243">more likely to deny responsibility and show less sensitivity</a> to the consequences of their criminal behaviour. </p>
<p>Across seven studies testing mindfulness programs for incarcerated adults, researchers have further found that, compared to controls, those trained in mindfulness showed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854819891457">no significantly reduced risk for criminal behaviour</a>. </p>
<p>These recent studies suggest that we need a balanced view of mindfulness, emphasizing the interpersonal aspects, not just self-focused views, to extend benefits beyond ourselves. </p>
<h2>Interpersonal mindfulness</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-017-0859-y">Interpersonal mindfulness</a>, which involves showing compassionate attention to others, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-018-1057-2">is linked to having less stress and better relationships</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110806">Paying attention to your actions</a> and their consequences is especially important for being kind to others. Being receptive to the personal experiences of others can also make us <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2012.07.008">more empathetic towards them</a>. </p>
<p>So how can we be mindful this year to benefit not just ourselves but those around us? Here are some tips to help you become more mindful in your relationships with your partner or children. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Couple in park holing hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566389/original/file-20231218-17-q8e97y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Extending mindful compassion and empathy towards your partner can be particularly helpful for your relationship.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Practise mindful compassion with your partner</h2>
<p>Romantic partners can be a source of tremendous happiness and security as well as disappointment and hurt. By committing to being more interpersonally mindful with your partner, you better enjoy the upsides and navigate the downsides of your relationship. </p>
<p>Extending mindful compassion and empathy towards your partner can be particularly <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jmft.12065">helpful for your relationship</a>. Even if you are heading towards a potentially stressful life event, for example if you are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/article/emotionally-prepare-become-parent.html">expecting a baby</a>, being mindfully aware of each other can help you navigate stress and challenges. </p>
<p>Being <a href="https://ggie.berkeley.edu/practice/loving-kindness-for-adults/#tab__2">loving and kind</a> towards your partner is also helpful. This could include trying to understand how your partner’s emotional state or their day might influence their tone or actions. Staying attentive and aware during date nights or even during arguments will make both of you feel acknowledged and seen, making for a more satisfying relationship. </p>
<p>Practising these mindful skills can help you and your partner <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7894(04)80028-5">feel closer and more connected</a>, benefitting not just yourself but also your relationship. </p>
<h2>Use mindful parenting with your kids</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="An Asian man playing with a young boy. Both are smiling" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565929/original/file-20231214-29-ihb7rq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Being emotionally in tune with your child can bring you closer together and support your child’s emotional development.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It can be so easy to fall into automatic habits when raising our kids. Using <a href="https://usfblogs.usfca.edu/parentline/2016/08/19/should-we-start-meditating-now-what-is-mindful-parenting-and-how-to-get-it/">mindful parenting</a> can help you to make conscious choices about how to respond to your child, <a href="https://doi.org/10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-2314">nourishing their well-being and mental health</a>. </p>
<p>That means <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-015-9978-x">accepting and not judging yourself or your child</a>. This can include accepting your own strengths and shortcomings as a parent while also accepting who your child is, even if things are not going your way. When your kids don’t listen, be compassionate by trying to understand why, which can help you to better identify the cause and address their behaviour. </p>
<p>Also try to <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-well-do-you-know-your-own-feelings-31309">keep aware of your own emotions</a> as well as your child’s. Listen to your child with full attention to help identify how they are feeling. Being attentive to how you’re feeling and how that’s affecting your responses to your child can help you better assess their needs in the moment. </p>
<p>Being emotionally in tune with your child <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-parents-feel-about-feelings-can-deeply-affect-a-childs-development-200729">can bring you closer together and support your child’s emotional development</a>, and using mindful parenting might even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/15295192.2022.2049601">help your child to be more mindful</a>. </p>
<p>With the new year comes the opportunity to improve ourselves as partners, colleagues, family members and friends. Perhaps being mindful was already part of your new year’s resolution, or after reading this, you have added it to your list. Whatever your resolutions might be, remember that mindfulness means being attentive to those around us and not just ourselves.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218995/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hali Kil receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nathaniel Johnson receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. </span></em></p>Being more mindful to our own needs as well as those of the people in our lives can help us be more compassionate and attentive.Hali Kil, Assistant Professor, Psychology, Simon Fraser UniversityNathaniel Johnson, PhD Candidate, Developmental Psychology, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202692024-01-01T14:45:08Z2024-01-01T14:45:08ZResistance (exercise) is far from futile: The unheralded benefits of weight training<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567305/original/file-20231222-21-ph8fgz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=455%2C14%2C8365%2C5662&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Resistance training works about as well as aerobic exercise in all the critical areas, including cardiovascular health.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/resistance-exercise-is-far-from-futile-the-unheralded-benefits-of-weight-training" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Everyone can agree that exercise is healthy. Among its many benefits, exercise improves heart and brain function, aids in controlling weight, slows the effects of aging and helps lower the risks of several chronic <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101%2Fcshperspect.a029694">diseases</a>.</p>
<p>For too long, though, one way of keeping fit, aerobic exercise, has been perceived as superior to the other, resistance training, for promoting health when, in fact, they are equally valuable, and both can get us to the same goal of overall physical fitness.</p>
<p>Aerobic exercise such as running, swimming and cycling is popular because it provides great benefits and with ample <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001335">scientific evidence</a> to back that up.</p>
<p>What has been far less influential to date is that resistance training — whether that’s with dumbbells, weightlifting machines or good old push-ups, lunges and dips — works about as well as aerobic exercise in all the critical areas, including cardiovascular health.</p>
<p>Resistance training provides another benefit: building strength and developing power, which become increasingly important as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-021-1665-8">person ages</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/843867756" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Video about different forms of resistance training explores how all are effective at building strength.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Building and maintaining muscle strength keeps us springing out of our chairs, maintaining our balance and posture and firing our metabolism, as my colleagues and I explain in a paper recently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/FIT.0000000000000916">published</a> by the American College of Sports Medicine.</p>
<p>So, if aerobic exercise and resistance training offer roughly equal benefits, how did we end up with so many runners and cyclists compared to weightlifters?</p>
<p>It was a combination of timing, marketing and stereotyping.</p>
<h2>The rise of aerobics</h2>
<p>The preference for aerobic exercise dates back to landmark research from the <a href="https://www.cooperinstitute.org/research/ccls">Cooper Centre Longitudinal Study</a>, which played a pivotal role in establishing the effectiveness of aerobics — Dr. Ken Cooper invented or at least popularized the word with his book <a href="https://www.cooperaerobics.com/About/Aerobics.aspx"><em>Aerobics</em></a>, spurring desk-bound Baby Boomers to take up exercise for its own sake.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, resistance training languished, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/health/fitness/does-lifting-weights-make-women-bulky/">especially among women</a>, due to the misguided notion that weightlifting was only for men who aspired to be hyper-muscular. <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Charles-Atlas">Charles Atlas</a>, anyone?</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A smiling man holding small blue dumbbells" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567302/original/file-20231222-29-if70n6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Resistance training does not invariably lead to bulking up, nor does it demand lifting heavy weights.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Cultural influences solidified the dominance of aerobic exercise in the fitness landscape. In 1977, Jim Fixx made running and jogging popular with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Book_of_Running"><em>The Complete Book of Running</em></a>. In the 1980s, Jane Fonda’s <a href="https://www.janefonda.com/shop/fitness-videos/jane-fondas-complete-workout/"><em>Complete Workout</em></a> and exercise shows such as <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0268895/">Aerobicize</a></em> and the <em><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0299431/">20 Minute Workout</a></em> helped solidify the idea that exercise was about raising one’s heart rate.</p>
<p>The very word “aerobic,” previously confined to the lexicon of science and medicine, entered popular culture about the same time as leg warmers, tracksuits and sweatbands. It made sense to many that breathing hard and sweating from prolonged, vigorous movement was the best way to benefit from exercising.</p>
<p>All the while, resistance training was waiting for its turn in the spotlight.</p>
<h2>Recognizing the value of resistance</h2>
<p>If aerobics has been the hare, resistance training has been the tortoise. Weight training is now coming up alongside and preparing to overtake its speedy rival, as athletes and everyday people alike recognize the value that was always there.</p>
<p>Even in high-level sports training, weightlifting did not become common until the last 20 years. Today, it strengthens the bodies and lengthens the careers of soccer stars, tennis players, golfers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0486-0">and many more</a>. </p>
<p>Rising popular interest in resistance training owes a debt to <a href="https://www.livestrong.com/article/545200-the-fall-of-fitness/">CrossFit</a>, which, despite its controversies, has helped break down stereotypes and introduced more people, particularly women, to the practice of lifting weights.</p>
<p>It’s important to recognize that resistance training does not invariably lead to bulking up, nor does it demand lifting heavy weights. As our team’s research has shown, lifting lighter weights to the point of failure in multiple sets provides <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016">equal benefits</a>.</p>
<h2>Strength and aging</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An older couple in sweatshirts using small dumbbells" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567293/original/file-20231222-23-reglr3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=568&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Resistance training can be vital to maintaining overall functionality and independence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The merits of resistance training extend beyond improving muscle strength. It addresses a critical aspect often overlooked in traditional aerobic training: the ability to exert force quickly, or what’s called power. As people age, activities of daily living such as standing up, sitting down and climbing stairs demand <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-022-00297-x">strength and power</a> more than cardiovascular endurance.</p>
<p>In this way, resistance training can be vital to maintaining overall functionality and independence.</p>
<h2>Redefining the fitness narrative</h2>
<p>The main idea is not to pit resistance training against aerobic exercise but to recognize that they complement each other. Engaging in both forms of exercise is better than relying on one alone. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001189">American Heart Association</a> recently stated that “…resistance training is a safe and effective approach for improving cardiovascular health in adults with and without cardiovascular disease.”</p>
<p>Adopting a nuanced perspective is essential, especially when we guide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101368">older individuals</a> who may associate exercise primarily with walking and not realize the limitations imposed by neglecting strength and power training.</p>
<p>Resistance training is not a one-size-fits-all endeavour. It encompasses a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.06.005">spectrum of activities</a> tailored to individual capabilities.</p>
<p>It’s time to redefine the narrative around fitness to make more room for resistance training. It’s not necessary to treat it as a replacement for aerobic exercise but to see it as a vital component of a holistic approach to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/ESM.0000000000000001">health and longevity</a>.</p>
<p>By shedding stereotypes, demystifying the process and promoting inclusivity, resistance training can become more accessible and appealing to a broader audience, ultimately leading to a new way to perceive and prioritize the benefits of this form of training for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061">health and fitness</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220269/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stuart Phillips receives funding from CIHR, NSERC, U.S. NIH, and several industry funders. He is affiliated with Exerkine Corporation. </span></em></p>It’s time for aerobics to share the spotlight with weightlifting as a form of exercise that promotes health and may be de rigueur as we age.Stuart Phillips, Professor, Kinesiology, Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health, McMaster UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2145802023-12-26T20:30:36Z2023-12-26T20:30:36ZYou can’t reverse the ageing process but these 5 things can help you live longer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565071/original/file-20231212-19-m904rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C437%2C6500%2C3746&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/seniors-enjoying-breakfast-1105683980">Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At this time of year many of us resolve to prioritise our health. So it is no surprise there’s a <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/health-food-brands-ramp-up-marketing-efforts-around-consumers-new-years-resolutions/">roaring trade</a> of products purporting to guarantee you live longer, be healthier and look more youthful. </p>
<p>While an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4822264/">estimated</a> 25% of longevity is determined by our genes, the rest is determined by what we do, day to day. </p>
<p>There are no quick fixes or short cuts to living longer and healthier lives, but the science is clear on the key principles. Here are five things you can do to extend your lifespan and improve your health.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/no-you-cant-reverse-ageing-by-injecting-young-blood-and-fasting-but-that-doesnt-stop-people-trying-207038">No, you can't reverse ageing by injecting 'young blood' and fasting. But that doesn't stop people trying</a>
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<h2>1. Eat a predominantly plant-based diet</h2>
<p>What you eat has a huge impact on your health. The evidence overwhelmingly <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8210981/#:%7E:text=According%20to%20an%20expansive%20review,13%20Given%20that%20so%20many">shows</a> eating a diet high in plant-based foods is associated with health and longevity. </p>
<p>If you eat more plant-based foods and less meat, processed foods, sugar and salt, you reduce your risk of a range of illnesses that shorten our lives, including heart disease and cancer. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Delicious Mediterranean serving platter." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=371&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565062/original/file-20231212-19-nxaeys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=466&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and most studied eating patterns.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/tray-of-food-on-white-surface-K47107aP8UU">Louis Hansel/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plant-based foods <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-019-0552-0">are rich</a> in nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibre. They’re also anti-inflammatory. All of this protects against damage to our cells as we age, which helps prevent disease. </p>
<p>No particular diet is right for everyone but one of the most studied and <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/mediterranean-diet/#:%7E:text=%5B6%5D%20Those%20who%20had%20the,who%20had%20the%20lowest%20adherence.">healthiest</a> is the <a href="https://www.eatingwell.com/article/291120/mediterranean-diet-for-beginners-everything-you-need-to-get-started/">Mediterranean diet</a>. It’s based on the eating patterns of people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea and emphases vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, and olive oil.</p>
<h2>2. Aim for a healthy weight</h2>
<p>Another important way you can be healthier is to try and achieve a healthy weight, as obesity <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/obesity/how-obesity-affects-body">increases the risk</a> of a number of health problems that shorten our lives.</p>
<p>Obesity puts strain on all of our body systems and has a whole myriad of physiological effects including causing inflammation and hormonal disturbances. These <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK572076/">increase your chances</a> of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and a number of cancers.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-body-mass-index-cant-tell-us-if-were-healthy-heres-what-we-should-use-instead-211190">The body mass index can't tell us if we're healthy. Here's what we should use instead</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>In addition to affecting us physically, obesity is also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6052856/">associated with</a> poorer psychological health. It’s linked to depression, low self-esteem and stress.</p>
<p>One of the biggest challenges we face in the developed world is that we live in an <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6817492/">environment</a> that promotes obesity. The ubiquitous marketing and the easy availability of high-calorie foods our bodies are hard-wired to crave mean it’s easy to consume too many calories.</p>
<h2>3. Exercise regularly</h2>
<p>We all know that exercise is good for us – the <a href="https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/au/news/breaking-news/hcf-reveals-australias-most-popular-new-years-resolutions-for-2023-431665.aspx">most common resolution</a> we make this time of year is to do more exercise and to get fitter. Regular exercise <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">protects</a> against chronic illness, lowers your stress and improves your mental health. </p>
<p>While one of the ways exercising helps you is by supporting you to control your weight and lowering your body fat levels, the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1402378/#:%7E:text=For%20instance%2C%20routine%20physical%20activity,HDL%5D%20cholesterol%20levels%20and%20decreased">effects</a> are broader and include improving your glucose (blood sugar) use, lowering your blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving blood flow and heart function.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman with grey hair does yoga outside" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565049/original/file-20231212-27-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do the types of exercise you enjoy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-in-black-tank-top-and-gray-denim-jeans-sitting-on-green-grass-field-during-daytime-FGQQho5XXn4">Kelly Newton/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype about different exercise strategies, the evidence <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320760">suggests</a> that any way you can include physical activity in your day has health benefits. You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym for hours every day. Build movement into your day in any way that you can and do things that you enjoy.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cant-afford-a-gym-membership-or-fitness-class-3-things-to-include-in-a-diy-exercise-program-206204">Can't afford a gym membership or fitness class? 3 things to include in a DIY exercise program</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>4. Don’t smoke</h2>
<p>If you want to be healthier and live longer then don’t smoke or vape. </p>
<p>Smoking cigarettes affects almost every organ in the body and is associated with both a shorter and lower quality of life. There is no safe level of smoking – every cigarette increases your <a href="https://theconthatkills.org.au/?utm_source=googlesearch&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=theconthatkills23&utm_content=RSA&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqP2pBhDMARIsAJQ0Czrlep6EQHC-8_9xUhpz0h9v2ZglMF-6-k7_65awq8FxVaIL5HRoivwaAqJwEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds">chances of developing</a> a range of cancers, heart disease and diabetes. </p>
<p>Even if you have been smoking for years, by giving up smoking at any age you can experience <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/quit_smoking/how_to_quit/benefits/index.htm">health benefits</a> almost immediately, and you can reverse many of the harmful effects of smoking.</p>
<p>If you’re thinking of switching to vapes as a healthy long term option, <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-vaping-help-people-quit-smoking-its-unlikely-204812">think again</a>. The long term health effects of vaping are not fully understood and they come with their own <a href="https://theconversation.com/no-vapes-arent-95-less-harmful-than-cigarettes-heres-how-this-decade-old-myth-took-off-203039">health risks</a>.</p>
<h2>5. Prioritise social connection</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Older men play chess outdoors." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565064/original/file-20231212-21-u1vhzr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Don’t forget about friendship and socialising.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/two-men-playing-chess-ItphH2lGzuI">Vlad Sargu/Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When we talk about living healthier and longer, we tend to focus on what we do to our physical bodies. But one of the most important discoveries over the past decade has been the recognition of the importance of spiritual and psychological health. </p>
<p>People who are lonely and socially isolated have a much higher risk of dying early and are <a href="https://healthnews.com/longevity/healthspan/social-connection-and-longevity/#:%7E:text=One%20of%20the%20biggest%20benefits,the%20following%20factors%20and%20influences.">more likely</a> to suffer from heart disease, stroke, dementia as well as anxiety and depression. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-part-of-a-social-group-making-sure-you-are-will-improve-your-health-81996">Are you part of a social group? Making sure you are will improve your health</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<p>Although we don’t fully understand the mechanisms, it’s likely due to both behavioural and biological factors. While people who are more socially connected are <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/">more likely</a> to engage in healthy behaviours, there also seems to be a more direct physiological effect of loneliness on the body. </p>
<p>So if you want to be healthier and live longer, build and maintain your connections to others.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/214580/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hassan Vally does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Don’t believe the hype about products claiming they can help you live longer. Here are five lifestyle changes to prioritise instead.Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2200272023-12-26T17:16:54Z2023-12-26T17:16:54ZHow to jump-start your New Year with cold weather running<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567208/original/file-20231222-29-cdexst.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=494%2C8%2C5497%2C3979&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Checking the weather frequently can serve to preemptively avoid injury pitfalls from extreme cold or slippery surfaces.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-to-jump-start-your-new-year-with-cold-weather-running" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>As 2024 approaches, many people look to begin the year with resolutions to become more fit. Some people find it challenging to get enthusiastic about outdoor exercise during the winter. However, don’t discount the joys of running in a winter wonderland. It’s accessible, available to all and doesn’t involve gym fees or expensive equipment.</p>
<h2>Health benefits</h2>
<p>First off, exercising has immense physical health benefits such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2440">increased heart and blood vessel health, increased metabolism</a>, favorable <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fhealthcare11162348">body composition</a> and enhanced immune function. <a href="https://www.miracle-recreation.com/blog/benefits-of-outdoor-exercise/?lang=can">Regular exercise can also help with mental health including reducing depression, anxiety and improving overall mood</a>. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/exercise-can-help-prevent-and-treat-mental-health-problems-and-taking-it-outside-adds-another-boost-to-those-benefits-202343">Exercise can help prevent and treat mental health problems, and taking it outside adds another boost to those benefits</a>
</strong>
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</p>
<hr>
<p>In fact, there is some recent evidence to show that outdoor exercise may provide <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26093-2">additional improvements in well-being</a>. These improvements could also contribute to combating <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09291010802067171">seasonal affective disorders</a> during the winter months and help to combat a slew of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-106644">seasonal illnesses</a>. So, what can we do to jump in and reap these health benefits in winter? </p>
<h2>Motivation 101</h2>
<p>Before you start running, think about what motivates you. <a href="https://theconversation.com/got-health-goals-research-based-tips-for-adopting-and-sticking-to-new-healthy-lifestyle-behaviours-173740">New year’s resolutions</a> are a great start, but there needs to be a consistent motivator — something that won’t <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/new-years-resolution-janine-hubbard-1.5412777">go away by February</a> — to get you out and running when the weather forecast begins with a minus sign. </p>
<p>If you’re looking for motivation, <a href="https://blog.mercy.com/staying-motivated-exercise-during-cold-weather/">start with these tips for pumping yourself up</a>. Once you’ve found your motivation, lacing up and taking the first (and next) steps, consistently, won’t be as tough. Here’s a few helpful hints to make that winter run a bit easier and much more enjoyable. </p>
<h2>Getting started</h2>
<p>The biggest injury concerns to cold weather running are slippery conditions and <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/frostbite">frostbite</a>. With that in mind, make sure you’re set with the right equipment. When out in the winter, think <strong>COLD</strong>. This is not only an assessment of the weather. <a href="https://lowellstrauss.com/stay-warm-with-c-o-l-d">It’s an acronym that stands for</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li><strong>CLEAN:</strong> Keeping your gear (clothing and shoes) clean, allows them to work properly. Mud and slush on your hands and feet can make you lose heat quickly.<br></li>
<li>Avoid <strong>OVERHEATING</strong>: If it’s your first time exercising in the cold, you might think you have to put on a snowsuit. However, with poorly chosen outfits, you run the risk of overheating.<br></li>
<li><strong>LAYERED</strong> clothing: Wearing a fitted and moisture-wicking base layer, a light but insulating middle layer, and a breathable, but wind- and water-repellent jacket will give you the best of all worlds. Cover the parts of your body most likely to be exposed such as your hands, neck, and face with running gloves, a neck gaiter or scarf, and toque to keep these sites warm. Consider running with a waist bag or backpack, to carry these items along with your phone for safety.<br></li>
<li>Keep your clothing <strong>DRY</strong>: Breathable, but wind and water repellant clothing will keep your clothes from becoming too damp with either sweat or the environmental conditions, which could suck your heat away.<br></li>
</ul>
<p>Finally, understand that clothing is a matter of personal preference. As a coach of local, national and international (Olympic) track and field athletes, Kurt Downes, co-author of this story, has coached athletes who run in shorts with mittens and others who can barely move with so many layers on. Experiment with what works for you, and makes you comfortable. </p>
<h2>Tips for success and safety</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A runner's shoes standing in snow" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567214/original/file-20231222-23-bsi02m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Keeping your gear (clothing and shoes) clean allows them to work properly. Mud and slush on your hands and feet can make you lose heat quickly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Piqsels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Make sure you have a clearly defined goal. Do you want to increase fitness, burn calories, enjoy some fresh air or just move your body? Whatever your goal, make it something that is <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/smart-fitness-goals">short-term, sweet and attainable</a>. Leave room to adjust and scale up as you crush those running goals. </p>
<p><strong>Schedule and plan:</strong> Find a slot of time that works best for you and block it out. In winter, it is especially important to plan your runs. My sound advice is to start slow and follow a gradual progression. </p>
<p>Don’t skip ahead despite how well you may be doing. Think about your current level of fitness: you might set out with the intention of running 10 kilometres, but if you’re five kilometres from home and get tired or twist an ankle, the long walk (or hobble) home increases the risks of cold injuries like <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/staysafe/hypothermia.html">hypothermia and frostbite</a>, and may also mean you’re returning in the dark. </p>
<p><strong>Connect:</strong> Get to nature. Find a local well-lit and travelled trail, a riverfront, a park or take to your neighbourhood streets. Grab a partner, connect with people in your workplace, download a running app or join a running club. Meet at a local spot or pick a hang out spot after your running session. Make it a weekly social event. </p>
<p><strong>Weather check:</strong> Lastly for those of us who have smartphones connected to our hip, have a solid weather app on your home screen. Checking the weather frequently can serve to preemptively avoid injury pitfalls from extreme cold or slippery surfaces. </p>
<h2>Injury prevention</h2>
<p>Be mindful of the times that you head out for runs; if possible, find a time during sunlight hours. It will add a bit of warmth, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1289%2Fehp.116-a160">positively affect mood and increase vitamin D production</a> for bone health and immune function. Run in well-lit areas and wear bright colours so you’re visible to others, especially if running on the road.</p>
<p><strong>Fix your eyes forward:</strong> Focus on what’s coming ahead. It’s easy to get into the zone and lose yourself in thoughts or your favourite tune, but judging the terrain ahead is important to prevent a misplaced step, a twisted ankle <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKZj2W2YyKY">or a slip</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Stride wise:</strong> First, focus on settling into a rhythm at a fixed tempo. This will allow you to create a stride pattern that’s neither too short nor too long to keep on moving. Shortening your stride length will provide more stability when ice and snow are present (this is not the time to work on an Olympic-level stride pattern). If you can’t avoid a snowy or icy patch, it’s probably best to stop and walk around it. </p>
<p><strong>Breathing:</strong> Check your breath. The effects of cold exposure can often impede normal physiological function. Specifically, inhaling cold dry air during physical activity can have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091296">adverse health effects on breathing</a>. Especially true for those with compromised respiratory systems or those predisposed to asthma. </p>
<p><strong>Hydration:</strong> Even though it may not seem like an immediate need, it’s important to be well hydrated before and throughout your workouts. Cold and snow don’t mean the air is wet (much of the arctic is actually <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/cold-desert">classified as a desert</a> because of the lack of precipitation). Also, your body generates a lot of heat, even more when you’re exercising, causing heat loss from sweat. </p>
<p>If you’re just getting started with winter running, know that there are plenty of others out there too. In cities across North America, runners kick-start their year by hitting the streets to cover five-kilometre and 10-kilometre distances <a href="https://www.newyearsrun.com/">on New Year’s Day</a>, which could be a great inspiration to jump-start your winter exercising. Remember, as you get started, make a plan to do it safely.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220027/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kurt Michael Downes is affiliated with The Border City Athletics Club, a not-for-profit athletics club.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kevin Milne does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Winter running has all the health benefits of aerobic exercise, as well as fresh air. However, be aware of the specific safety and injury-prevention concerns that come with cold weather.Kurt Michael Downes, PhD Student, Kinesiology, University of WindsorKevin Milne, Associate professor, Kinesiology, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2180032023-11-28T17:55:45Z2023-11-28T17:55:45ZLifestyle changes can reduce dementia risk by maintaining brain plasticity — but the time to act is now<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561624/original/file-20231125-24-4dpbbp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C704%2C5714%2C3742&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Lifestyle changes may be our best hope of delaying dementia or not developing dementia at all.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/lifestyle-changes-can-reduce-dementia-risk-by-maintaining-brain-plasticity-but-the-time-to-act-is-now" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Walk 10,000 steps a day, cut back alcohol, get better sleep at night, stay socially active — we’re told that changes like these can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6">prevent up to 40 per cent of dementia cases worldwide</a>. </p>
<p>Given that dementia is still one of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs12889-023-15772-y">the most feared diseases</a>, why aren’t we pushing our doctors and governments to support these lifestyle changes through new programs and policy initiatives?</p>
<p>The truth, however, is more complex. We know that <a href="https://theconversation.com/got-health-goals-research-based-tips-for-adopting-and-sticking-to-new-healthy-lifestyle-behaviours-173740">making lifestyle changes is hard</a>. Ask anyone who has tried to keep their New Year’s resolution to visit the gym three times a week. It can be doubly difficult when the changes we need to make now won’t show results for years, or even decades, and we don’t really understand why they work.</p>
<h2>Taking control of your health</h2>
<p>Anyone who has watched a loved one <a href="https://alzheimer.ca/en/about-dementia/what-dementia/common-questions-about-dementia">living with dementia</a>, facing the small and large indignities and declines that leave them eventually unable to eat, communicate or remember, knows it is a devastating disease. </p>
<p>There are <a href="https://alzheimer.ca/en/whats-happening/events/new-dementia-drugs-therapies-what-canadians-should-know">several new drugs</a> making their way to the market for Alzheimer’s disease (one of the most common forms of dementia). However, they are still far from a cure and are currently only effective for early-stage Alzheimer’s patients.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/lecanemab-experimental-drug-is-a-ray-of-hope-for-alzheimers-disease-196719">Lecanemab: Experimental drug is a ray of hope for Alzheimer's disease</a>
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</em>
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<p>So lifestyle changes may be our best hope of delaying dementia or not developing dementia at all. Actor <a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/11/chris-hemsworth-exclusive-interview-alzheimers-limitless">Chris Hemsworth</a> knows it. He watched his grandfather live with Alzheimer’s and is making lifestyle changes after learning he has two copies of the APOE4 gene. This <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/what-is-apoe4-how-does-it-relate-alzheimers-disease-2023-04-21/">gene</a> is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s, and having two copies significantly increases his risk of developing the same condition. </p>
<p>Research has identified <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30367-6">modifiable risk factors</a> that contribute to increasing the risk of dementia:</p>
<ul>
<li>physical inactivity</li>
<li>excessive use of alcohol</li>
<li>less sleep</li>
<li>social isolation</li>
<li>hearing loss</li>
<li>less cognitive engagement</li>
<li>poor diet</li>
<li>hypertension</li>
<li>obesity</li>
<li>diabetes</li>
<li>traumatic brain injury</li>
<li>smoking</li>
<li>depression</li>
<li>air pollution</li>
</ul>
<p>Our understanding of the biological mechanisms for these risk factors is varied, with some more clearly understood than others. </p>
<p>But there is a lot we do know — and here’s what you need to know as well.</p>
<h2>Cognitive reserve and neuroplasticity</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two older men on a park bench, on of whom is straining to hear the other speaking" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561625/original/file-20231125-21-n964o8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As a person‘s hearing decreases, it can make it difficult to socially engage with others, resulting in a loss of sensory input. The brain has to work harder to compensate for this.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.03.022">Cognitive reserve</a> is the brain’s ability to withstand damage or neurodegenerative disease. If there is tissue or functional loss in one part of the brain, other brain cells (neurons) work harder to compensate. In theory, this means lifelong experiences and activities create a dam against the damages of disease and aging in the brain.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20100302-01">Neuroplasticity</a> is the brain’s amazing ability to adapt, learn and reorganize, create new pathways or rewire existing ones to recover from damage. The key takeaway is that neuroplasticity can happen at any time and any age, which means learning and activities should be lifelong.</p>
<p>Many of the risk factors linked to dementia likely work in combination, which is why an overall lifestyle approach is crucial. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-016-0721-2">studies have shown</a> that exercise, cognitive and social engagement stimulate your brain and maintain its plasticity by growing new neural connections and building cognitive reserve.</p>
<p>The mechanism behind this is a combination of factors: increased oxygen and blood flow to the brain, stimulating growth factors that keep neurons healthy and reduced inflammation.</p>
<p>The opposite is also true. Poor sleep, diet, social isolation and untreated depression are linked to <a href="https://doi.org/10.3928/02793695-20100302-01">decreased cognitive reserve</a>. </p>
<p>The same rationale applies to hearing loss, a key emerging risk factor for dementia. As a person‘s hearing decreases, it can make it difficult to socially engage with others, resulting in a loss of sensory input. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097%2FWAD.0000000000000325">brain has to work harder</a> to compensate for this, potentially drawing down its cognitive reserve and leaving it less able to withstand dementia.</p>
<h2>The role of stress and inflammation</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Illustration of hand drawing a brain with multicoloured chalk on blackboard" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=222&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561626/original/file-20231125-17-6hps66.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=279&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Chronic or prolonged inflammation disrupts normal function and causes damage to the brain’s cells.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stress responses and inflammation are the body’s complex answer to injury. Inflammation is an important component of the body’s immune system, helping defend against threats and repair tissue damage. While short-term inflammation is a natural and good response, chronic or prolonged inflammation disrupts normal function and causes damage to the brain’s cells.</p>
<p>For example, one of the commonalities between dementia and untreated depression is the <a href="https://doi.org/10.17219/acem/149897%22%22">inflammatory process</a>. Prolonged exposure to stress hormones can lead to chronic inflammation. Hypertension, physical inactivity, smoking and air pollution are also associated with chronic inflammation and stress, which can damage blood vessels and neurons in the brain.</p>
<p>In a newer area of research still being explored, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/10095898/loneliness-global-public-health-concern-who/">social isolation</a> has also been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101061">linked to inflammation</a>. As we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, the brain is wired to respond to social engagement as a means of bonding and emotional support, especially in times of distress. </p>
<p>With surveys showing more than <a href="https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/we-have-a-loneliness-crisis-it-s-time-to-act/article_30e6c996-a9e2-588b-a776-58addc503762.html">one in three Canadians</a> feel isolated, the lack of social connection and loneliness can trigger the body’s stress response and neuroendocrine changes, and prolonged exposure to this inflammatory process can damage the brain.</p>
<h2>Similar pathways across multiple diseases</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Three women walking in exercise clothes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561627/original/file-20231125-27-f0h7c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While there are benefits to being physically and socially active at any age, some research shows the payoff from those gains can be higher after age 40 when the body’s metabolism slows, risk factors increase and cognitive reserve becomes even more essential to help protect against cognitive decline.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Several of these risk factors, and their biological pathways, cut across multiple chronic diseases. Accumulating evidence of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(19)30087-0">decades of research</a> supports the concept of “what’s good for your heart is good for your head.” </p>
<p>This means that making these lifestyle changes not only reduces your risk of dementia, but also your risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart concerns. This highlights the complex nature of dementia but also offers a united strategy to deal with multiple health concerns that may arise as people age.</p>
<h2>It’s never too late</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A man asleep in bed" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/561628/original/file-20231125-27-dyme8y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Factors like not sleeping enough, having a poor diet and lacking social and cognitive engagement can increase the risk of developing dementia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s never really too late to change. The human brain and body have a remarkable capacity for adaptation and resilience throughout life. </p>
<p>While there are benefits to being physically and socially active at any age, some research shows the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smhs.2019.08.006">payoff from those gains can be higher</a> after age 40 when the body’s metabolism slows, risk factors increase and cognitive reserve becomes even more essential to help protect against <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000007003">cognitive decline</a>.</p>
<p>If making lifestyle changes means you can watch your child navigate adulthood, stroll 20 blocks to your favourite café every day and continue to live in your own home, perhaps walking the daily 10,000 steps, changing diets and keeping your friendship network strong is worthwhile. At worst, you’ll be healthier and more independent with or without dementia. At best, you might completely avoid dementia and other major diseases and keep living your best possible life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/218003/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Middleton receives funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Saskia Sivananthan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Lifestyle-related dementia risks are complex, with factors like sleep, exercise, diet and social contact interacting with things like cognitive reserve, neuroplasticity and inflammation in the body.Saskia Sivananthan, Affiliate Professor, Department of Family Medicine, McGill UniversityLaura Middleton, Assistant Professor, Department of Kinesiology, University of WaterlooLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2135912023-09-22T11:51:05Z2023-09-22T11:51:05ZSeven tips for using the back-to-school mindset to help you stick to your goals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549553/original/file-20230921-28-47ft6g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5615%2C3732&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The back-to-school period is one of many temporal landmarks you can find throughout the year.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/runner-caucasian-woman-jogging-autumn-park-328341206">chesterf/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Even if it’s been many years since you were last in school, you might still associate this time of year with that “back-to-school” mindset – that feeling of a page turning, a new phase beginning and the chance to start anew and reinvent yourself.</p>
<p>While you won’t find any research on the “back-to-school mindset” itself, this feeling is very similar to what science calls the “<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901">fresh start effect</a>”. This is a boost in motivation for change that comes with a shift from one time in your life to another – called a temporal landmark. The beginning of a new school year, birthdays, anniversaries and even Monday mornings are all temporal landmarks.</p>
<p>Temporal landmarks support our belief that we can reinvent ourselves, acting as a threshold to a new start and the chance to leave old habits behind. These landmarks <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901">open our minds up</a> to novelty and the possibility of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133254">seeing the bigger picture</a> – rather than being mired in our daily slog. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-motivate-yourself-to-learn-a-language-210341?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">How to motivate yourself to learn a language</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-difficult-to-figure-out-what-to-do-with-your-life-and-three-steps-to-take-209266?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Why it’s so difficult to figure out what to do with your life – and three steps to take</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/four-ways-to-have-hard-conversations-with-your-friends-without-making-things-worse-207675?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Four ways to have hard conversations with your friends – without making things worse</a></em></p>
<hr>
<p>New Year’s Eve is our most well-known marker for fresh starts. But as many of us know, new year’s resolutions <a href="https://openventio.org/wp-content/uploads/How-to-Make-Your-New-Year%E2%80%99s-Resolutions-Work-SBRPOJ-4-119.pdf">often don’t work</a> when it comes to making <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0899-3289(88)80016-6">lasting lifestyle changes</a>. </p>
<p>This is because resolutions tend to lack specificity, are too ambitious, last too long, or people don’t make necessary changes in their environment to <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0022-3514.88.6.918">support behaviour change</a> (such as finding new hobbies to do on weekends instead of going to the pub if you’re trying to drink less). Feeling you have to make a new year’s resolution can also <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0306460389900506">lead to failure</a>.</p>
<p>But other temporal landmarks tend to better support changes, not just in ourselves but in our environment too. The new school year, for example, often means a change of routine, but also a change in the clothes we wear and the people we socialise with. All these subtle changes may work together to support your motivation when making a new start.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A group of university students talk with each other about their coursework." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549554/original/file-20230921-19-ilm2fd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">We associate the back-to-school period with many changes – including new routines and meeting new people.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/classmate-classroom-sharing-international-friend-concept-408849511">Rawpixel.com/ Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Our brains <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.124.3.423">love novelty</a> and there’s nothing better than a chance to leave behind the “the treadmill of the predictable everyday flow” of our lives and have a new period to look forward to. This makes motivation easier to come by as it offers a chance to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cb.2155">change our circumstances</a>.</p>
<p>While this change in routine can be nerve-wracking, it might be the kind of interruption needed to <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jcr/article-abstract/35/4/640/1806395?redirectedFrom=fulltext">shift how we think</a> and visualise how we can achieve our goals. </p>
<p>The back-to-school period offers the perfect chance to kick-start any life changes you’ve been meaning to make. Here are a few ways to make sure your goals don’t fail:</p>
<h2>1. Write to your future self</h2>
<p>Set timers to send yourself aspirational reminders of your goals to <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300262285/nudge/">gently nudge</a> yourself towards achieving your goals. If you’re trying to save more money, for example, setting a reminder to set aside some cash via an email that appears in your inbox on payday may help give you this much-needed nudge. </p>
<h2>2. Don’t worry if you falter</h2>
<p>It can be hard to make big changes and build new habits. Even if you don’t succeed in sticking with your changes at first, there are plenty of other temporal landmarks you can find throughout the year that offer a chance for a fresh start (such as your birthday or returning to work after a holiday). Even the smallest period of change offers a chance to make <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.57.9.677">positive lifestyle changes</a>. </p>
<h2>3. Quick wins</h2>
<p>The motivation and energy provided by a fresh start can often be short-lived. But having <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/systems8040055">quick-win goals</a> that require only small boosts in motivation are the perfect ones to set for yourself during these transition periods. This can include things such as decluttering your room or deleting your most addictive social media app.</p>
<h2>4. Put your imperfections behind you</h2>
<p>Instead of focusing on who you are now, put your attention on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030477">the person you want to be</a> – and use this as motivation to make change. Focusing on who you want to be in the future may also help you <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0956797615605818">leave your imperfections in the past</a>.</p>
<h2>5. Set a deadline</h2>
<p>Temporal landmarks are great because they provide natural structure and flow to our lives. Not only can you use temporal landmarks to start working towards a goal, upcoming temporal landmarks can also act as a way of bringing a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901">natural urgency</a> to accomplishing our goals.</p>
<h2>6. Avoid the slump</h2>
<p>Motivation fluctuates over time. We usually have high motivation when we first set a goal, and high motivation as we get close to achieving it. But the period in the middle tends to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025928">low in motivation</a> – and the longer the period, the harder it is to maintain our resolve. If you want to make the best of the back-to-school mindset, shorten the period of time you want to achieve your goal. This can even be as short as one week or even just one day at a time.</p>
<h2>7. Pair the good with the bad</h2>
<p>“<a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2013.1784">Temptation bundling</a>” is the practise of pairing something you love with something you’re less enthusiastic about (but know you should do). By pairing these behaviours together, it wires them together in your brain – motivating you to keep working on the thing you may not enjoy as much in the future. </p>
<p>Let’s say you want to exercise more often, for example. Saving an episode of your favourite podcast until you workout may help you feel more motivated to exercise, as you’ll now associate the gym with your favourite podcast.</p>
<p>Making any lifestyle change is hard – but the back-to-school mindset that accompanies the transition from summer into autumn offers a great opportunity to make these changes.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/213591/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Trudy Meehan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The ‘fresh start effect’ explains why the beginning of a new school year often leads to a boost in motivation – even if you aren’t a student.Trudy Meehan, Lecturer, Centre for Positive Psychology and Health, RCSI University of Medicine and Health SciencesLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1976922023-01-26T23:58:46Z2023-01-26T23:58:46ZLet’s dance! How dance classes can lift your mood and help boost your social life<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505522/original/file-20230120-19742-69xyap.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=5%2C0%2C992%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sporty-women-enjoying-each-others-company-692108224">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>If your new year’s resolutions include getting healthier, exercising more and lifting your mood, dance might be for you. </p>
<p>By dance, we don’t mean watching other people dance on TikTok, as much fun as this can be. We mean taking a dance class, or even better, a few.</p>
<p>A growing body of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2020.1732526">research shows</a> the benefits of dance, regardless of the type (for example, classes or social dancing) or the style (hip hop, ballroom, ballet). Dance boosts our wellbeing as it improves our emotional and physical health, makes us feel less stressed and more socially connected.</p>
<p>Here’s what to consider if you think dance might be for you.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/rhythm-on-the-brain-and-why-we-cant-stop-dancing-56354">Rhythm on the brain, and why we can't stop dancing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>The benefits of dance</h2>
<p>Dance is <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1077800417745919">an engaging and fun</a> way of exercising, learning and meeting people. A review of the evidence <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17482631.2020.1732526">shows</a> taking part in dance classes or dancing socially improves your health and wellbeing regardless of your age, gender or fitness.</p>
<p>Another review focuses more specifically on benefits of dance across the lifespan. It <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2021.1950891">shows</a> dance classes and dancing socially at any age improves participants’ sense of self, confidence and creativity.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Older woman in group dance class" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505521/original/file-20230120-21894-rguh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s never too late to start a dance class.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/elderly-woman-dancing-12086689/">Wellness Gallery Catalyst Foundation/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Researchers have also looked at specific dance programs.</p>
<p>One UK-based dance program for young people aged 14 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/14647893.2011.561306">shows</a> one class a week for three months increased students’ fitness level and self-esteem. This was due to a combination of factors including physical exercise, a stimulating learning environment, positive engagement with peers, and creativity. </p>
<p>Another community-based program for adults in hospital <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17533015.2020.1725072">shows</a> weekly dance sessions led to positive feelings, enriches social engagement and reduced stress related to being in hospital.</p>
<p>If you want to know how much dance is needed to develop some of these positive effects, we have good news for you. </p>
<p>A useful hint comes from a <a href="https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-015-2672-7">study</a> that looked exactly at how much creative or arts engagement is needed for good mental health – 100 or more hours a year, or two or more hours a week, in most cases.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/kick-up-your-heels-ballroom-dancing-offers-benefits-to-the-aging-brain-and-could-help-stave-off-dementia-194969">Kick up your heels – ballroom dancing offers benefits to the aging brain and could help stave off dementia</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Dance is social</h2>
<p>But dance is more than physical activity. It is also a community ritual. Humans have <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/223398">always danced</a>. We still do so to mark and celebrate transitory periods in life. Think of how weddings prompt non-dancers to move rhythmically to music. Some cultures dance to celebrate childbirth. Many dance to celebrate religious and cultural holidays.</p>
<p>This is what inspired French sociologist <a href="https://iep.utm.edu/emile-durkheim/">Emile Durkheim</a> (1858-1917) to explore how dance affects societies and cultures.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/FyTqEl1yKbQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Durkheim described how dancing with others cultivated ‘collective effervescence’ – dynamism, vitality and community. (Aeon Video)</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Durkheim <a href="https://archive.org/search?query=external-identifier%3A%22urn%3Aoclc%3Arecord%3A689172179%22">saw</a> collective dance as a societal glue – a social practice that cultivates what he called “collective effervescence”, a feeling of dynamism, vitality and community.</p>
<p>He observed how dance held cultures together by creating communal feelings that were difficult to cultivate otherwise, for example a feeling of uplifting togetherness or powerful unity. </p>
<p>It’s that uplifting feeling you might experience when dancing at a concert and even for a brief moment forgetting yourself while moving in synchrony with the rest of the crowd.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="People dancing with arms in air at club" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=368&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/505519/original/file-20230120-11113-w9y9jg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">That uplifting feeling: when dancing together helps you forget yourself as you move in synchrony with the rest of the crowd.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-happy-people-dancing-club-nightlife-460028722">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Synchronous <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/529447">collective activities</a>, such as dance, provide a pleasurable way to foster social bonding. This is due to feelings Durkheim noticed that we now know as transcendental emotions – such as joy, awe and temporary dissolution of a sense of self (“losing yourself”). These can lead to feeling a part of something bigger than ourselves and help us experience social connectedness. </p>
<p>For those of us still experiencing social anxiety or feelings of loneliness due to the COVID pandemic, dance can be a way of (re)building social connections and belonging. </p>
<p>Whether you join an online dance program and invite a few friends, go to an in-person dance class, or go to a concert or dance club, dance can give temporary respite from the everyday and help lift your mood.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-part-of-a-social-group-making-sure-you-are-will-improve-your-health-81996">Are you part of a social group? Making sure you are will improve your health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Keen to try out dance?</h2>
<p>Here’s what to consider:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>if you have not exercised for a while, start with a program tailored to beginners or the specific fitness level that suits you</p></li>
<li><p>if you have physical injuries, check in with your GP first</p></li>
<li><p>if public dance classes are unappealing, consider joining an online dance program, or going to a dance-friendly venue or concert</p></li>
<li><p>to make the most of social aspect of dance, invite your friends and family to join you</p></li>
<li><p>social dance classes are a better choice for meeting new people</p></li>
<li><p>beginner performance dance classes will improve your physical health, dance skills and self-esteem</p></li>
<li><p>most importantly, remember, it is not so much about how good your dancing is, dance is more about joy, fun and social connectedness.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>In the words of one participant in our (yet-to-be published) research on dance and wellbeing, dance for adults is a rare gateway into fun:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>There’s so much joy, there’s so much play in dancing. And play isn’t always that easy to access as an adult; and yet, it’s just such a joyful experience. I feel so happy to be able to dance.</p>
</blockquote><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197692/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tamara Borovica receives funding from VicHealth - Victorian Health Promotion Organisation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Renata Kokanovic receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC), National Health &Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and Vic Health.</span></em></p>Dancing in a group – in a class, in a club, at a wedding – is social. So it could be just the thing for 2023, if the gym isn’t for you.Tamara Borovica, Research assistant and early career researcher, Critical Mental Health research group, RMIT UniversityRenata Kokanovic, Professor and Lead of Critical Mental Health, Social and Global Studies Centre, RMIT UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1971902023-01-10T22:02:33Z2023-01-10T22:02:33ZTaking fitness outside: 9 tips for becoming more active through the Canadian winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503753/original/file-20230110-14-gm9uml.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=97%2C516%2C4461%2C2806&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Thick snow covers tree branches as people walk along a street in Ottawa after a snowstorm.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>If you made a New Year’s resolution about physical activity, you are not alone. <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-ca/canadians-quick-make-new-years-resolutions-slow-see-them-through">Many Canadians make resolutions, and most focus on moving more</a>. Despite best intentions, it can be difficult for people to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0234097">maintain New Year’s goals; in fact, nearly half fail to achieve their resolution</a>. There are many reasons for this, and one is that physical activity goals are hard to achieve, regardless of the time of year. </p>
<p>As researchers in the fields of behavioural medicine, physical activity and outdoor recreation, we have some ideas about how to make those resolutions stick.</p>
<p>Try to change up your physical activity and make it fun and enjoyable. Research shows that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.577522">adherence to physical activity is improved when you mix things up and choose an activity that fills your cup</a>. </p>
<p>One way to increase variety and enjoyment might be choosing outdoor physical activities. And it seems Canadians (<a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-020-05938-4">with</a> and <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1334779/share-canadians-engaging-outdoor-recreational-activities-by-frequency/">without</a> chronic conditions) desire outdoor activity, especially since the <a href="https://ccpr.parkpeople.ca/2021/overview/lessons">COVID-19 pandemic</a>. </p>
<h2>Outdoor benefits</h2>
<p>Taking your physical activity outside comes with some added benefits. We have found that a single trail walk can reduce participants’ reported levels of anxiety, and that after <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s41241-020-00094-x">eight weeks of trail walking two times per week, stress is decreased</a>. We also know that people who engage in physical activity <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2009.03.002">outdoors stick to it better and longer</a>, and may <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.016">work harder than when exercising indoors</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman in red snow-pants and a blue jacket holding a yellow snow shovel and tossing snow into the air while a dog leaps into the air" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=472&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503758/original/file-20230110-17-ar95nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=593&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Shovelling snow counts as intense physical activity. Be the neighbourly snow shoveller, just ensure that you are warmed up and don’t go too hard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This may be explained in part by the shift in focus outwards, to the environment, rather than on inner bodily sensations, making the exercise feel easier. </p>
<p>In a recent study currently under peer review, we (Thomson and Lesser) found that individuals with both low and high functional capacity (a measure of aerobic fitness) were able to complete hikes of varied difficulty. Those who were less fit simply slowed down to be able to complete the same hike at the same level of effort as their fit counterparts. </p>
<p>This suggests that outdoor physical activity, such as hiking, is feasible from a fitness perspective and is perceived as easier.</p>
<h2>The great outdoors in winter</h2>
<p>If you live in a four-season climate, you may be wondering how to take physical activity outside during a Canadian winter. </p>
<p>First and foremost, if you are just getting started, determine your readiness to move more. You can try an online assessment like the <a href="https://csep.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GETACTIVEQUESTIONNAIRE_ENG.pdf">Get Active Questionnaire</a> to see if you need to talk to your doctor first. </p>
<p>Next, try some of these tips and considerations:</p>
<h2>1. Find a support system</h2>
<p>Research has shown that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1750984X.2016.1183222">social support can promote sustained physical activity behaviour</a>, and may take on even greater importance when activity moves outdoors.</p>
<h2>2. Dress in layers</h2>
<p>Overdressing is always better than underdressing, and <a href="https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/outdoor-activities/hiking/wool-when-wet.htm">wool is your best bet</a> to reduce moisture and keep in heat. Make sure you are covered from head to toe — that means wearing a scarf to help warm the incoming air when the temperatures plummet.</p>
<h2>3. Have a plan B</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, depending on where you live, it might be too cold or icy to be outdoors. In this case, take a break and move it inside for a bit. That way, you can continue your active lifestyle and build up some excitement about getting back outside when the weather improves.</p>
<h2>4. Safety First</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Image of the bottoms of a pair of shoes with orange soles, displaying two types of external ice cleats" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503767/original/file-20230110-14-99arna.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Two kinds of exterior cleats attached to running shoes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Dan Joling)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>When it gets slippery outside, ensure that you have proper footwear. We love snow cleats that can be put over your shoes to enhance your grip. You can also consider using walking poles to improve your balance and reduce the risk of falls.</p>
<h2>5. Hydrate</h2>
<p>Even though you might not feel as warm and sweaty as you would in warmer months, you are still losing water and you need to stay hydrated.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/cover-your-face-wear-a-hat-and-stay-hydrated-to-exercise-safely-through-the-winter-173807">Cover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>6. Make it part of your day</h2>
<p>Find different ways to incorporate the outdoors into your daily activities! Did you know that <a href="https://theconversation.com/snow-shovelling-healthy-exercise-or-deadly-activity-129183">shovelling snow</a> counts as intense physical activity? Be the neighbourly snow shoveller — just ensure that you are warmed up and don’t go too hard. If you love biking to work, try fat tires on your bike. They increase your traction on snow and ice. </p>
<p>If these sound a bit too strenuous, you can always park farther away at work, school or the grocery store to add some steps to your day, or consider taking a brief walk outside on your lunch break.</p>
<h2>7. Light it up</h2>
<p>With the days ending so early, it can be a challenge to fit in physical activity before the sun sets. A head lamp will allow you to be out early or past dark. Just ensure that you are in a safe location (and maybe bring someone from your support system along).</p>
<h2>8. Try something new</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A blue sign picturing a snowshoer on a tree trunk with snow in the background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=416&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/503762/original/file-20230110-12-k3nhwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=523&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If you’re interested in trying snowshoeing, winter hiking or cross-country skiing, consider borrowing equipment from a friend, renting from your local recreation facility or purchasing used equipment from a sports trader.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is a perfect time to break out of your routine. Ever tried snowshoeing, winter hiking or cross-country skiing? Now could be the time. Don’t have equipment? Consider borrowing from a friend, renting from your local recreation facility or purchasing used equipment from a sports trader.</p>
<h2>9. Enjoy the tranquillity</h2>
<p>Outdoor experiences in winter tend to be quieter and include more expansive terrain with different sounds, wildlife and colour experiences. Try taking advantage of it and notice how you feel.</p>
<p>We hope you will try taking it outside to reap the benefits of our beautiful Canadian winters. Who knows, maybe you will even increase the likelihood of sticking to those hard-to-meet New Year’s resolutions in the process!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197190/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Taking your physical activity outside comes with added benefits. Here are ways to pursue your fitness goals outdoors, even in the middle of a Canadian winter.Iris Lesser, Assistant professor in kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyAmanda Wurz, Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyCynthia Thomson, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology, University of The Fraser ValleyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1969812023-01-03T20:50:15Z2023-01-03T20:50:15ZHow 19th-century Victorians’ wellness resolutions were about self-help — and playful ritual fun<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502947/original/file-20230103-26-4tnfru.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C464%2C2547%2C1295&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">January is named after the two-faced Roman god Janus, and the Victorians understood this has long been a season of looking backward as much as forward, and not just in search of lessons.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-19th-century-victorians--wellness-resolutions-were-about-self-help-—-and-playful-ritual-fun" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>On Jan. 1, 1887, a poem appeared in two British newspapers. </p>
<p>“<a href="https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/readers-guide/rg_resolutions1.htm">I am resolved throughout the year</a> / To lay my vices on the shelf,” begins “New Year Resolutions.” </p>
<p>In what now reads like a familiar vow of post-holiday abstinence, a young <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/rudyard-kipling">Rudyard Kipling lists</a> the temptations of women, horses and the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/whist">card game whist</a>, pledging “A godly, sober course to steer / and love my neighbour as myself.” </p>
<p>According to <a href="https://www.history.com/news/the-history-of-new-years-resolutions#:%7E:text=The%20ancient%20Babylonians%20are%20said,when%20the%20crops%20were%20planted.">some sources,</a> the practice of making resolutions at the new year <a href="https://theconversation.com/where-did-the-new-years-resolution-come-from-well-weve-been-making-them-for-4-000-years-196661">can be traced back 4,000 years</a>, originating with the ancient Babylonians. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.43.3.05">Opinions differ</a> on the origins of contemporary wellness culture, often the packaging for self-improvement through self-denial at the new year.</p>
<p>As sociolegal scholar <a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/39/5/957/13664/What-Is-Wellness-Now">Anna Kirkland describes,</a> wellness as a contemporary buzzword can be defined as the belief “<a href="https://read.dukeupress.edu/jhppl/article/39/5/957/13664/What-Is-Wellness-Now">that each individual can and should strive to achieve a state of optimal functioning</a>.” </p>
<p>And this — echoing Kipling’s promise to better himself in the new year — also sounds very Victorian. </p>
<h2>Individual and national progress</h2>
<p>In 1859, Samuel Smiles, the Scottish journalist, biographer, social reformer and physician, published the authoritative text on 19th-century “character, conduct and perseverance” aptly <a href="https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/self-help-by-samuel-smiles">titled <em>Self-Help; with illustrations of character and conduct</em></a>. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="A painting of an elderly Victorian man with white hair." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=824&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1035&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1035&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502837/original/file-20230102-3468-asc1ft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1035&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">An 1877 portrait of Samuel Smiles by George Reid.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(National Portrait Gallery collection/Wikimedia)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This was at the height of mid-Victorian hubris, and amid a year of epoch-defining ideas (Charles Darwin’s <em>On the Origin of Species</em> and John Stuart Mill’s <em>On Liberty</em> both entered the scene). </p>
<p>By the time Smiles (yes, that is his real name) died in 1904, <em>Self-Help</em> had sold over <a href="https://shepheardwalwyn.com/product/the-spirit-of-self-help">a quarter of a million copies in Britain alone and was an international hit</a>. </p>
<p>Smiles may now be less well known than some of his contemporaries, but his thesis on “<a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Self_help/_eUUAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=socrates&pg=PR13&printsec=frontcover">morals and manners</a>” and belief that “<a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/Self_help/_eUUAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=samuel%20smiles%20self%20help&pg=PR3&printsec=frontcover">national progress was the sum of individual industry, energy and uprightness, as national decay is of individual idleness, selfishness and vice</a>” shaped the stalwart Victorian work ethic. </p>
<p>This made self-help, as historian <a href="https://www.historytoday.com/archive/samuel-smiles-gospel-self-help">Asa Briggs describes</a>, one of the <a href="https://www.historytoday.com/archive/samuel-smiles-gospel-self-help">defining virtues</a> of the era. These same ideas also helped form the ideological backbone of the wellness industry today. </p>
<h2>Strict habits, hard work</h2>
<p>Over a century and a half after <em>Self-Help</em>, and a week before Christmas 2022, the <em>Toronto Star</em> served readers <a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2022/12/18/oh-honey-here-you-go-nine-wellness-trends-to-help-you-kick-start-the-new-year.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share">“Nine wellness trends to help you kick-start the New Year</a>.” </p>
<p>Unlike <em>the Star’s</em> wellness list, there is nothing in Smiles on the benefits of “functional fungus.” </p>
<p>Instead, <em>Self-Help</em> consists largely of a series of case studies: bootstrap narratives of successful men through history (Milton, Newton, Napoleon) who apparently rose through the ranks with strict habits and hard work. </p>
<p>But how different, really, are Smiles’s motivations from our own aspirations for annual self-improvement? </p>
<h2>Converting idle pleasure into profit</h2>
<p>Smiles’s biographer <a href="https://shepheardwalwyn.com/product/the-spirit-of-self-help/">John Hunter</a> describes <em>Self-Help</em>’s “bite-size pieces, undemanding of readers’ time,” with its “quotability” a boon to publishers. These are similar to the easily <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/media-network/media-network-blog/2013/aug/12/5-ways-listicle-changing-journalism">digestible “listicles”</a> that fill January lifestyle sections. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2022/12/18/oh-honey-here-you-go-nine-wellness-trends-to-help-you-kick-start-the-new-year.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share">Personalized wellness plans</a> may, on surface, signal hedonism over Smiles-like austerity and productivity. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-resolve-to-be-thinner-and-fitter-this-year-wont-lead-to-salvation-107956">The resolve to be thinner and fitter this year won’t lead to salvation</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But from <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/nyregion/napping-in-a-new-york-minute.html?smid=url-share">office nap pods</a>, to the rebranding of friendship as “<a href="https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2022/12/18/oh-honey-here-you-go-nine-wellness-trends-to-help-you-kick-start-the-new-year.html?utm_source=share-bar&utm_medium=user&utm_campaign=user-share">therapeutic socialization</a>,” we too have come to convert idle pleasures into future profit, just as holiday indulgence becomes fodder for a January cleanse.</p>
<h2>Quantifiable self-improvement</h2>
<p>While often entailing deprivation, resolutions imply the sort of quantifiable self-improvement that would meet Smiles’s approval. </p>
<p>Yet we tend to make — or at least are told to make — the same ones every year. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-16/here-s-how-quickly-people-ditch-weight-loss-resolutions">Data shows</a> that gym memberships do indeed spike, only to fall again by February, until the cycle repeats the following year. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A ferris wheel seen behind people skating." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=395&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502831/original/file-20230102-14-vx9s13.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=496&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A wheel of perpetual seeking? People skate on the Old Port skating rink on New Year’s Day in Montréal, January 1, 2023.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This could be evidence of what English professor <a href="https://journals.upress.ufl.edu/rhm/article/view/223">Colleen Derkatch terms the wellness industry’s “moving target</a>.” She notes how wellness discourse promotes seemingly opposed notions of restoration and enhancement. </p>
<p>This means people are perpetually seeking wellness — and often spending money trying to achieve it.</p>
<h2>Time for rest</h2>
<p>But the Victorians offer more than the origins of the wellness industry’s current capitalist trap. </p>
<p>While I certainly do not look to 19th-century Britain expecting a road map for a fulfilled life, or to mimic the many abominable views held by men <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/article/209518">like Kipling</a>, it’s worth noting that such writers can also provide models for unproductive fun that make the repetitive nature of resolutions a positive way to punctuate time.</p>
<p>In many years spent rereading the Victorians, I sometimes glimpse scraps of unproductive joy outside of the stereotypical narrative of hard work and discipline. </p>
<p>While never abandoning his belief that “<a href="https://www.google.ca/books/edition/The_Autobiography_of_Samuel_Smiles_LL_D/DKVaBKcujpoC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=samuel%20smiles%20autobiography&pg=PP2&printsec=frontcover">work plenty of work is necessary for my happiness and welfare</a>,” in Smiles’s autobiography he also allows time for rest, and even for useless recreation. </p>
<h2>Vows ‘lightly made’</h2>
<p>At one point, the book details how, recovering from a stroke, he replaces his reliance on work with amateur painting. </p>
<p>The artworks he produces “are not of much importance, but the execution of them was a great relief to me …[so] I went on cultivating idleness.” </p>
<figure class="align-left zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C739%2C8086%2C4207&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A man seen with his arms outstretched in a giant gold person-sized public sculptural installation of the numbers 2023." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C739%2C8086%2C4207&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/502834/original/file-20230102-12-vctfe9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Is letting it all unravel part of the fun of resolutions?</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Arnulfo Franco)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A commitment to unproductivity, perhaps, offers another way to approach resolutions. The lapsed exercise regimen or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/dec/28/stop-worrying-about-everything-thing-ill-do-differently">abandoned writing project</a>, then, are not just marks of failure, or potential targets for wellness profiteers. They can also be signs of happily wasted time.</p>
<p>In the final lines of his new year’s poem, Kipling flips the resolution narrative, letting his goals unravel, as our annual pledges so often do: “<a href="https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_resolutions.htm">I am resolved—that vows like these/ Though lightly made, are hard to keep.</a>” </p>
<h2>Playfully pointless</h2>
<p>Despite the cynicism, the language stays lighthearted. The form mimics a children’s rhyme — regular in meter, with each quatrain followed by a bouncy couplet. </p>
<p>The poem ends with a bout of numerical diversion: “One vow a year will see me through,” so “I’ll begin with Number Two.” By pulling readers back to reread the second stanza, Kipling loosens the attachment to linear self-improvement. </p>
<p>January takes its name from <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Janus-Roman-god">the two-faced Roman god Janus</a>. This has long been a season of looking backward as much as forward, and not just in search of lessons, or warnings or evidence of progress. </p>
<p>Turning to the past also places resolutions in the repetitive time zone of ritual: playfully pointless, and without expectation of future returns.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196981/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Dufoe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The 1859 book ‘Self-Help’ by Scottish journalist and physician Samuel Smiles was written in bite-sized pieces reminiscent of today’s wellness and lifestyle New Year tips.Nicole Dufoe, PhD Candidate in Victorian Literature and English Instructor, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1937132023-01-01T19:40:18Z2023-01-01T19:40:18ZIt’s OK to aim lower with your new year’s exercise resolutions – a few minutes a day can improve your muscle strength<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501225/original/file-20221215-26-8ssasq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C644%2C5872%2C3330&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-female-sneakers-sports-clothes-exercising-1715316964">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the most popular new year’s resolutions is to exercise more. Many of us set ambitious goals requiring a big, regular commitment, but then abandon them because they’re too much to fit in. Plans to exercise more in the new year are <a href="https://www.psychnewsdaily.com/most-abandon-new-years-resolutions-in-month/">often broken</a> within a month. </p>
<p>So how can we exercise more regularly in the new year? </p>
<p>If the aim is to build long-term fitness and health, the exercise must be sustainable. It may be achievable to resolve to do an extra few minutes of muscle-strengthening exercises every day. </p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.14138">Our research</a> suggests even one muscle contraction a day, for five days a week, can improve muscle strength if you keep it up for a month. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-exercise-more-try-setting-an-open-goal-for-your-new-years-resolution-149172">Want to exercise more? Try setting an open goal for your New Year's resolution</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Why do we need to exercise?</h2>
<p>Physical activity guidelines <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity">recommended</a> we perform 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise a week, as well as at least two muscle strengthening exercise sessions per week. </p>
<p>Skeletal muscle tissue declines with age, causing a loss of function and independence in older adults. So it’s important to include muscle strengthening exercises regularly to stimulate skeletal muscles of the legs, arms and trunk. </p>
<p>However, 85% of Australians <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/risk-factors/insufficient-physical-activity/contents/insufficient-physical-activity">don’t meet</a> the physical activity recommendations to do both aerobic and muscle-strengthening exercises every week. The <a href="https://www.physio-pedia.com/Barriers_to_Physical_Activity">reasons include</a> a lack of time, a lack of motivation, and no access to a workout facility. </p>
<p>It’s important to address these barriers, as physical inactivity <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4241367/">increases the risk</a> of many chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis (weakened bones), dementia, depression and anxiety. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/short-bursts-of-physical-activity-during-daily-life-may-lower-risk-of-premature-death-new-research-196304">Short bursts of physical activity during daily life may lower risk of premature death – new research</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Short bouts of exercise can boost your muscle strength</h2>
<p>My research team’s <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/sms.14220">recent study</a> found a small amount of regular resistance training can be better than doing one massive session, even if the amount of exercise overall was the same. </p>
<p>We asked participants to do an arm curl exercise consisting of 30 maximal contractions (so, contracting the muscle as hard as they could) each week for four weeks. One group did six contractions a day for five days a week; the other did 30 repetitions once a week. </p>
<p>The group that did them all in one go had no gains in muscle strength, whereas the group that spread the 30 repetitions over five days increased their muscle strength by more than 10%.</p>
<p>In a <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/sms.14138">separate study</a>, we showed that doing one three-second bicep muscle contraction a day, five days a week, increased muscle strength by 12%. </p>
<p>Participants contracted their muscles from a flexed to an extended position, like slowly lowering a heavy weight. </p>
<p>In both studies, participants used special equipment in our lab, and used as much strength as they could, but lowering a heavy dumbbell slowly several times could deliver similar results. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501810/original/file-20221219-18-qyecys.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">For a heavy dumbbell, it’s better to lift it with two arms and lower it with one arm to emphasise the eccentric muscle contraction.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-red-top-short-blond-hair-1617239581">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Incorporate exercise into your daily activities</h2>
<p>We are investigating the effects of five-minutes daily “eccentric” exercises on health and fitness of sedentary people. Eccentric exercises activate and lengthen muscles. </p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chair squat: Sit down slowly to a chair in 3-5 seconds (10 repetitions)." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=405&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501792/original/file-20221219-11129-3ixe5k.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Chair recline back: Sit on the front of a chair, and recline back slowly in 3-5 seconds (10 repetitions)." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=369&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501766/original/file-20221219-15-vw6h9l.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=463&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<hr>
<p>We have already investigated the effects of sitting to a chair slowly and found it is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28291022">effective</a> for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31055678">improving</a> leg muscle strength, chair sit-stand ability, walking ability, and balance in older adults. </p>
<p>Many of us sit down on a chair or a sofa more than ten times a day. So, if we sit down slowly every time we sit, we perform at least ten eccentric contractions of the muscles that work to extend the knee joints, a day. This is a good opportunity for us to perform eccentric exercise daily to simulate our leg muscles.</p>
<p>Eccentric contractions not only affect muscle, they can also <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2017.00209/full">improve health indicators</a> such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels. </p>
<h2>Start small, then build momentum</h2>
<p>Our studies have focused on resistance exercise, but it also applies for aerobic exercise. Five minutes of walking every day can still be <a href="https://ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12966-016-0437-z">beneficial for your health</a>. </p>
<p>However, if you’re already doing regular gym workouts every week, adding a little exercise each day may not produce much of an added effect, so it is not necessary to replace a consistent regular exercise routine with smaller micro-sessions.</p>
<p>But for those starting out, who might find taking on a big exercise commitment daunting, doing a little bit of exercise, often, is a good start. Once your fitness has improved, you can add more exercise.</p>
<p>So what about setting a resolution to spend five minutes exercising every day in 2023?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-have-time-to-exercise-heres-a-regimen-everyone-can-squeeze-in-111600">Don't have time to exercise? Here's a regimen everyone can squeeze in</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193713/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ken Nosaka receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and Defence Science and Technology. </span></em></p>New research shows even one muscle contraction a day, for five days a week, is effective at improving muscle strength if you keep it up for a month.Ken Nosaka, Professor of Exercise and Sports Science, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1964822023-01-01T19:40:11Z2023-01-01T19:40:11Z12 ways to finally achieve your most elusive goals<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501752/original/file-20221219-7450-5msgxo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C899%2C5354%2C2681&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It’s that time of year to muse on what you hope to accomplish over the next 12 months. </p>
<p>The best advice when making resolutions is to set goals <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-achieve-your-new-years-resolutions-by-building-goal-infrastructure-105292">that are “SMART”</a> – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant (to you) and time-bound. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-to-achieve-your-new-years-resolutions-by-building-goal-infrastructure-105292">Three ways to achieve your New Year’s resolutions by building 'goal infrastructure'</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Once you’ve set your goals, what can help you achieve them? Based on our <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0090261622000511">research</a>, we’ve distilled 12 goal-enablers. These cover four broad principles you can use to keep yourself on track.</p>
<p>You don’t have to do all 12. Just focusing on the most relevant three to five can make a big difference.</p>
<h2>Set relevant supporting goals</h2>
<p>An outcome goal isn’t enough. Set clear supporting goals that equip you to attain that outcome.</p>
<p><strong>1. Behavioural goals</strong> stipulate the actions required to reach your outcome goal. If you want to change jobs, for example, behavioural goals could include working out what job you want, networking with relevant people, getting advice on your resume, and submitting at least three job applications each month. </p>
<p><strong>2. Learning goals</strong> are the knowledge and skills you need to achieve your goal. Ways to identify your highest-priority learning goals, and how to attain them, include seeking advice from others who have mastered the skill you aim to learn, working with a coach, or watching instructional videos.</p>
<p><strong>3. Sub-goals</strong> are small milestones on the way to your goal. They indicate your rate of progress towards attaining your ultimate goal. They can also provide a motivating sense of momentum. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Sub-goals are stepping stones on your way to achieving your end goal." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501754/original/file-20221219-19-29t0k7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Sub-goals are stepping stones on your way to achieving your end goal.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Build your internal motivation</h2>
<p>This is the inner energy and focus that fuels, directs and sustains your efforts to reach your goals. </p>
<p><strong>4. Connect goals to passions.</strong> If you like feeling like you’re on a mission, try framing your goals as reflecting a novice, apprentice or master level of development. If competition gets you going, perhaps frame your learning or sub-goals as indicating a bronze, silver, gold or platinum level of performance. </p>
<p><strong>5. Engage in mental contrasting.</strong> This involves toggling between focusing on a vivid written or visual depiction of your present state with your desired future state. Mental contrasting increases goal achievement in areas such as <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/48322532_When_planning_is_not_enough_Fighting_unhealthy_snacking_habits_by_mental_contrasting_with_implementation_intentions_MCII">eating more healthily</a>, <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28981303/">exercising more</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4106484/">improving grades</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1090198119826284">cutting down on alcohol consumption</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="alt text" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501723/original/file-20221218-22-xribej.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Mental contrasting between current and desired state can increase goal attainment.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p><strong>6. Build self-efficacy.</strong> Your <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362235944_Self-efficacy#fullTextFileContent">self-efficacy</a> is your belief in your capacity to succeed at a particular task. Set modest initial goals you are likely to achieve (see point 3). Ensure you have adequate resources and support (see point 8). If you find yourself thinking defeatist thoughts – “I don’t think I can do this” or “I’m too old for this” – then stop and think more encouraging thoughts instead. </p>
<h2>Craft an enabling context</h2>
<p>An enabling context helps keep your goals front of mind and sustains you in working to achieve them. </p>
<p><strong>7. Implementation intentions</strong> stipulate when to pursue behavioural goals. These intentions <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0065260106380021">increase the odds</a> of attaining any goal. Two types are: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>When-then intentions (for example: “When I am tempted to eat a snack, then I will drink a glass of water and wait 10 minutes to see if I still feel I need that snack”)</p></li>
<li><p>After-then intentions (for example: “After I eat lunch each day, then I’ll walk for at least 15 minutes somewhere green with my phone off”).</p></li>
</ul>
<p><strong>8. Ensure adequate resources.</strong> These could include adequate materials, technology, support of others, time and energy (enabled by an effective recovery routine). </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/exhausted-by-2020-here-are-5-ways-to-recover-and-feel-more-rested-throughout-2021-152608">Exhausted by 2020? Here are 5 ways to recover and feel more rested throughout 2021</a>
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</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p><strong>9. Seek useful feedback</strong> to help gauge your progress and correct errors. Try asking the following questions: What happened? What went right? What went not so well and why? What can be learned? What are one or two things I can now do differently? </p>
<h2>Anticipate and manage obstacles</h2>
<p>As boxer Mike Tyson once said: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” You need to be realistic about competing priorities and distractions bound to get in the way. </p>
<p><strong>10. Identify and plan to manage points of choice</strong>, where other temptations may divert you from pursuing your goal. Points of choice may arise from within yourself (such as feeling tired, distracted or uninspired) or your surroundings (such as work pressures or family responsibilities). Plan ahead as to what you will do when these points of choice arise. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501755/original/file-20221219-13-3aerd0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Be prepared for points of choice.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><strong>11. Remind yourself it’s OK to make mistakes.</strong> Repeating “error management training” mantras has been shown to improve learning and performance, particularly on complex tasks <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.93.1.59">where people need to learn their way to a solution</a>. Try these: </p>
<blockquote>
<p>Errors are a natural part of the learning process. </p>
<p>I have made an error. Great! That gives me something to learn from. </p>
</blockquote>
<p><strong>12. Keep building your commitment.</strong> Lose that and all bets are off! All the above steps will help. It can also help to share your goals and progress with others, but <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/09/190903084051.htm">choose carefully</a>. Share your journey with people you respect, whose opinion of you matters, and whom you know won’t be a wet blanket.</p>
<p>Good luck. You’ve got this!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196482/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ute-Christine Klehe receives funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren A. Keating and Peter A. Heslin do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Setting goals is one thing. Achieving them another. We’ve distilled the research down to 12 goal-enabling tips.Peter A. Heslin, Professor of Management and Scientia Education Academy Fellow, UNSW SydneyLauren A. Keating, Assistant Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Psychology, EM Lyon Business SchoolUte-Christine Klehe, Full Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of GiessenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1958222022-12-16T11:08:18Z2022-12-16T11:08:18ZFestive bulge: scientists offer advice on how to beat overeating<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/498760/original/file-20221203-17-v906i1.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Christmas and New Year are holidays with dietary excesses that many of us cannot control. This often leads to the “festive bulge”. As the holidays approach, could there be a recipe to contain this weight gain and pave the way to sustainable nutrition-based health at the same time? </p>
<p>There’s a lot of focus on what we eat and how much we eat – but what about <em>when</em> we eat?</p>
<p>Chrononutrition is the science of how timing affects our responses to nutrients. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867415003025?via%3Dihub">Scientific insights</a> into when we eat suggest it may be worth exploring for better health.</p>
<p>While the idea of getting started on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370396/">chrononutrition over Christmas</a> can sound challenging, the guilty conscience that tends to follow feasting over the holidays may provide the needed motivation for the year ahead.</p>
<p>So for better health in the new year, why not try out time-restricted eating (TRE)? TRE is a type of <a href="https://theconversation.com/is-intermittent-fasting-actually-good-for-weight-loss-heres-what-the-evidence-says-183500">intermittent fasting</a>: a person eats all their meals and snacks within a particular time window, ranging from six to 12 hours each day. This implies 12 to 18 hours of fasting. </p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/is-body-weight-affected-by-when-you-eat-heres-what-science-knows-so-far-143303">More</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/delay-eating-breakfast-and-eat-dinner-early-if-you-want-to-lose-body-fat-new-study-101058">more research</a> suggests that this kind of timing may have a significant influence on our health via <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25404320/">interplays</a> between our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25815987/">body clocks and nutrition</a>. </p>
<p>As researchers with a focus on circadian biology, we have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370396/">identified the festive season</a> as a suitable starting point for a lifestyle change to time-restricted eating. </p>
<h2>What is chrononutrition?</h2>
<p>The basic idea of chrononutrition is that the body’s response to the timing of meals can promote well-being and health via the circadian timing system. This timing system refers to the internal 24-hour mechanism that primes our bodies for the challenges and stimuli of the 24-hour day. This includes when nutrients are likely to be consumed, how they are used within the body at a given time and how the body responds to them at a given time. </p>
<p>A rodent experiment in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jn/article-abstract/10/1/63/4725662">1930s</a> led to a focus on counting calories and calorie-restricted eating. This dietary restriction extended the lifespan of rats in this case. It was subsequently shown in a wide range of species. The promise is large: if you eat less, then weight loss, better health and a longer life may follow. </p>
<p>The rodent experiment was followed by research into diets that foster health and prevent disease. Interest in <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3794831/">“meal-timing, circadian rhythms and lifespan”</a> was sparked by Franz Halberg (known as the father of American chronobiology), among others, in the 1980s. </p>
<p>These studies around food and behaviour take <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25404320/">evolutionary considerations</a> into account. For instance, rodents gain fitness when fed in a time-restricted manner. In contrast, human behaviour tends to involve more <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26411343/">erratic eating patterns</a> during the hours when people are awake. </p>
<h2>Lifestyle changes</h2>
<p>So what practical advice can we give on the occasion of Christmas and New Year from the <a href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2017/advanced-information/">2017 Nobel Prize-winning field of chronobiology</a>? The field gained recognition for its discoveries into how internal clocks organise our physiology and enable us to live in harmony with the external rhythms of day and night. </p>
<p>Findings from this field point to a simple lifestyle change: limiting when you eat to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4255155/">eight to 10 hours</a> a day could protect you from developing obesity, or even lessen the negative health impacts of existing obesity. And time-restricted eating can work even if practised for only <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4255155/">five days per week</a>. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/intermittent-fasting-if-youre-struggling-to-lose-weight-this-might-be-why-123498">Intermittent fasting: if you're struggling to lose weight, this might be why</a>
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<p>Importantly, if you can reduce a long habitual eating window (for instance, 15 hours) to a time-restricted eating window of eight hours, you are likely to benefit more than someone who reduces a habitual eating window of 10 hours to eight hours. Reductions in eating-time windows have already <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2114833?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">been found</a> to help some overweight humans lose weight, sleep better and feel more energised.</p>
<p>Granted, much of the evidence comes from animal studies – and humans are certainly not big mice. Nonetheless, there have been no reports of detriments to this practice in humans. However, there has been <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0899900722001897?via%3Dihub">one report</a> of possible disadvantages to offspring in a pregnant animal model of time-restricted eating. </p>
<h2>Late breakfast and early supper</h2>
<p>Why not try what some studies suggest and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9370396/">start time-restricted eating over Christmas</a>, or put it on your New Year’s resolution list? </p>
<p>To get started, consider having a late breakfast and an early dinner. Of course, if in doubt about the impact of time-restricted eating – or if you have medical or dietary restrictions, or are pregnant – talk to your doctors first for advice.</p>
<p>Beyond paying attention to calorie intake and food composition, “when we eat” is a relatively simple and potentially sustainable approach.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195822/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The festive season provides great motivation to make lifestyle changes around eating habits.Thomas C. Erren, Professor, University of ColognePhilip Lewis, Research associate, University of CologneUrsula Wild, Research Associate, University of CologneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1742312022-01-19T20:00:03Z2022-01-19T20:00:03Z5 tips for choosing the best YouTube fitness videos to change your exercise behaviour<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440927/original/file-20220114-19-17dz906.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=191%2C603%2C6408%2C3862&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Behavioural change techniques frequently used in in-person fitness training were often absent from YouTube videos.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/5-tips-for-choosing-the-best-youtube-fitness-videos-to-change-your-exercise-behaviour" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Every January, New Year’s resolutions regarding exercise means there’s <a href="https://time.com/5753774/new-years-resolutions-exercise/">a surge in intentions be more physically active</a>. Typically, gyms and recreation centres see a <a href="https://runrepeat.com/gym-membership-statistics">boost in membership sales and attendance</a> at the beginning of the year. </p>
<p>However, the restrictions placed in response to COVID-19 have encouraged many to turn to digital alternatives for exercising. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/trends/articles/stay-home-workout-at-home/">One popular avenue for digital fitness is YouTube</a>. Early in the pandemic, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/trends/articles/covid-impact/">YouTube fitness creators saw dramatic increases in their popularity</a>. </p>
<p>It’s clear that these YouTube fitness videos represent an <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.590172">accessible, free and convenient means to engage in pandemic-safe forms of exercise</a>. What’s less clear to researchers is how YouTube fitness videos compare to traditional in-person instruction.</p>
<h2>Behaviour change techniques</h2>
<p>As physical activity and digital health researchers, my colleagues and I were interested in whether YouTube fitness creators used any <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK327617/">behaviour change techniques</a> in their videos to improve exercise practice and adherence. Behaviour change techniques are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-013-9486-6">established strategies</a> that can help to prompt, motivate and/or sustain behaviour changes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2018.1547120">like exercise</a>. They include things like setting goals, planning for action, repetition and self-monitoring progress. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An older man with a beard on a yoga mat looking at a laptop screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441017/original/file-20220117-19-nft6b7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">As gyms and rec centres rotate between restrictions and guidelines for when and how they can operate during the pandemic, YouTube fitness videos can provide an entertaining and valuable alternative.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Mikhail Nilov)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In a study to be published in <em><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/home/hpq">Journal of Health Psychology</a></em>, we looked at the 15 most popular YouTube fitness channels (as of Dec. 31, 2020) and studied the top five most popular videos for each channel to see what kinds of behavioural change techniques they used, if any. </p>
<p>Overall, videos used on average 12.5 behaviour change techniques. The most frequently used ones were demonstration of the behaviour, instruction on how to perform the behaviour and unspecified social support, which includes things like encouraging and motivating words. </p>
<p>How the videos introduced the behaviour change techniques also varied. For example, some creators didn’t talk during their workouts, while others voiced-over their workouts or spoke while working out. One channel, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrY2Kv_BYKo">Roberta’s Gym</a>, didn’t even feature a real person exercising, but rather a 3D model of a person performing the exercises. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Young woman with a ponytail doing stretches while looking at a laptop screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=925&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441019/original/file-20220117-17-au6qrw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1163&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Restrictions placed on gyms and recreation centres in response to COVID-19 have encouraged many to turn to digital alternatives for exercising at home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Tim Samuel)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The number of behavioural change techniques used also ranged from only one to 27. In fact, many of the behaviour change techniques that are frequently used with in-person training such as setting goals, creating plans or giving feedback, were mostly absent in these videos — likely a limitation of the video format.</p>
<p>We were also interested in whether the number or type of behavioural change techniques used was related to the popularity of a creator’s videos. Surprisingly, neither the number of behaviour change techniques used nor the use of any specific one was associated with a video’s views, likes or comments. </p>
<p>From this, we gather that there are likely other factors that play a role in a video or creator’s popularity. It may be that people may relate to the look of a video, the instructor’s personality or the type of workouts that a particular creator has. The enjoyment or entertainment value of videos may also contribute to this popularity.</p>
<h2>5 tips for choosing YouTube fitness videos</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=243&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441018/original/file-20220117-27-t00b2f.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Behavioural change techniques are established strategies that can help to prompt, motivate and/or sustain behaviour changes like exercise.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pexels/Polina Tankilevitch)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For those looking to find a YouTube fitness channel that can help them stick to their exercise-related New Year’s resolutions, or just as a fun and accessible alternative to other forms of exercise, here are a few tips:</p>
<h2>1. Sample around</h2>
<p>Don’t feel limited to just what’s popular. We’ve listed some of the most popular channels here, but there are hundreds (if not thousands) of YouTube fitness creators. Our study found that the more popular channels didn’t necessarily use more behaviour change techniques, so if you’re the type of person who benefits from more encouragement and structure, refer to our list of who is using more of them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=359&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/441160/original/file-20220117-17-1pl2zw4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=452&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Table of the most popular YouTube fitness channels and behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used in an average video.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Find what fits you and your schedule or routine</h2>
<p>Among the top 15 channels we examined, nearly all of them incorporated high-intensity interval training (HIIT) in their videos. A lot of people like HIIT and there are <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2015-095841">established benefits to practising it</a> in terms of both health and time. However, if the idea of a high-intensity workout puts you off, then there are plenty of popular creators that focus on longer, more steady workouts or workouts aimed at beginners. </p>
<h2>3. Do more of what you like</h2>
<p>A YouTube fitness channel that leaves you feeling accomplished, capable and energized after a workout is a great indication that you’ve found something that works. The better people feel about themselves and the exercise they’ve done is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190499037.003.0011">strong predictor of whether they will return to exercise again</a>. </p>
<h2>4. Mix it up</h2>
<p>As previously mentioned, there is no end to the fitness content on YouTube. From bodyweight exercises to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene">yoga</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TheFitnessMarshall">dancing</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/bodybuildingcom">weight training</a> or <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/LeslieSansonesWalkatHome">walking</a>, there are countless ways to change up what your workout looks like. Keeping exercise interesting is a great way to keep sticking to goals.</p>
<h2>5. Take part in the community</h2>
<p>Feeling socially supported <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-3797(02)00434-8">can help people stay motivated to exercise and overcome barriers that may arise</a>. Many creators run fitness challenges or have social media pages where you can interact with others who are also following the same videos. Some creators also host live workouts, where you can show up at a certain time and follow along and chat with them in real time.</p>
<p>Bringing in a friend or family member who would enjoy working out (or the results thereof) can help keep both of you accountable to your goals.</p>
<p>As gyms and recreation centres rotate between restrictions and guidelines for when and how they can operate, YouTube fitness videos present an entertaining and valuable alternative.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174231/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wuyou Sui does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers looked at the most popular YouTube fitness videos and the types of behavioural change techniques they used. Here’s what they found.Wuyou Sui, Postdoctoral fellow, Behavioural Medicine Lab, School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1738072022-01-12T16:13:38Z2022-01-12T16:13:38ZCover your face, wear a hat and stay hydrated to exercise safely through the winter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439960/original/file-20220110-25-hc6fgv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C26%2C5835%2C3904&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cold weather exercise can keep us healthy, but there are risks.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Let’s face it, winter in Canada is a reality we can’t ignore. And for many of us, it means getting outside and into the cold for work, chores and exercise. But there are ways to improve your comfort and safety while being active outdoors in cold weather.</p>
<p>First off, “cold” is what physiologists (people who study human function and structure) call a “stressor,” which means your body recognizes cold as something it needs to accommodate to stay in homeostasis (when your body functions are steady). </p>
<p>We can immerse ourselves in different types of cold — including cold air and cold water — where the cold environment can be accentuated by wind and snow or rain. Here are some guidelines for exercising in cold air — there is different advice <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/2046-7648-3-12">for cold-water swimming</a>.</p>
<p>If you have underlying heart conditions or high blood pressure, talk to your physician about how long you should stay outdoors and what sorts of activities are recommended for you in winter.</p>
<h2>Maintaining core temperature</h2>
<p>Interestingly, in a nude or semi-nude state your body starts to recognize cold as a stressor at about 28.5 C. At this air temperature, your body’s coping mechanisms kick in to ensure your core temperature is maintained. This is why when you step out of a shower, or have few clothes on (like laying on a beach in summer) you will often shiver. </p>
<p>Adding insulative clothing to your body lowers the temperature you start to sense cold stress. In cold weather environments, our bodies produce a lot of heat when using energy to move our muscles for activities like shovelling snow or cross-country skiing. So if we wear proper insulative clothing and do enough muscular work, we can feel quite comfortable — what is called thermal comfort — in cold to very cold weather. </p>
<p>However, there are still ways to reduce risk and improve comfort while exercising outside in cold weather. Here are some things to think about as you make decisions about exercise outdoors in the winter.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A group of people in winter athletic gear stretch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439963/original/file-20220110-23-seck51.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dressing appropriately for weather conditions can keep you safe and increase your enjoyment of activities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Cover your skin</h2>
<p>Reduce your exposed skin, everywhere you can. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000907">recently updated guidelines from the American College of Sports Medicine</a> indicate that frostbite, which is a “direct freezing injury … of skin surface” can occur at just -3 C. Tissues with less blood flow, such as hands, feet and head are more vulnerable, especially when the cold air is extreme (less than -15 C air temperature or -27 C wind chill). </p>
<p>Frostbite can be accelerated by contact with cold materials (metal, snow, ice) and by wet skin. Wear insulative clothing that has a high wicking ability to draw moisture off skin, and keep your head, feet and hands covered at all times!</p>
<p>Your face should also be covered for a few reasons. Covering your cheeks, forehead, nose and neck improves regulation of thermal comfort, especially in windy conditions, making activities like tobogganing or alpine skiing more comfortable. The skin on your face can takes a real beating — <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050060">even in moderately windy conditions, your face skin temperature can decrease 25 C</a>. </p>
<p>If you have some underlying chronic conditions, including high blood pressure or heart disease, you should cover your face. Exposing a bare face to cold — as little as -5 C — engages parts of the nervous system which can increase blood pressure. Simply wearing a toque and scarf <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1176-5">can reduce this increase</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="a young child with bare hands and reddened fingertips in the snow" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439962/original/file-20220110-22-71p8rz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Frostbite and frostnip, can result in severe health consequences if not treated quickly with appropriate medical care.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Protect your lungs and breath</h2>
<p>Our lungs are especially vulnerable to cold air environments, where exercise actually increases the stress on the lung in winter conditions. Your lungs, for good reason, want to warm and humidify the air we breathe to body temperature and 100 per cent humidity. They do a really good job of this at rest, but during exercise, it requires more effort to condition the air you breath in. </p>
<p>Add cold air on top of high breathing rates (as seen during exercise) and your lungs are really challenged to warm and humidify each breath. Cooling of the airway is associated with a nervous system response and drying of the airway is associated with an inflammatory response, both <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091292">which can constrict the lung (often called cold air bronchoconstriction)</a>. </p>
<p>Cold weather activity at less than 0 C, at moderate exercise intensity (brisk walking pace), <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2019.1583528">also results in respiratory symptoms</a> including the very common runny nose and feeling irritated in the nose (itchy, burning sensation). For more intense exercise (like a hard run or cross-country ski) the symptoms increase, and can include excess mucous, productive cough (getting that mucous out) and unproductive cough (irritating cough), chest tightness (trouble breathing), wheeze and sore throat; <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resp.2019.103262">these symptoms can persist up to 24 hours after a hard cold weather workout</a>. </p>
<p>You can take several actions to reduce these symptoms. First, slowing down your exercise intensity gives your body a chance to condition the air in each breath. Second, covering your mouth with a buff, scarf or <a href="https://skiwax.ca/collections/airtrim">cold-weather mask</a> can help some capture moisture to humidify the next breath in. Third, reducing your total exposure time in cold air, because even 30 minutes of moderate exercise can increase your symptoms and airway constriction. And finally, drink enough water during prolonged bouts of cold weather because you can lose up 100 millilitres of water per hour due to heavy breathing exercise in cold air.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/irTG3UHjU7I?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">The Mayo Clinic provides tips on exercising in the cold.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Being prepared</h2>
<p>Being unprepared in cold weather increases your overall risk of hypothermia and other cold weather related injuries. In fact, more than half of deaths associated with natural weather events are due to cold weather — directly to accidental hypothermia (severe drop in core temperature leading to death) or when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1114208">hypothermia exacerbates a pre-existing condition</a>. Note that accidental hypothermia can also occur in moderate cold, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/H07-041">which potentially puts outdoor enthusiasts at risk</a>. </p>
<p>It is also well documented that consumption of alcohol is a major risk factor in accidental hypothermia, <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr076.pdf">along with prolonged exposure and inadequate clothing</a>. Other cold weather injuries include frostbite and frostnip, which can result in severe health consequences <a href="https://www.aafp.org/afp/2019/1201/p680.html">if not treated quickly with appropriate medical care</a>. </p>
<p>I hope this has helped you better understand some of the physiology behind how humans interact with cold air environments. More importantly I hope you can use some of these tips to enhance your enjoyment and safety in the winter, especially when the temperature dips well below 0 C.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173807/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michael Kennedy receives funding from MITACS. </span></em></p>Preparing for being active in cold weather can help keep us safe and increase our enjoyment.Michael Kennedy, Associate professor, Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1741772022-01-05T15:59:54Z2022-01-05T15:59:54ZLearn time management to make those New Year’s resolutions stick<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439201/original/file-20220103-117041-1w881i8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5324%2C3552&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Popular New Year's resolutions include exercising, learning a new skill and travelling.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/learn-time-management-to-make-those-new-year-s-resolutions-stick" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Does this sound familiar? You make <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/new-years-resolution-2022-meaning-origin-ideas-1662947">a New Year’s resolution</a>, like learning a new language, reading more books or playing an instrument. You’re really excited at the beginning. You even go out and buy books or sign up for lessons. But then life happens. </p>
<p>You get busy at work, you have to take care of your kids or elderly parents, and before you know it, the month is over and you’ve barely made a dent.</p>
<p>Worse, you feel more and more like your resolution conflicts with your daily life. Every day you try to fit in time for it feels like an extra burden, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.14.0130">which increases your sense of time pressure</a>. This is one of the most experienced — but rarely talked about — aspects of New Year’s resolutions: they squeeze your time.</p>
<p>Because this keeps happening year after year, it might be helpful to understand why.</p>
<h2>How we think about time</h2>
<p>It’s no secret that people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2018.04.011">don’t think about time very rationally</a> — we often fall prey to cognitive biases that distort our perception of time. And two such biases play a big role in our unsuccessful New Year’s resolutions.</p>
<p>First, there’s the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1901">fresh start effect</a>. This psychological phenomenon makes people see the beginning of a new year (or a new semester, month <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2019.02.005">or even week</a>) as an opportunity to distance themselves from their past failures. </p>
<p>It does this by resetting people’s mental accounting of time, making them believe that they can start anew and do better this time around (“new year, new me”). As a result, people become a lot more motivated and confident, which makes them want to take on more challenges and become their best selves — perhaps to a fault.</p>
<p>Then there’s the dreadful <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0096-3445.134.1.23">“yes … damn!” effect</a>, a bias that makes people wrongly believe they will have more time in the future than right now. This is the cognitive bias responsible for why so many of us agree to future activities like agreeing to be on a committee (“yes”), but then regret it when time comes because we realize we don’t have the free time we thought we would (“damn!”). </p>
<p>Around New Year’s, it’s easy to convince ourselves that time will be on our side, especially since we still have a whole year ahead of us. But as time goes on, this delusion quickly becomes apparent.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman writes in a journal while looking at her watch" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439210/original/file-20220103-48250-hc7za8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Time management will allow you to carve out time for all the things you want to accomplish.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Time blind</h2>
<p>Is there anything we can do about this? Interestingly, the authors of the “yes …damn!” effect <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0096-3445.134.1.23">noted that it’s hard for people to</a> “learn from feedback that time will not be more abundant in the future because of the irregular ways people spend their time … they perceive that activities that compete for their time today are irrelevant to those that will compete in the future.”</p>
<p>In other words, we don’t learn from our “yes … damn!” mistakes when our days aren’t structured and predictable. We can’t learn our lessons when there are no apparent patterns to how we use time — lack of structure makes us time-blind.</p>
<p>In a sense, failing to structure our time is a bit like living in a messy house. The clutter makes it hard for people to clearly see the furniture and appliances they own. Just as people make resolutions they don’t have time for around New Year’s, messy homeowners get tempted to buy things they don’t need (or don’t have space for) because they don’t know what they already have.</p>
<h2>Seeing time</h2>
<p>The solution? Structure your time.</p>
<p>Try time management. It is an essential <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1742-9536.2011.00008.x">tool to establish structure in your day-to-day life</a>. When your days are more structured and organized, you can get a better, more realistic idea of how much time you have to take on new commitments. </p>
<p>An organized schedule cures time blindness — it’s much harder to over commit when you can see your time structured and laid out in front of you.</p>
<p>Time management also <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2016.0166">helps you make time to acquire new skills</a>. We often forget that anything in life takes time. That’s why the first step toward getting better at something is learning how to make time for it. And that’s exactly what time management does: it gives you time to work on the things that are important to you.</p>
<p>So this year, instead of making new resolutions that will <em>take</em> you more time, resolve to learn a skill that will <em>make</em> you more time. </p>
<p>Time management will allow you to carve out time for all the things you want to accomplish this year and for many years to come.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174177/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Brad Aeon receives funding from federal and provincial research grants. </span></em></p>New Year’s resolutions can help us aim for a better future, but time management is the real key to actually achieving those resolutions.Brad Aeon, Assistant Professor, Time Management Researcher, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1735412022-01-03T16:57:46Z2022-01-03T16:57:46ZYou can’t outrun your fork. But that doesn’t mean exercise can’t help you lose weight or change your diet.<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438904/original/file-20211222-23-1xnslqm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=746%2C81%2C6077%2C4491&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">You can't exercise away a poor diet.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 175px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/you-can-t-outrun-your-fork--but-that-doesn-t-mean-exercise-can-t-help-you-lose-weight-or-change-your-diet-" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Every January, millions of individuals make New Year’s <a href="https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/10-top-new-years-resolutions-for-success-happiness-in-2019.html">resolutions</a> to lose weight or eat healthier, if not both. To achieve this goal, many individuals will begin strenuous exercise programs that incorporate too much exercise <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nomanazish/2019/08/08/fitness-burnout-is-real-heres-how-to-beat-it/?sh=55dd4b645a61">too soon</a>, leading to fitness burnout or injury. <a href="https://theconversation.com/overtraining-probably-isnt-behind-your-weight-loss-plateau-heres-why-170758">Overtraining</a> can actually prevent you from losing weight.</p>
<p>As a health neuroscientist, I have been studying the brain and cognitive mechanisms underlying dietary behaviours and the role exercise plays in helping people improve their diets for over 10 years. </p>
<h2>Energy and exercise</h2>
<p>The truth is that you simply cannot <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nancyhuehnergarth/2016/02/03/why-you-cant-exercise-your-way-to-weight-loss/?sh=57c341ad723b">exercise away</a> a poor diet and expect to lose weight (if that is your goal). Humans are very good at conserving energy and will account for any calories burned through exercise by consuming more calories later in the day or by being <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-012-0008-7">less physically active</a> throughout the rest of the day.</p>
<p>That being said, you can — and should — use exercise to help you lose weight and maintain your weight loss. But not to offset calories consumed. </p>
<p>If you are looking to lose weight, the only way to do it is by <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-lose-weight-and-keep-it-off-according-to-science-110674">controlling your calorie intake</a>. The best and most effective way of doing that is limiting the consumption of ultra-processed foods — typical “junk foods” and fast-food meals. Even if you are not trying to lose weight, reducing ultra-processed food consumption is good for mental and physical health. </p>
<p>Regular exercise makes it easier to do this by improving the brain and cognitive processes that help us regulate junk food consumption, and by reducing stress. And the best part is, as little as 20 minutes of brisk walking is all you need to get the beneficial effects.</p>
<h2>Why we over-consume junk foods</h2>
<p>We know that we shouldn’t overeat candy, cookies, cake and chips, or drink sugary sodas. Diets that are high in these ultra-processed foods cause us to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008">gain weight</a>. But they are just so hard to resist. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Donuts with sprinkles in a white box" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438890/original/file-20211222-167342-j6igpz.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ultra-processed junk foods have been designed to be as tasty and rewarding as possible.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Pixabay)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Ultra-processed junk foods have been designed to be as tasty and rewarding as possible. When we are exposed to media advertisements, or actual food items (for example, chocolate bars in the checkout lane at grocery stores), brain activity in regions associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-021-00455-9">reward processing</a> increases. This reward-related brain activity results in increased food cravings and the drive to eat, even when we are not hungry. </p>
<p>A brain region known as the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2019.01.005">dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC</a>) helps us limit the consumption of ultra-processed foods by both decreasing activity in these reward regions to reduce food cravings and by initiating the cognitive processes needed to exert conscious control over food choices.</p>
<p>When using <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.4249/scholarpedia.1478">functional brain imaging</a> to examine brain responses, neuroscientists have shown that increased activity in the dlPFC helps us control <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007779107">food cravings</a> and select healthier food items by decreasing activity in the reward regions of the brain. Conversely, when <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000090">activity in the dlPFC is decreased</a>, we have a harder time resisting the temptation of appealing junk foods and will consume more snack foods.</p>
<h2>Exercise can help regulate food consumption</h2>
<p>Exercise boosts brain plasticity, which is the brain’s <a href="https://dictionary.apa.org/brain-plasticity">ability to adapt</a> its functions based on new input. Boosting brain plasticity makes it easier to change our habits and lifestyle. More and more evidence has shown that regular physical activity can increase <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.12.003">prefrontal brain function</a> and improve cognition. </p>
<p>These exercise-induced increases in prefrontal brain function and cognition makes it easier to regulate or limit our consumption of junk foods. And we can see the effects with as little as 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise.</p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="Silhouette or a head with a man running and gears turning in the cranium" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=623&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438891/original/file-20211222-18663-m03jiv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=783&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regular physical activity can increase prefrontal brain function and improve cognition.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I have shown that people consume less ultra-processed food such as chips or milk chocolate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2016.04.008">after 20 minutes</a> of moderate-intensity exercise (in our study, this was a brisk walk at 5.6-6.1 kilometres per hour on a treadmill with a slight incline). Research has also shown that both a single session of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.07.018">high-intensity interval training</a> and a 12-week high-intensity aerobic exercise program can reduce preferences or appetite for high-calorie junk foods. Similar effects are seen when people engage in moderate <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.10.018">aerobic exercise or strength training</a>.</p>
<p>The key takeaway here is that regular exercise can reduce how much people want junk foods and improve their ability to resist the temptation of these appealing foods by improving brain function and cognition. This makes it easier to limit the consumption of these foods to achieve healthier eating and weight loss goals.</p>
<h2>Exercise also helps reduce stress</h2>
<p>When people are stressed, the body releases a <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-stress-can-make-you-eat-more-or-not-at-all/">hormone called cortisol</a>, which activates what is known as the fight-or-flight response. When cortisol levels are high, the brain thinks it needs more fuel, resulting in increased cravings for sugary or salty ultra-processed foods.</p>
<p>Participation in regular exercise or a single bout of exercise reduces perceived stress levels and <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax">cortisol levels</a>. Exercise also helps <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10020176">reduce unhealthy drink and food consumption</a> when people are stressed.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two young men walking in exercise clothes" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438898/original/file-20211222-25-1swsuil.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Next time you are feeling stressed, try going for a brisk 20-minute walk. It could prevent you from stress-eating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Stress can also impact how the brain functions. Research has shown that stress can result in decreased activity in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0807041106">prefrontal cortex</a> and increased activity in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.05.016">reward regions</a> of the brain when looking at pictures of food. This makes it harder to resist the temptation of appealing junk foods.</p>
<p>By offsetting the impact of stress on prefrontal brain function, exercise makes it easier to maintain your goals of healthier eating or reducing junk food consumption. Twenty minutes of brisk walking can help the prefrontal cortex recover from temporary changes in activity, like the ones seen when people are stressed.</p>
<p>Next time you are feeling stressed, try going for a brisk 20-minute walk. It could prevent you from stress-eating.</p>
<h2>What exercise is best?</h2>
<p>Researchers often get asked what is the best exercise and how much exercise to do.</p>
<p>At the end of the day, the best exercise is one you enjoy and can sustain over time. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), aerobic exercise, meditation and mindfulness, yoga and strength training are all effective in helping improve diet by targeting prefrontal brain function and reducing stress.</p>
<p>If you are beginning a new exercise routine this new year, ease into it, be kind to yourself, listen to your body and remember that a little goes a long way.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173541/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cassandra J. Lowe receives funding from CIHR and the Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF; BrainsCAN)</span></em></p>Exercise can’t make up for a poor diet, but it can help change eating habits. Regular exercise improves the brain and cognitive processes that help regulate junk food consumption and reduces stress.Cassandra J. Lowe, Postdoctoral Fellow, The Brain and Mind Institute, Department of Psychology, Western UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1737402022-01-02T12:58:10Z2022-01-02T12:58:10ZGot health goals? Research-based tips for adopting and sticking to new healthy lifestyle behaviours<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438858/original/file-20211222-48250-y91lma.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=422%2C292%2C4919%2C3304&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Health goals are among the most popular New Year's resolutions, but failing to stick to them is so common that it has become a cliché.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>New Year’s resolutions are an annual ritual of setting intentions for self-betterment, and health behaviour goals — such as improving healthy eating and physical activity — are among the most popular. Unfortunately, failing to stick to those new goals is so common that it has become a cliché. </p>
<p>This is backed by research evidence. Studies have repeatedly shown that over half of people who form health behaviour intentions <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12265">fail to enact them</a>. </p>
<p>There are caveats to this statistic, of course. Short-term health behaviour goals are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2010.521684">more likely to be enacted than long-term</a>, and those who are returning to a pattern of behaviour they used to practice are <a href="https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781003176695-2/enacting-physical-activity-intention-ryan-rhodes-henry-la-alison-quinlan-stina-grant">more likely to follow through with their intentions</a> compared to those who are adopting a new health behaviour. </p>
<p>It’s important to note that having an intention to change behaviour is an essential first step. Few people regularly engage in healthy behaviours <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/bjhp.12032">without those initial good intentions</a>. Sticking to health behaviour goals, however, is the critical factor. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A pair of sneakers hanging against a yellow background" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438871/original/file-20211222-19-8mk7tp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Difficulty in following through on healthy intentions often comes from strategic challenges, and from more basic underlying human tendencies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Why do we struggle with health behaviour goals?</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-061020-105721">Self-regulation is an extensive research topic in psychology</a>. As a professor of health psychology, my research focuses on understanding the “intention-behaviour gap” in physical activity, and testing interventions that may help close this gap. </p>
<p>My own research, and studies from my colleagues, has shown evidence that difficulty in following through on intentions often comes from two sources. The first is strategic challenges, which are flawed approaches to thinking about goals and behaviour. The second is basic human tendencies when faced with what psychologists call <a href="https://dictionary.apa.org/approach-avoidance-conflict">approach/avoidance</a> conflict: when something is appealing and unappealing at the same time.</p>
<p>In terms of strategic challenges, the details of the goal itself can be one of the first indicators of whether someone will struggle. For example, the intention to engage in physical activity is often based on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2003.08.001">desired long-term outcomes</a> (such as weight control, fitness and reducing the risks of chronic disease) without due consideration of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1097/jes.0b013e31821b94c8">time and effort required to perform regular physical activity itself</a>. </p>
<p>Another key strategic challenge is the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037%2Fa0032584">failure to consider multiple goals</a>, which is likely to under-estimate the <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/0033-295X.87.4.355">resources needed to perform other behaviours</a>. Juggling multiple goals is one of the prime reasons why new intentions are often abandoned: new behaviours like exercise must compete with or coincide with all the other things someone needs or wants to do.</p>
<p>Contemporary research also shows that people may have automatic tendencies that, on balance, tend to derail health behaviours. For example, people have a basic underlying tendency to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5193(05)80594-6">approach experiences that are pleasant and avoid experiences that are unpleasant</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman in fitness clothes sitting on a sofa snacking and ignoring her fitness equipment while turning on the tv" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438865/original/file-20211222-21-zqqwa0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The tendency to ditch healthy eating and exercise plans arose from an evolutionary survival strategy to minimize energy costs. This makes people tend to avoid unnecessary movement (like exercise) while increasing their energy stores (snacking on energy-dense foods).</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Physical activity can be an adverse experience for many because it requires the body to stop resting and experience some exhaustion and discomfort. This negative experience <em>during</em> the activity is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-015-9704-5">more predictive of future behaviour</a> than the positive feelings <em>after</em> one completes a bout of physical activity. </p>
<p>Relatedly, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000168">research stemming from evolutionary biology</a> has supported a basic human tendency to minimize energy costs, which stems from an evolutionary survival necessity. This makes people tend to avoid unnecessary movement (like exercise) while increasing their energy stores (snacking on energy-dense foods), creating an <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1249%2FJES.0000000000000252">underlying temptation to ditch our healthy eating and physical activity plans</a>.</p>
<h2>Effective strategies for sticking with intentions</h2>
<p>When we understand why we are not enacting our new health behaviour goals, it can help in developing counter-measures. Research in this area is ongoing, with diverse approaches. Strategies can be prospective (i.e. developed before enactment of the goal) or reactive (i.e. used at the point of enactment decision) in their implementation. </p>
<p>To overcome strategic challenges, research has shown the <a href="http://doi.org/10.1017/9781108677318.039">effectiveness of developing detailed plans</a>, such as formulation of what you are going to do, how, where and when you will do it, followed by contingencies if there is a conflict with your plan. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two hands, one holding a green apple and the other holding a donut with pink icing and sprinkles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=308&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438874/original/file-20211222-129369-sp4605.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">When faced with a strong urge to abandon a health goal for a more immediately gratifying diversion, take a moment to acknowledge your primal feelings, but enact your valued intentions.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000025">Monitoring your goals regularly</a> is also one of the most successful approaches to keeping a behaviour on your radar. </p>
<p>In terms of our more automatic tendencies to disrupt health behaviour intentions, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.07.001">a focus on the behavioural experience itself</a> is critical. Making the health behaviour as pleasant, convenient and meaningful to you as possible, and performing it at times when you have the most energy (to fight temptations), will help <a href="http://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190499037.001.0001">increase the probability of following through</a> on good intentions. </p>
<p>However, in times when you are faced with a strong urge to abandon your health goal for a more immediately gratifying diversion, this is when you want to <a href="http://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2020.1727759">take a moment to acknowledge your primal feelings, but enact your valued intentions</a>.</p>
<p>It’s important to keep in mind that most of the health changes people are trying make with these good intentions are lifestyle behaviours. As such, a few slipped days are inconsequential to the overall goal. </p>
<p>There is also theory and evidence that self-regulation strategies like the ones above <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.725671">may become less necessary over time</a>. This because people begin to form habits from repeating these actions, as well as a sense of satisfaction or identity from continual practice that enables them to take ownership of the behaviour and categorize themselves in the role. So sticking to those intentions in the short term will likely make it easier to continue over a lifetime.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173740/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ryan Rhodes receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada . </span></em></p>Over half of people who intend to make healthy lifestyle changes fail to do so. Understanding the automatic tendencies that prevent people from enacting a new health habit can help them stick to it.Ryan Rhodes, Professor, Health Psychology, University of VictoriaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1733032022-01-02T12:58:04Z2022-01-02T12:58:04ZPlant-based doesn’t always mean healthy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438082/original/file-20211216-15-1e2b7k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5742%2C3837&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Some plant-based foods are high in calories and sodium content.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As we ring in the new year and people announce their resolutions and goals for 2022, many opt for getting healthy, cutting out drinking or starting a new hobby. <a href="https://chooseveg.com/blog/new-years-resolution-go-vegan-advice/">Vegan magazines</a> and organizations are pushing plant-based diets — calling it the “<a href="https://www.peta.org/features/ultimate-new-years-resolution-go-vegan/">ultimate new year’s resolution</a>.”</p>
<p>But plant-based meats are often high in sodium, ultra-processed and not any healthier than the meat they imitate. Meanwhile, <a href="https://foodinsight.org/consumer-survey-plant-alternatives-to-meat/">nearly half of the consumers</a> think they are more nutritious. So if your resolution is related to health, you may want to reconsider switching to a plant-based diet if it involves plant-based meat.</p>
<p>The Impossible Burger, for example, is an impressive meat-free mix of soy, potato proteins, coconut and sunflower oils. It even bleeds like the real thing. At the same time its <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/ca/burger">calorie count</a> and saturated fat levels mirror a McDonald’s <a href="https://www.mcdonalds.com/ca/en-ca/about-our-food/nutrition-calculator.html">quarter-pounder</a> patty, and it has six times more sodium.</p>
<p>The global market for plant-based meat is projected to explode to <a href="https://www.ubs.com/global/en/wealth-management/insights/chief-investment-office/sustainable-investing/2019/food-revolution.html">US$85 billion</a> in 2030. And grocery stores are taking note, featuring an array of burgers, sausages, nuggets, ground meat and seafood options all without any trace of animal products.</p>
<h2>What’s the nutritional benefit?</h2>
<p>According <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082527">to one recent study</a>, the nutritional benefit of plant-based foods is minimal. Researchers from the Singapore Institute for Food and Biotechnology Innovation modelled the outcome of replacing bacon, chicken, beef burgers and ice cream with animal-free versions. </p>
<p>Diets that substituted animal products with the plant-based alternative were below the daily recommendations for vitamin B12, calcium, potassium, zinc and magnesium, and higher in sodium, sugar and saturated fat. </p>
<p>Even with <a href="https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2021/04/27/Beyond-Meat-unveils-the-Beyond-Burger-3.0-with-likeability-scoring-on-par-with-80-20-ground-beef-burgers">added vitamins and minerals</a>, these products are not nutritionally interchangeable, says Stephan van Vliet, a postdoctoral associate at the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute. “Meat made from plants isn’t meat made from cows and meat made from cows isn’t meat made from plants,” he says. </p>
<p>Animal sources like meat, milk and eggs are complete proteins, meaning they contain enough of the <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002222.htm">nine essential amino acids</a> we must get from our diets every day. Plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains often lack one or more of these amino acids and need to be eaten in combination. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Plant based meal prep, three tupperware containers are shown with rice, corn, avocado, tomato, beans and olives" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438080/original/file-20211216-19-1f2vktg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Simply focusing on protein is insufficient.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Unsplash/Ella Olsson)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Plant-based meat manufacturers argue their products contain similar amounts of protein that are <a href="https://faq.impossiblefoods.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034898454-Is-plant-based-protein-as-high-quality-as-animal-derived-protein-">comparable in quality to animal protein</a>. But focusing on protein is too “simplistic,” says van Vliet. “Foods contain hundreds to thousands of compounds that are capable of impacting human metabolism and health.”</p>
<p>Van Vliet and colleagues <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93100-3">compared 190 molecules</a> in plant-based meat alternatives with grass-fed ground beef and found that 90 per cent of them were different. Plant-based meat alternatives lacked certain amino acids and derivatives, like creatine, taurine and anserine, “which can all have an impact on our health and potentially brain function as well as muscle function,” he says. </p>
<p>Other <a href="https://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/What-are-Metabolites.aspx">metabolites</a> like polyphenols and antioxidants were found in greater quantities or exclusively in plant-based meats. He sees plant and animal source foods as complementary in our diet, where some nutrients are better obtained from animal sources and others from plants. </p>
<h2>The term plant-based</h2>
<p>“People opt for a plant-based burger for a variety of reasons,” says Rosie Schwartz, a Toronto-based consulting dietitian, “including reducing meat intake.” But she argues that consumers should rethink their reasoning if it’s because of health.</p>
<p>“To substitute something plant-based as a substitute because it’s called plant-based is really steering us in the wrong direction,” says Schwartz. </p>
<p>According to nutrition scientists and <a href="https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/">Canada’s Food Guide</a>, plant-based is the recommended way we should be eating. Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruits, and the other half with whole grains and proteins. </p>
<p>But “plant-based” also refers to anything from meat to paint to pillowcases, as long as they were made mostly or completely of plants, according to the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/words-were-watching-plant-based">Merriam-Webster dictionary</a>. </p>
<p>Just because it’s made from plants, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. “I do think it’s very confusing for the consumer,” says van Vliet. “It’s probably not the chicken, but everything else that comes with the chicken nugget that is probably detrimental to our health.” </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman blows into a ladle as she lifts it out of a pot of soup, vegetables are on a cutting board in front of her" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=25%2C0%2C5725%2C3828&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/438081/original/file-20211216-13-1lb8ftk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">If you’re opting for plant-based because of health, you should probably reconsider.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>The future of plant-based meats</h2>
<p>Up until this point, plant-based meat companies focused on the taste, texture and appearance of its products. These companies targeted meat eaters by creating plant-based marvels meant to look, taste and feel like the real thing.</p>
<p>Impossible Foods, the creator of the Impossible Burger, says <a href="https://impossiblefoods.com/blog/why-does-impossible-burger-taste-like-meat">90 per cent</a> of their customers are still meat eaters. It isn’t in the business of converting salad and tempeh-eating veggie lovers into fake meat consumers. </p>
<p>“The whole mission of Impossible Foods is to create plant-based products that compete directly against animal meat,” said Esther Cohn, communications manager at Impossible Foods. “If you eat five beef burgers a week, we want you to swap, even just try swapping one out for an Impossible Burger.”</p>
<p>With a booming market and <a href="https://www.latimes.com/food/story/2021-10-21/fake-meat-cultured-meat-plant-based-protein">new animal-free proteins</a> made from cells in a lab or fungi in fermentation tanks, the options are endless. Can they be adapted to be healthier as well? We’ll have to wait and see.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173303/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Meghan McGee does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As new year’s resolutions start pouring in, you may want to reconsider a plant-based diet if your motivation is health.Meghan McGee, Nutrition Scientist, Dalla Lana Fellow, University of TorontoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1723052021-12-30T19:16:27Z2021-12-30T19:16:27Z‘Drained and wary of the future’: why you might feel different about New Year’s resolutions this year<p>At the beginning of each year, many people make vows to either do or not do something to improve their life in some way. The fresh start of a new year is magically equated with a fresh start to life and often imbued with renewed hope that <em>this</em> year things will be better.</p>
<p>As we enter 2022, after two years of living with COVID-19, this hope may be stronger than usual.</p>
<p>The pandemic’s impacts have ranged from deaths and other adverse effects on physical and mental health, to huge changes in employment, income, travel, leisure and the ability to socialise. The effect on individuals has varied considerably, depending on what their life was like beforehand, how much it has affected them personally, and their own resilience. </p>
<p>Based on discussions with colleagues and patients, we may see resolutions driven by loss, guilt and anger, plus a rush on common types of self-improvement resolutions and a greater drive for overall life changes. </p>
<h2>Resilience</h2>
<p>How we respond to the shocks of the pandemic depends in part on our <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3402/ejpt.v5.25338">resilience</a>: the ability to adapt well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress. It involves “bouncing back” from difficult experiences, and it can also involve personal growth.</p>
<p>People who have lost loved ones to COVID may respond with New Year’s resolutions, but they may take positive or negative forms. </p>
<p>Positive resolutions might be commitments to honour the deceased in some way, or to live well because your loved one cannot. A pact or vow made with or to a deceased loved one to “live life better” can be a powerful, positive motivator to change bad health habits such as smoking, excessive drinking or gambling, although professional help is advisable to ensure safe and lasting change. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/symbolic-gestures-magical-thinking-new-years-resolutions-34243">Symbolic gestures, magical thinking: New Year's resolutions</a>
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<p>Negative resolutions, often driven by strong feelings of anger and despair, might be vows to seek revenge or punish those who may seem responsible for the death of their relative or friend. </p>
<p>“Revenge resolutions” are not usually helpful adaptations and may spring from a sense of guilt arising from not being able to save their loved one or spend time with them. </p>
<p>People who survived a COVID infection while a loved one did not, in particular, <a href="https://doi.apa.org/fulltext/2020-43452-001.html">often experience strong feelings of guilt</a>.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-survivors-guilt-a-growing-issue-as-reality-of-loss-settles-in-153705">COVID-19 survivor's guilt a growing issue as reality of loss settles in</a>
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<p>Guilt-driven resolutions are driven by powerful emotions. They are likely to be realised in some form throughout the year, when hopefully the driving emotions become less intense by the following year.</p>
<h2>Personal improvement</h2>
<p>Since the virus has posed a major health risk, it would make sense for more people than ever to choose the New Year to resolve to improve their own health.</p>
<p>Quitting smoking is a very common New Year’s resolution, and it seems even more sensible than usual amid a global pandemic of a virus that mainly attacks the respiratory system. However, as many people have found in the past, giving up cigarettes is very difficult and often requires significant planning and help to succeed. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436539/original/file-20211209-19-167gm8e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Quitting smoking or other drugs is a very common New Year’s resolution. But while the pandemic may have increased the desire for change, it won’t necessarily make it any easier to achieve.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>While the pandemic may have made the desire for change stronger, it does not magically make resolutions any easier to achieve. This applies similarly to resolutions to change the use of alcohol or other drugs, which would also benefit from planning and professional help.</p>
<p>Weight loss is another favourite New Year’s resolution. The famous “COVID kilos” will no doubt drive more people than usual to resolve to lose weight in 2022. </p>
<p>Crash diets are common, but are often abandoned by February. Careful eating and an exercise plan accompanying the resolution will make it more likely to succeed.</p>
<h2>Bigger changes</h2>
<p>While COVID is likely to give an extra edge to common resolutions, we are also likely to see a surge in resolutions for overall “lifestyle change”. Many people’s attitudes to work and family have changed dramatically over the past two years, due to travel restrictions, work or study from home, and little socialisation with those outside our immediate families.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/5-things-the-pandemic-has-revealed-about-the-australian-psyche-146215">5 things the pandemic has revealed about the Australian psyche</a>
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<p>This hugely significant alteration in our way of life has caused many people to reconsider their futures. </p>
<p>Many have found great enjoyment in spending time with family and are now rethinking their work–home balance. Discovering that working from home is possible has made many people reconsider their career options moving into 2022. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-05-10/quit-your-job-how-to-resign-after-covid-pandemic">experts anticipate</a> a post-pandemic work exodus, dubbed the “great resignation”, in which millions of people, from frontline workers to senior executives, may resign from their jobs. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436541/original/file-20211209-68670-gy08bg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">As working from home has become more common, attitudes to work and family have shifted.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>According to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/worklab/work-trend-index/hybrid-work">recent research</a> by Microsoft, more than 40% of the global workforce are considering leaving their employers. This trend is expected to be replicated in different industries in the USA, UK and Europe. In Australia, <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-great-resignation-is-a-myth-we-are-changing-jobs-less-than-ever-before-170784">this trend is not evident</a>, but nonetheless, a New Year’s resolution may be to determine a different type of employment for 2022 and beyond. </p>
<h2>Two paths for 2022</h2>
<p>COVID-19 has left most of us drained and wary of the future. Many people believed the pandemic would end in 2020, but 2021 brought more infection, lockdowns and restrictions. </p>
<p>In times of trauma, when the future is uncertain, there can be a polarisation of behaviours. Some people adopt a “devil may care, live for now” attitude to life, with greater risk taking. Others take the opposite attitude, and exercise extreme caution and narrow their existence further. </p>
<p>Both groups may well make New Year’s resolutions to fit their approach to life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172305/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Professor Kulkarni has received research grants in other areas from NHMRC,pharmaceutical industry, Victorian and Federal Governments. This work is unfunded and not influenced by any grants received by the author</span></em></p>After two years of pandemic life, New Year’s resolutions may come with a new intensity.Jayashri Kulkarni, Professor of Psychiatry, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1527392021-01-06T22:15:10Z2021-01-06T22:15:10ZStopping the spread of COVID-19 misinformation is the best 2021 New Year’s resolution<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/377390/original/file-20210106-17-iljfb3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=29%2C7%2C4962%2C3315&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Anxiety and other negative emotions can cause us to spread misinformation.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As we begin a new year and head back (at least virtually) to work and school, we might be thinking about personal things we would like to improve. Some people resolve to exercise more, stick to a budget or cut out sugar from their diet. Others resolve to write that book, use social media less or volunteer in their communities. These are all great ideas, and I’d like to add another one.</p>
<p>Though we all made our New Year’s resolutions on Jan. 1, I respectfully suggest a January resolution that would, if we each committed to it, produce a large positive impact on society. This year, I resolve — and would like to encourage others to resolve — to stop the spread of misinformation at the individual level.</p>
<p>In 2020, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0239666">misinformation was revealed to be a major issue</a> impacting elections, world politics and our health during COVID-19. And with the arrival of a new calendar year, the problem has not gone away. In fact, with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout now picking up steam, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/12/21/social-media-vaccine-misinformation-449770">we need to fight misinformation harder than ever before</a>.</p>
<h2>Misinformation and propaganda</h2>
<p><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300234015/misinformation-age">Misinformation is not new</a>, and propaganda has been part of political communication since the dawn of politics. <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190923624.001.0001">While misinformation can be spread by government and corporate public relations officials, celebrities and international bad actors</a>, it is enabled through our own social networks as we like and share information with others. </p>
<p>In other words, we can put a wrench in the works of those who are trying to sow deception and division by stopping a key flow of bad information.</p>
<p>But how can we stop the spread? To ensure we are not inadvertently sharing misinformation, we must first understand what drives us to share misinformation, so that we can identify our own triggers and resist them. None of us share information we think is false: we share information that seems true to us, and unwittingly spread misinformation in the process.</p>
<p>But wait, you say, I would never spread misinformation. I only spread true information. Unfortunately, the fact is that we all <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/06/05/stop-spreading-misinformation/">share information without checking it at least some of the time</a>, which is why <a href="http://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559">false information spreads online so much faster than the truth</a>. Social media platforms are designed to increase our engagement and as such, they actually nudge us towards sharing without thinking too hard about what we’re spreading.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/teaching-children-digital-literacy-skills-helps-them-navigate-and-respond-to-misinformation-145988">Teaching children digital literacy skills helps them navigate and respond to misinformation</a>
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<h2>Sharing information is a social act</h2>
<p>People have a wide variety of motivations for sharing information online. My team’s research on COVID-19 social media engagement shows that people will <a href="https://www.ideas-idees.ca/blog/canadian-researchers-analyse-spread-covid-19-misinformation-online">share information they think will help keep themselves and their loved ones safe</a>. This is supported by law professor Tim Caulfield, who writes that our <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/588525/relax-dammit-by-timothy-caulfield/9780735236325">perception of risk is likely to drive engagement with misinformation</a>. </p>
<p>Misinformation is <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/359/6380/1146">more likely to spread when it’s novel or uniquely interesting</a>. My own team’s ongoing research shows that people are more likely to trust information that they feel to be right, particularly if it’s delivered by people they perceive as experts.</p>
<p>What does this tell us about the individual’s role in sharing misinformation? Put simply, it shows that what causes us to share misinformation is a combination of factors: strong negative emotions like anxiety and perceived risk, social bonds between families, friends and loved ones across online and offline social networks, and feelings of correctness. </p>
<p>People share information they <em>feel to be true</em> because they’re worried and trying to keep loved ones safe. They share information delivered by people they trust — and sometimes those people aren’t actually experts in the field they are opining on.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BIYgJAJtmI4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A CityTV look at health misinformation spread by actress and lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>How to halt misinformation</h2>
<p>Understanding our own tendencies for sharing information and misinformation can help us stop the spread. </p>
<p>So how can knowing what motivates us to share content help us? You can short-circuit your automatic sharing tendencies and push back against the nudges from social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation to your own networks. It’s the same as making any change in your life: identify the triggers and change your behaviour.</p>
<p>This means that when the content makes you feel emotional — particularly if it makes you anxious — stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content is particularly new, novel or strange, stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content is something you want to share right away, because it has the perception of urgency about it (ACT NOW! WARNING!), stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content would be particularly appealing to your social networks, stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>If the content is shared by a celebrity, or someone who is not actually an expert in the subject of the content, stop and think before you click.</p>
<p>And most importantly, if you are sharing content because deep in your heart and soul, you know it to be true; if you are sharing content that “just feels right” — I cannot stress this enough — stop and think before you click.</p>
<h2>Moving beyond emotion</h2>
<p>I know when I feel really emotional, I don’t always think clearly, and I know when I want to share information that appeals to my family and friends, I’m not always thinking about accuracy, so I try to be extra careful in those moments.</p>
<p>I recommend following the SIFT framework developed at Washington State University that tells people to <a href="https://hapgood.us/2019/06/19/sift-the-four-moves/">stop, investigate the source, find trusted coverage and trace the claims back to the source</a>. This means thinking like a detective (or an investigative journalist) and gathering evidence for the information you are sharing with others.</p>
<p>Besides following the SIFT framework, when I stop and think before I click, I like to ask critical questions of the content I’m about to share. I ask: “Why do I think this is true?” and “How emotional do I feel about this topic?” I also ask: “Where can I find more information?”, “Who does this information benefit?” and “What might be an alternative viewpoint I haven’t considered?”</p>
<p>I’m not perfect, and I’ll probably still share inaccurate information at times. That’s why for 2021, I resolve to double down on my efforts to stop the spread of misinformation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/152739/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jaigris Hodson receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. </span></em></p>As fake news and propaganda increase, a worthwhile New Year’s resolution is getting out of the habit of spreading misinformation. And like any habit, becoming aware of triggers is the first step.Jaigris Hodson, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Royal Roads UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1514762021-01-06T19:45:31Z2021-01-06T19:45:31Z5 ways to get the most out of online fitness classes during COVID-19<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/374529/original/file-20201211-21-1szdl00.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=148%2C99%2C5362%2C3578&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">If you're getting bored of your usual fitness routine, there are many online options to try.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Julia Daun)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>With the <a href="https://theconversation.com/dangers-of-a-sedentary-covid-19-lockdown-inactivity-can-take-a-toll-on-health-in-just-two-weeks-149666">risks of inactivity</a> during the COVID-19 pandemic, staying active is more important than ever. Efforts to reduce the spread of the virus have forced us to adapt how and where we move, spurring an explosion of online fitness classes. Zoom, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube are redefining the “homebody.” </p>
<p>But with the rapid rise of living room bootcamp classes, it can be tricky to sift through the good and the bad. As researchers, fitness professionals and experts in behaviour change and online fitness delivery, we want to help you move safely, find classes you enjoy and choose workouts that help you reach your goals — whether you are new to online fitness or not.</p>
<h2>1. Safety first</h2>
<p>Are you ready to move more? The <a href="https://csepguidelines.ca/">Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines</a> recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week and strengthening activities on two or more days per week. Whether you are just getting started, meeting the guidelines or exceeding them, a <a href="https://www.csep.ca/CMFiles/GAQ_CSEPPATHReadinessForm_2pages.pdf">self-screen</a> and/or conversation with your family doctor can help ensure you are ready to move more. From there, consider:</p>
<p><strong>The credentials of the individual teaching your class</strong>. Did your instructor complete an undergraduate degree in health/fitness? Have they been certified by an accredited board, for example, the <a href="https://www.acsm.org/">American College of Sports Medicine</a> or the <a href="https://www.csep.ca/home">Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology</a>? Your instructor’s credentials matter for both your safety and your fitness results.</p>
<p><strong>Checking in with yourself during class</strong>. How hard are you working? One way to monitor your effort is by using a <a href="https://thrivehealthservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Measure-Your-Exercise-Intensity-1.pdf">rating of perceived exertion (RPE) scale</a> ranging from zero (no exertion; for example, when you are sitting down or lying on the couch) to 10 (maximum effort; the hardest you could ever possibly work). Though intensity varies from person to person and changes based on the fitness class, you can start by targeting your moderate-to-vigorous zone (four to seven out of 10 on the RPE scale). </p>
<p>Another easy way to check-in with your intensity during class is by using the talk test: if you can’t maintain a conversation while exercising, try lowering the intensity. If you could belt out your favourite song, you can try bringing the intensity up a notch. </p>
<p><strong>Setting up your environment for safety</strong>. Is your home gym also the office, living room and/or bedroom? Whatever your set-up, make sure you clear some space, have some water handy, keep equipment off to the side, optimize your view of your computer/phone/tablet and consider what footwear is necessary.</p>
<h2>2. The fun factor</h2>
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<img alt="A man on an exercise mat in front of a laptop, with weights and a bottle of water beside him" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376307/original/file-20201222-17-1fcfxj3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">With the proliferation of online fitness options during the COVID-19 pandemic, it can be tricky to sift through the good and the bad.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>What do you like to do? Put the fun back in your workout! As adults, we tend to focus on the workout, and not the fun, but research shows that the best way to maintain your fitness habit is to <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1186%2F1479-5868-9-78">keep your exercise enjoyable</a>. This means you should be having fun during your workout, so you can bask in that post-exercise glow. </p>
<p>If you’re getting bored of your usual fitness routine, change it up! Now, more than ever, there are (nearly) endless online options for you to try out — from dance to yoga to boxing to bootcamps, and everything in between. To avoid boredom, also consider variety (it is the spice of life, after all). Not only have researchers found that variety is linked with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.01.004">greater physical activity</a>, the Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines also suggest a range of activities in order to improve heart and bone health, muscular fitness and overall well-being.</p>
<h2>3. Availability and access</h2>
<p>What can you take part in and at what cost? Some programs have on-demand classes, others offer live programs and some do both. There are many free options: for example, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene">Yoga with Adriene</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPbDo1Dse11zDOdY0aie7ltoNfrULoNgW">Lululemon at home classes</a> and a range of paid memberships such as <a href="https://www.yourtruthonline.com/">Your Truth Online</a>, <a href="https://www.alomoves.com/">AloMoves</a> and <a href="https://www.onepeloton.ca/">Peloton</a>. </p>
<p>Love supporting local? Check out the fitness studios in your city or province; many are now offering online classes.</p>
<h2>4. The perks</h2>
<p>What else are you getting out of your workout? Do you receive additional motivational cues and support, like quick tips, check-ins or words of wisdom during your class? </p>
<p>A great fitness instructor <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2004.07.003">holds an important leadership role</a> and is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2014.893385">essential for creating a positive environment</a> — whether in person or on online. We know that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01236">motivational environment created by your instructor is key to ensuring you enjoy your class</a>, which is as important as the actual exercise for helping you develop the habit of engaging in regular physical activity. Instructors are also in a great position to help you set and check in with your goals. </p>
<p>New to goal setting or not getting it from your instructor? Try setting a <a href="https://thrivehealthservices.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/How-to-Set-SMARTT-Goals.pdf">SMARTT</a> goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely, together) for your activity.</p>
<h2>5. Be kind to yourself</h2>
<p>How are you treating yourself? As you start or continue your fitness journey, remember, these are unprecedented times, and we have all had to make some pretty big changes and sacrifices. <a href="https://self-compassion.org/category/exercises/">Practising self-compassion</a> as you navigate your (new) fitness routine can help you feel better. </p>
<p>Start by noticing your self-talk: How do you speak to yourself when class gets hard? If you find it is more negative than positive, flip the script and speak to yourself like you would a dear friend. </p>
<p>Do you think you are the only one struggling? Remember, many of us are new to online fitness and are at different stages of our fitness journeys. Building a new habit is never without its struggles! </p>
<p>Are you on auto-pilot? Next time you start a fitness class, turn off emails and put your phone away; focus on doing one thing at a time.</p>
<p>As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, physical activity is one way to take care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and (if in a group-based fitness class) socially. There are so many available fitness opportunities that it can be overwhelming. These quick tips can help you to start or maintain your fitness routine, try out new activities with local and international instructors and create lasting behaviour change so that you can keep moving more — redefining the “homebody!”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151476/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amanda Wurz was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Training in Research and Clinical Trials in Integrative Oncology, and Alberta Innovates postdoctoral fellowships during the preparation of this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Justine Dowd was supported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research postdoctoral fellowship during the preparation of this article and is affiliated with Justine Dowd, PhD Wholistic Health Coaching.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren C. Capozzi co-founded Thrive Health Services, a company specializing in training professionals to work with cancer survivors. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Culos-Reed receives funding from CIHR, the Canadian Cancer Society, and Alberta Cancer Foundation for her current work, Project EXCEL. She is also funded by Movember Canada, Alberta Innovates, and the University of Calgary. She is co-founder of Thrive Health Services Inc, a company specializing in training professionals to work with cancer survivors.</span></em></p>The restrictions put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a boom in online fitness opportunities. Here’s what to look for in online classes.Amanda Wurz, Postdoctoral Scholar, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryJustine Dowd, Postdoctoral Fellow, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryLauren C. Capozzi, Adjunct assistant professor; Resident Physician, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of CalgaryNicole Culos-Reed, Professor, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of CalgaryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.