Health Improvement Plan

Starting a health improvement plan is the only way to know where you are going and how you plan to get there. It should include fitness goals and healthy goals while focusing on the mind, body and spirit connection to achieve complete health and wellness. Don’t let this overwhelm you. Remember to create goals that can be measured and that have a deadline.

Your plan should be broken up into three separate categories: mind, body and spirit. These are the main interwoven components that affect your health the most. To achieve complete health and wellness you have to strive for excellence in all three. This doesn’t mean aiming for perfection; it means that you start on your journey to doing the best that you can so that you can get the most out of life.

Fitness goals should be set according to where you are now and where you would like to be. If your goal is to lose weight then cardio and weightlifting should be worked into your daily routine. Perhaps you’ve always thought of running a 5k or racing in a triathalon. Create a training schedule to start working on that. Keep in mind that losing 1-2 pounds a week is a healthy rate of weight loss and that being a couch potato equates to needing a minimum of 6 months or more to be ready for a triathalon. Be realistic in your deadlines but do set deadlines.

Healthy goals should include keeping your mind trained. Do you find yourself forgetting where you put your keys or what time your doctor’s appointment is? Don’t chalk it up to old age. Just like any other muscle, you need to exercise your brain. It can be something as simple as doing word search or crossword puzzles on a regular basis or perhaps taking an art or writing class you’ve always wanted to take. Make a decision that you are going to learn something new every week or every day. Be specific such as “I will join an art class within the next two weeks” or “I will research my options for going back to school next week and take action accordingly.”

Complete your mind, body and spirit connection by rediscovering your spiritual side. This may take the form of daily meditation or prayer. Get up an extra 10-15 minutes early and find a quiet spot to meditate or pray about whatever concerns you may have or to say thanks for the blessings in your life. Aim to make this a habit so that it soon becomes second nature. If your healthy goals include finding a home church or researching different religions then include this in your health plan. A restless spirit is as detrimental to your healthy living as eating nothing but junk food is to your fitness goals.

The important thing is to write down your health improvement plan including your fitness goals and healthy goals. Having the steps in front of you will make them more real. Reading over your health improvement plan will assist you in staying on your journey to a better life and holistic living.