Health advice in 2022: what to keep and what to ignore
The New Year brings so much promise of new starts and new opportunities. With it comes a tonne of advice and trends aimed at some of the health goals you might have been considering.
The beginning of a new year is a really popular time for health advice to boom - gyms are looking to lock you in, diet plans want you to join their surefire way and activewear sales boom.
It’s also a time when we look forward to what health and wellness trends we might expect in the year to come. And while New Year’s resolutions get a bad rap, with proper planning and implementation, achieving your health goals is absolutely possible.
With the onslaught of health advice, some of what we see is actually really great advice that we can incorporate into our lives at any time. Other advice, well we should probably give that a miss.
Here is a rundown of what advice to take and which you can happily live without.
Keep: Hand washing and masks are here to stay
While we all hoped to consign hand washing and face masks to 2021, it’s still likely to be a feature of life in 2022. With the pandemic, the usual stable of tummy bugs, colds and flu running around, a continued focus on keeping ourselves well from infections is also here to stay.
While you’re getting vaccinated, don’t forget the simple things like hand washing and wearing masks, especially when you cannot socially distance, to keep yourself and those around you safe and well.
10 interesting facts about the immune system
Fun fact: Did you know that a healthy immune system may help you get a better night’s sleep?
Leave: Pushing through sickness
How many times have we gone to work or out and about with a sniffle or worse? As viruses circulate, it's vital to give up those old ways of soldiering on.
Instead, if you’re unwell, stay at home and rest. Not only will this aid in your own recovery, but you will also reduce the likelihood of any kinds of infections spreading far and wide.
Keep: Get more active
Gym memberships tend to peak around the New Year but you don’t have to join the many people wandering around the many machines at your local gym. Any kind of activity is great for you and doing something is far better than doing nothing.
Have a think of what kind of exercise or sport might appeal to you and aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week in to get the most out of your movement.
How much exercise do I really need?
Is 30 minutes per day of exercise most days really enough? Yes, it is – although many of us seem to struggle to get that much.
Leave: Do this exercise for leaner arms/toned butt/ripped abs
Like fashion, exercise trends come and go, but they all promise to deliver you the best something of your life in a way that no other program or activity ever has before.
They are just fashions that will eventually be replaced by something else eventually and they often over-promise on what they can deliver.
Rather than going for something that is popular, look for something you can enjoy, you get something out of and that you can sustain.
Keep: Eat more vegetables
Vegetables are just the best - they reduce your risk of a number of long-term health conditions, help keep your gut healthy and deliver you a whole host of vitamins and minerals.
Studies have shown that just increasing vegetable intake alone improves your health so make sure you’re getting them on your plate.
Be sure to check out our eat more veggies program to make it easy to get these into your diet.
How veggies (actually) benefit your health
Why exactly should you be going to the effort to eat enough veggies? And what are the health benefits of eating your daily veggies? Let's find out.
Leave: Fad diets
It’s open season for various diets promising to help you lose a lot of weight in a short period of time but they may fail or leave you feeling far from your best.
Fad diets can be spotted by extreme restriction, cutting out whole foods or food groups, promising weight loss in a quick time period.
Rather than drastic, unsustainable and harmful changes, look to gradually improve your overall diet over time, eating a variety of foods and keeping your hunger at bay.
Keep: Sleep better in 2022
Good sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health and it's here to stay.
Whether it be through sleep apps, meditation or sleep hygiene (that means not scrolling through your phone in bed), a focus on adequate sleep as well as good quality sleep is a habit we should all invest in for 2022 and beyond.
Leave: Too good to be true promises
I don’t know about you but my social media feed is absolutely full of fads promising to protect you from all kinds of things, give you mermaid's hair or be in the best shape of your life.