At this time of the year many participate in the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions, and the subsequent tradition of breaking them. Urology Health’s website has a list of simple and reasonable goals that are included here:

Lose weight. Eat better. Exercise. Go to the doctor. Get more sleep. Nearly half of all Americans make New Year’s resolutions, but fail to keep them.

Are you ready to live healthier in 2016? Here are a few tips on how you can make it happen!

  1. One thing at a time – Instead of thinking about everything you need to do to get healthy, start with scheduling a routine medical check-up. Having a conversation with your doctor is the first step to staying on top of your health.
  1. Keep a food journal – Research has shown that people who track their food intake make better eating choices. Eating the same foods all the time can get boring. Change it up with a new recipe book or a trip to a nice restaurant with healthy options.  Try a few healthy recipes.

3.  Make exercise enjoyable – Walking with friends, enrolling in a fitness class, dancing or biking may be your cup of tea! There are many avenues to getting fit, including urologic exercises – did you know that simple pelvic floor exercises, also known as ‘Kegel Exercises,’ can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles and help prevent urinary leakage or calm the urge to go.

4.  Pace yourself – Small changes can add up to big changes over time. If you are overweight, then losing as little as 5 percent of your body weight can lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and risk for kidney stones, erectile dysfunction (ED), diabetes, stroke or heart attack. Be kind and gentle to your body.  Add protein to your snacks. Try adding a salad and a serving of vegetables to your meal.  Add a glass of water to your daily routine.  You’ll find that over time these small steps will make a big difference.

  1. Get more sleep – If you want to achieve success without much of an effort, try getting more shut-eye. The average adult needs 7-9 hours of sleep a night to recharge the mind and body. Sleeping also helps you burn fat, lower stress, improve your immune system and boost your mood. Remind yourself of why you’re making the change and how it will improve your life. This will keep you focused and motivated.

Eating right, exercising and watching your weight can improve your health and help avoid or reverse certain urologic conditions such as incontinence, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, or enlarged prostate), low sperm count and ED.