Get fit! Get healthy! Get organized! These New Year’s resolutions are in the hot seat, and they need attention to keep the momentum going. It’s easy to get sidetracked as the months go by and leave your resolutions behind. Instead of giving up, help maintain your 2021 New Year’s resolutions with these Thurston County resources.
Get Healthy
Whatever the motivator, setting goals for better health on the inside is a good place to start. Eating what is best for your body’s needs and knowing where to easily access those foods is a big part of this goal’s success.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is one resource that keeps your shopping routine connected to local, nutritious foods. CSAs, according to LocalHarvest, are local farm connections in which “a farmer offers a certain number of ‘shares’ to the public. Typically, the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a ‘membership’ or a ‘subscription’) and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season.” The Community Farm Land Trust website will also connect you to CSAs in Thurston county.
Deliberate trips to a local grocery such as Farm Fresh Market in Olympia or the Yelm Food Cooperative may help toward your goals. Making healthy shopping a deliberate routine can be a way to satisfy your inner forager. Brainstorm the foods that you already like, plan to get the ingredients from healthy sources and create those dishes in your kitchen.
“New Years is a great time to reflect on what we want to bring more of into our lives,” says Cathy Visser, an Olympia registered dietitian nutritionist and certified Intuitive Eating counselor. “To change eating habits, I suggest focusing on the positive things we want to do rather than what we are going to give up. No one enjoys sacrifice. Focusing on what we are bringing into our lives can bring more joy to the process. For example, a goal could be to learn to cook tasty vegetable dishes and meat substitutes like hearty vegetarian chili or curried vegetables and rice, then to eat meatless meals two days per week. Another goal might be to pack lunches and snacks for work and outings instead of eating at fast food restaurants four out of five days per week. It’s about making changes that will last beyond January.”
“Health goals are as varied as food likes and dislikes,” adds Visser. “For some people, getting healthy means being able to walk and play with grandkids. For others, it means running a marathon. Health is personal, but I think most people want to feel good and move well in their bodies. Again, I encourage people to write SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound) goals for eating and moving more – goals that use positive language to indicate what they are moving toward.”
In addition to the advice of a registered dietitian, you can also access your local community resources such as Thurston County Foodbank’s nutritional education programs.
Get Fit
Getting in shape or improving overall physical health is common on New Year’s resolution lists. Depending on your goals and level of welcomed endurance, you may be considering anything from happy jaunts around your subdivision to calendaring sessions with your new personal trainer. Whichever your path, common ingredients for perseverance often include a good mindset, workable routines and social support.
“Remember your finish line,” says Becki Parsons, an Olympia registered dietitian and certified clinical exercise physiologist. “What is your purpose? Why are you doing this? It usually has to be something bigger than the way you look to stick, so think bigger and in detail. Think health – how will your body feel when you are fit? What health issues will you not have to worry about?” writes Parsons in Breaking Through the Pain of a New Exercise Program on her website Down Home Dietician. “Think abilities – how will it feel when you can climb any set of stairs or take on any challenge with ease and confidence? Envision it in detail to yourself before you hit the gym (or the road or the stairs, etc.) and keep that picture with you when it gets tough.”
When you are ready for exercise, local gyms may be the answer to keep exercise regimens going. Thurston county is home to yoga studios, personal trainers, life coaches, small gyms and a few large all-inclusive gyms. In Lacey, you will find West Coast Fitness, a 24-hour access gym. Out in the east part of the county is Get Fit Yelm, and out to the west, near Black lake is Whetstone Fitness. Define Fitness and Barre is a personal fitness training company in Olympia and has online, virtual classes offered as well as individualized training.
Get Organized
Ever open that hall closet or garage and sigh because of the amount of clutter? Many of us feel uplifted when we are organized, which makes this a common resolution for the new year.
“Find an accountability partner so you can help each other stay on track,” recommends Joan Strimple, professional organizer and owner of Strimple Solutions in Olympia. “Start small, like with one drawer, shelf or cupboard. Remove all items from the space, purge, remove excess to provide more work space, sort remaining objects and then only put back what you want in there. Use drawer organizers if you have a lot of small items, bins for shelves and closets. Each small success will help build momentum.”
Keep those new resolutions going and keep that start to the year going the way you want. There are widespread resources across our county to help.
