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Ready to make a change?

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What are your healthy living goals? Goals should not be about size or appearance, but about overall health.

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Goals to think about:

  • Build muscle by moving more 30 minutes every day.
  • Eat five fruits and vegetables every day.
  • Switch to whole-grain pasta and bread.
  • Try “Meatless Mondays.”

Share your healthy goals with others:

  • Talk to the ProHealth office staff, your neighbors or talk as a family. Sharing your goals makes them more real and often results in support.
  • Always make sure to tell the people who you want to help you. Grandparents, siblings or daycare providers all need to know your healthy goals. That way, they can help support you.
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Being healthy as a family is essential:

  • Make your family’s health a priority.
  • Turn off cell phones in the evening. Walk and talk after dinner.
  • Cut back on your cable or cell phone package. Use the money you save to buy healthy foods. Or, save it for a family outing that gets everyone moving. Less TV and phone time means more family time. 

Six ways to enjoy moving your body:

  1. Go kayaking.
  2. Take a hike that ends with a healthy picnic. Make sandwiches on whole-grain bread, grapes, low-fat string cheese and unsweetened iced tea.
  3. Play catch or tag outside.
  4. Go for a family bike ride. Take the bikes somewhere new.
  5. Sign up for a group Zumba class together. Or, choose another class that gets everyone up and moving.
  6. Play Frisbee in the park.

SMART Goals:

When you are making goals, making “SMART” goals is the best way to be successful. Here’s how to do it:

  • Specific. What action are you going to take? Be specific. For example: “I’m going to eat more fruits and vegetables.”
  • Measurable. You need to be able to count or measure what you’ll do. The goal to eat five fruits and vegetables a day is easy to track.
  • Attainable. If you can’t get there within 60 days, the goal is too big. Set small goals at first. You can always make a new, bigger goal later.
  • Realistic. Don’t make the goal too hard. Eating five fruits and vegetables every day for a week may be too hard if you are eating one per day right now. Try starting with one a day and work your way up.
  • Timely. Give the goal a set time frame. Start with the goal to eat two fruits and vegetables every day for the next four weeks. After four weeks, keep the same goal if you are still working on it. If you did well, set a bigger goal. Or, make a different goal.

Try not to give up on healthy goals. Pick a goal that work for you. Then, you can reach any healthy goal.