The advent of a new year has always been peppered with resolutions, with losing weight and getting into better shape often at the top of the list. Exiting a pandemic year full of food and drink indulgences, even more of us are fully ready to get back to a better state of body and mind, as confirmed by a recent survey which found 51% of Americans are eager to form healthier habits in 2021.
Easier said than done. Sticking to a diet requires a solid amount of discipline, not to mention all those crunches, sit ups and planks needed to make real physical changes and eliminate pesky rolls of fat. Aside from restricting calories, according to Dr. Chris Bacchi of Marin Medical Aesthetics, there are other positive changes we can make in 2021 to set ourselves up for healthier bodies and mindsets.
Get Better Muscle Tone
Weight loss is one thing; having beautifully sculpted and toned muscles is quite another. For most of us, no amount of crunches, planks or pushups are going to tighten our bodies the way that Emsculpt treatments can. This new, non-invasive, FDA-cleared procedure works like a “medical gym,” using high-intensity focused electromagnetic technology to induce up to 20,000 muscle contractions in a single 30-minute time period. Simply put, the Emsculpt machine contracts muscles in a way that can’t be achieved through exercise alone, causing involuntary muscle tissue growth while reducing fat simultaneously. The painless treatment is great for decreasing belly fat, toning arms and legs, and even giving your butt muscles a lift—no sweaty gym time required.
Strive for the Proper Amount of Sleep
Instinctively we know that we all need rest, but what constitutes a proper amount? According to the Center for Disease Control, the average adult needs at least 7 hours or more of sleep, but only 2 out of 3 adults achieve that consistently.
“If you feel well rested during the day, then you have likely achieved a good night’s sleep,” says Dr. Bacchi, who also points out that sleep is a big contributor to weight loss success. “People who are sleep deprived tend to eat more than those who are well-rested,” she adds, “impacting our ability to stay focused on healthy eating.”
Get More and Better Hydration
We’ve all heard it, drinking water is good for our bodies. In fact, drinking up to a half gallon of water each day is important, Dr. Bacchi says. Water flushes out toxins, is great for our skin, and has a significant impact on weight loss because our bodies tend to confuse hunger for thirst. Dr. Bacchi advises to use the 8×8 rule to remember how much water to drink every day, which equates to eight servings of an 8 oz. glass of water. If that sounds like a lot, try these tips to achieve the recommended amount of hydration each day.
Have More Sex
Sex is good for us. It makes us happy, burns calories and is overall, good for our health. Having sex also releases bursts of oxytocin into our bodies. While the oxytocin effect only lasts for a short period of time, one study found that the hormone can help with curbing appetites and potentially boosting weight loss efforts.
As we age and our bodies change, says Dr. Bacchi, this can impact our physical and psychological ability to engage in intimate activities. One treatment designed to address this is the non-invasive BTL Emsella, which produces tens of thousands of pelvic floor muscle contractions in a short period of time leading to an increase in vaginal muscle tone and lubrication. Originally designed to treat incontinence issues in women, it has also been proven to boost sexual function as well as satisfaction. It can also help with erectile dysfunction in men.
Take it All in Stride
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that we can benefit from slowing down our lives. While we all didn’t have much choice in the matter in 2020, wouldn’t it be nice to maintain the lessons we learned by refusing to live life at a frenetic pace and spend more time appreciating the little things? “Taking it one day a time and keeping life simple helps us all to be less stressed,” says Dr. Bacchi. “It’s the key to living a much healthier and happier life, which can help us better meet our health goals.”
