Welcome to the new year! January means it’s time to set resolutions for the year ahead. What do you hope to accomplish this year? For many, leading a healthier life is at the top of their list. Whether that’s through better diet, habits, or exercise, improving your health this year will not only make the year better but will improve your quality of life in later years.

It can be hard to know where to start. Here’s a few of our top tips for leading a healthier lifestyle in 2019:

• Improve bone and joint health. It’s easy to say your top resolution is to be “healthier” this year, but vague goals are much harder to stick to. Try setting concrete and focused goals, like improving your bone and joint health. Healthy bones and joints will enable you to feel your best and move your best, which will help you reach those other health goals like losing weight or taking up yoga. Introducing more Vitamin D, Vitamin K and calcium into your diet will help keep your bones and joints strong and healthy. Targeted strength training will also help build and strengthen the muscles around the joints. Check out more bone and joint health tips for the new year here.
• Healthy families stick together. Make it your mission to not just improve your health this year but your family’s too. Working out and eating healthier will be easier with your partner by your side. When it comes to your children, start them on good health habits young to keep them strong and healthy as they age. If one of your children is an athlete, make sure they have properly fitting gear to avoid injuries. Work together as a family to come up with healthy meal options, and plan fun fitness activities like hiking and group yoga classes.
• Find an orthopaedic specialist. If you have issues with joint pain, untreated orthopaedic injuries, back pain, or painful foot conditions that have kept you from living an active life, it will benefit you this new year to find an orthopaedic specialist. Establishing a relationship with an orthopaedic specialist can help treat these uncomfortable conditions that keep you from reaching your health goals. If you or someone in your family is an athlete, an orthopaedic specialist should be one of the many people on your team to help in the event of an injury.

For more tips on living a healthier lifestyle in 2019, and for tips on orthopaedic care this year, come see the specialists at MidAmerica Orthopaedics. The highly trained and passionate specialists at MidAmerica Orthopaedics are experts in a range of focuses including; sports medicine, orthopaedic surgery, physical therapy and more.

To learn more about MidAmerica Orthopaedics and the different treatment options available to you, visit our website.

To schedule an appointment with a MidAmerica Orthopedics specialist this new year, call (708) 237-7200. You can also request an appointment online. MidAmerica Orthopaedics serves various areas such as Chicago, Tinley Park, Palos Hills, Mokena, Evergreen Park, New Lenox, Oak Lawn, Orland Park, and more. Let us help you make your goal of leading a healthier lifestyle a reality.