New Year’s Resolution Ideas for 2025: Better Health
Gentleman.
As we approach the end of the year (bloody hell, that was fast), thoughts about New Year’s resolution ideas inevitably come to mind. The tradition of setting goals for yourself or your family (or both) is actually a great way to welcome the new year.
We all have dreams and goals that we, well…dream, of achieving one day, but the reality is that if you don’t have a plan or some logical way to work towards that goal, you’re making it quite unlikely for yourself to achieve it.
Funnily enough, many of you probably do this in your job to help the company at the end of each year – reviewing annual performance and setting plans for the upcoming year. All of this helps the company grow. So why not do it for yourself ?
With 2024 coming to a close and 2025 on the horizon, I thought it would be be useful to go over some achievable and worthwhile New Year’s resolution ideas that can improve you as an elite male specimen – starting with your health.
Table of Contents
Why You Should Plan for Better Health
Eat Better
Goal #1: Reduce Added Sugar
Goal #2: Reduce Fatty Food
Goal #3: Drink More Water
Move Better
Goal #4: Exercise at Least 3x Per Week
Goal #5: Start a Sport
Goal #6: Spend More Time Outdoors
Sleep Better
Goal #7: Early to Bed, Early to Rise
Goal #8: Get 7-9 Hours of Sleep a Day
Conclusion
Why You Should Plan for Better Health
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Health comes first.
Health is the cornerstone of a fulfilling life. Without it, you can’t really do anything. It’s truly one of those things where you don’t realize what you have until it’s gone. Don’t be stupid and take it for granted.
In 2025, making a commitment to better health can empower you to lead a more enjoyable and fulfilling life; one where you can experience more and have the ability to do whatever it is that you actually want to do. So without further ado, here are some New Year’s resolution ideas for better health that you can, and should, plan for.
“Don’t be stupid and take it for granted”
Eat Better
Goal #1: Reduce Added Sugar
When it comes to cleaning up your diet, sugar should really be up there. This year, I made the choice to control my sugar intake after doing some lab tests and finding out that I was on the border of high insulin resistance, which basically means I was on my way to diabetes-city. Now my levels are back to normal and I feel great about it.
“You don’t have to go overboard and make yourself miserable“
If you are considering this goal, you probably have a sweet-tooth like me. Note how I didn’t say “remove added sugar” (though that has it’s own list of benefits). You don’t have to go overboard and make yourself miserable. You’ll never stick with it that way. A little goes a long way here.
- Try to keep your daily sugar intake to under 25g (for women) to 36g (for men)
- Avoid the overly processed candy from supermarkets
- Opt for some proper quality chocolate (the darker the better)
- Replace sugar with stevia or some sweetener
- Don’t go nuts with the carbohydrates. Remember, they’re sugars too.
Goal #2: Reduce Fatty Food
Whether you want to reduce something specific like the ‘bad’ saturated fats or you have beef with fats in general (see what I did there?), you should have some control over your fat intake.
It’s no surprise that most people want to cut down their fats when they go on a diet as, like sugar, they’re unnecessarily high in a lot of popular food nowadays and can cause a plethora of health complications like obesity and heart attacks.
“if you’re setting a goal here, it should revolve around reducing your bad fats and increasing your good fats“
It’s important to remember that not all fats are bad. So if you’re setting a goal here, it should revolve around reducing your bad fats and increasing your good fats.
- Consumer more good fats – olive oil, avocados, nuts, eggs, fatty fish
- Reduce bad fats – keep all forms of junk food rare/infrequent
- Don’t have ultraprocessed food so often
Goal #3: Drink More Water
Your body is 50-70% water. It’s essential for a lot of processes in your body, so staying hydrated is in a way, a key to being healthy.
The general rule of thumb is drink about 2-4 litres (68-135 oz) of water a day. When you really think about it, you drinking maybe a glass or two a day, plus some other drinks would work out to under a litre (34 oz), which is not nearly enough.
I think the first important step here is to get yourself a nice, big water bottle. A two litre bottle (68 oz) to start would be great. A one litre bottle (34 oz) is fine if you will actually refill it, but you’re probably getting lazy and leave it.
“You will find that by just having a drink next to you, you will randomly sip it throughout the day“
Once you have your shiny new water bottle, keep it next to you wherever you are. Whether you’re at your desk or watching TV. You will find that by just having a drink next to you, you will randomly sip it throughout the day.
Move Better
Moving on to our next set of New Year’s resolution ideas. Is any list even complete without some exercise goals? Need I tell you that fitness will change your life? It affects everything in your body from your heart and lungs to your muscles and bones.
Goal #4: Exercise at Least 3 Times per Week
The thing with exercise is you don’t even have to go all out. A bit of physical activity each week can stimulate notable changes in your life. I recommend 3 times per week but if that’s hard, just start with 2 days or even 1. You can always work your way up later.
The best part is you can do whatever you want. As long as you get your butt moving, you’re good to go. Some good starting points could be:
- Brisk walking
- Resistance (weight) training
- Jogging or running
- Swimming
- Anything else you enjoy
You’ll likely find that once you start your fitness journey, you’ll be hooked! You will feel and see amazing changes in your life, and you won’t want to stop.
Goal #5: Start a Sport
Sports are a great way to get your fitness levels up while having fun. That’s what I love about sports; you’re basically having fun and happen to get your exercise in at the same time.
From basketball and football, to tennis and padel, pick whichever sport you’re interested in and go ahead. It’s a great way to disconnect from life and destress too!
Goal #6: Spend More Time Outdoors
Pretty much everyone who spends time outdoors can advocate for how ‘healing’ the outside world can be.
There’s something relaxing about just being outside with the sun and wind hitting your face or walking with nature around you.
Obviously this would vary based on where you live and what’s around you. Unfortunately some people have more access to nature than others, but if you do, going for a hike or a simple walk in the woods (not the scary kind where people get killed in the movies) once or twice a week can be a great thing for you to try in the coming year. Some people even swear by it as part of their morning routine.
Sleep Better
Along with diet and exercise, sleep is the third component in our “Health Big 3” and affects many aspects of our lives.
Our ability to function well, be productive and even reap the benefits of exercise is all dependent on our sleep quality. So if this is something you’re not doing well with, sleep should really be one of your New Year’s resolution ideas.
Goal #7: Early to Bed, Early to Rise
If you study the patterns of most successful people in the world today, one thing you will find in common is that they all wake up early. Waking up early is a way to maximize your time in the day to achieve more.
Of course waking up early is highly dependent on what time you go to sleep, so in order to hit your sleep goal, you need to sleep earlier than midnight my friend. Now, I know from personal experience that fixing your sleep is a journey and is not easy to do in today’s world. It takes time and discipline, which makes it the perfect resolution for you to hit in 2025. I put together a list of science-based tips on “5 Proven Tips for Better Sleep According to Science” if you’re looking to get started.
Goal #8: Get 7-9 hours of Sleep a Day
If you find yourself to be a night owl and are thriving that way, that’s ok. You do you. But if you are sleeping for less than 7 hours a day, you need to change something. Sleeping less than 7 hours a night is linked to a myriad of health complications, from obesity to diabetes.
So do yourself a favour and get between 7-9 hours of sleep per night. If you are going to bed early, you’ll more likely get more sleep than if you were to wake up after noon, given all the light, distractions etc.
If staying asleep is your struggle, consider some other aids to help you stay asleep such as:
- Sleep masks – I personally use the ones by Manta Sleep
- Earplugs – I personally use the ones by Mack’s
- Sleep Gummies – There are many that include ‘sleepy ingredients’ such as melatonin, 5-HTP, chamomile etc.
The Bottom Line
There you have it. Some simple New Year’s resolution ideas you can adopt to better your health in 2025.
While they may be simple, staying committed to these is easier said than done. Everyone starts their new year with goals but majority of people fail to follow through with them. As an alpha male, this isn’t you. Don’t let yourself become one of those people.
Take a moment to review where you’re at this year. See where you need improvement. Then just plan a few goals (not too many) to work on for the next year.
Alpha Tip
Take a moment to review your 2024. What are your strengths and weaknesses. Are you perfect with your diet, exercise and sleep?
Find out where you could improve and set a goal for that. Make a clear plan for how often you are going to do it and how you going to do it exactly. Keep a timeframe for you to check back and assess your progress.
Remember, keep it simple and give yourself room to enjoy life. Don’t remove anything entirely if it’s going to make you miserable. It’s not about perfection, but about making gradual, sustainable changes that allow us to enjoy life to the fullest.
Here’s to a good year done and a great year ahead. Wishing all our brothers (and sisters) a happy new year.
Stay Healthy Gentleman