Prioritizing Your Health in 2025

Prioritizing Your Health in 2025

Start the new year by putting your health first! Prioritizing your well-being is the ultimate resolution, offering benefits that extend far beyond January. Whether it's eating more nutritious meals, getting active, managing stress, or improving sleep, small, consistent changes can lead to lasting results. Make this the year you invest in yourself—because a healthier you, is a happier you! Let ADC help kickstart your journey to a stronger, more energized lifestyle today.

Get Moving: Exercise and Physical Activity

Adults need a mix of physical activity to stay healthy. If you prefer vigorous-intensity activity (like running), aim for at least 75 minutes a week. If that’s more than you can do right now, do what you can. Even 5 minutes of physical activity has real health benefits. Try being physically active in short spurts throughout the day or setting aside specific times each week to exercise.

Exercise is key to living a healthier, more vibrant life—and understanding your body's response is just as important. With our Advantage 2200 Pulse Oximeter, you can monitor your oxygen levels and heart rate after workouts, ensuring you're exercising safely and effectively. Whether you're aiming to improve endurance, build strength, or simply stay active, the Advantage 2200 Pulse Oximeter provides real-time insights to help you optimize your routine and achieve your fitness goals. Take control of your health and make every workout count!

Track Your Blood Pressure

Keeping track of your blood pressure has never been easier or more convenient. The Advantage Connect^® 6024N Automatic Digital Blood Pressure Monitor puts accurate, reliable readings right at your fingertips. Wireless Bluetooth connectivity allows you to pair the unit with our free ADC@Home App and seamlessly transfer data and readings to your smartphone or other hand-held device. With its user-friendly design and clear digital display, you can monitor your health with confidence—anytime, anywhere. Empower yourself with the tools to take control of your well-being, one measurement at a time!          

Want a more traditional, hands-on tool for measuring your blood pressure at home? Try the Advantage 6005 Manual Home Blood Pressure Kit. It’s similar to what’s used in physician offices and hospitals for manual auscultation with a stethoscope but modified especially for easy, at-home use.

Make Smart Food Choices

A healthy diet is essential for fueling your body, supporting your immune system, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases, helping you feel your best every day.

With so many different diets out there, choosing what to eat can be confusing. The USDA has developed Food Patterns to help people understand different ways they can eat healthy. The food patterns include:

• Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern: This is based on the types of foods Americans typically consume. The main types of food in this eating pattern include a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat dairy, seafood, poultry, and meat, as well as eggs, nuts, seeds, and soy products. Check out this sample menu to get started.
• Healthy Mediterranean-Style Eating Pattern: This one contains more fruits and seafood and less dairy than the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern.
• Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern: This pattern contains no meat, poultry, or seafood, but does contain fat-free or low-fat dairy. Compared with the Healthy U.S.-Style Eating Pattern, it contains more soy products, eggs, beans and peas, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.

Try starting with small changes, such as adopting one or two aspects of the Mediterranean-style eating pattern. Several studies have shown that incorporating even a part of these eating patterns, such as more fish or more leafy greens, into your daily eating habits can improve health outcomes. 

Get Enough Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can affect all areas of your life and cause health problems. There are many things you can do to help you sleep better, such as following a regular sleep schedule. Try to fall asleep and get up at the same time each day, even on weekends. Aim for 7-9 hours a night. Don’t eat large meals or drink caffeine or alcohol late in the day. Avoid long naps (over 30 minutes) in the late afternoon or evening. Exercise can help you sleep better, too, but avoid within three hours of bedtime. Research suggests that behavioral interventions, such as mindfulness meditation, can also improve sleep quality.

Keep up with Yearly Doctor Checkups

Regular yearly checkups with your doctor are a vital step in maintaining your health, catching potential issues early, and ensuring you stay on track toward a healthier future. A 2021 study found that getting regular check-ups helps doctors catch chronic diseases early and can help patients reduce risk factors for disease, such as high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. People who went to the doctor regularly also reported improved quality of life and feelings of wellness.

Take Care of your Mental Health

Maintaining mental health is just as important as caring for your physical health. Your mental well-being affects how you think, feel, and handle daily stress, directly influencing your overall quality of life. Prioritizing mental health—through self-care, stress management, or seeking professional support—helps create a balanced foundation for happiness and resilience. Remember, a healthy mind and body work together for a healthier you.