Small Steps for Healthy Habits and Cancer Prevention

The start of the New Year is often a time for setting goals to boost physical activity and improve eating habits. When making these resolutions, it’s important to ensure they are SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. Vague or overly ambitious goals can make it harder to achieve lasting change, reducing the likelihood of long-term success.

A Healthy Lifestyle is Key for Cancer Prevention

Striving for a healthier lifestyle benefits both overall well-being and cancer prevention. The American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week. Additionally, adopting a more plant-based diet is encouraged. This includes foods like:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Beans
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Whole grains

The AICR suggests that ⅔ of your plate should be made up of these plant-based foods, while the remaining ⅓ can include foods like seafood, lean meat, and poultry.

SMART Goals Can Help Achieve Healthy Lifestyle Recommendations

SMART goals are a great way to meet these lifestyle recommendations. For example, if you’re new to exercise, committing to 30 minutes of activity 5 days a week might be unrealistic at first. Instead, it’s better to set goals that are achievable and gradually build up.

Example 1:

Goal: Exercise more often

SMART Goal: Walk for 20 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday

Example 2:

Goal: Eat more fruits and vegetables

SMART Goal: Include one serving of fruit and one serving of vegetables with both lunch and dinner

These goals are more manageable, and they allow you to track your progress and celebrate small successes along the way. Once you’ve achieved a goal, you can set a new one, continuing to move toward long-term health. These incremental steps lead to a sense of accomplishment and make it easier to maintain these positive lifestyle changes in the long run.

For more information on the current recommendations for cancer prevention and overall health, visit a previous blog post, Cancer Prevention and Nutrition, or www.aicr.org.

Get more information on setting SMART goalsDignityhealth.org/AZColon