Achieve Better Health Through Goal Setting

It can be intimidating to know where to start to improve your health, but we’re here to help.

Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is one of the best things you can do for your health. When you are at a healthy weight, you reduce the burden on your heart, lungs, blood vessels and skeleton. You also have a lowered risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol and more.

Consider these activities to support a healthy weight:

Sleep

Aim for sufficient rest (7-9 hours) every night.

Physical Activity

Move your body! Aim for 150 minutes of activity per week of moderate activity
(brisk walking, biking) and muscle strengthening activities.

Stress Management

Journal, meditate, talk to and spend time with loved ones, reduce screentime and visit a mental health professional if you find yourself struggling.

Avoid Harmful Substances

Avoid smoking and limit your alcohol intake.

Diet

Focus on whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables. Limit processed foods and sugar and try to mostly drink water. If your focus is on diet, consider preparing healthy meals at home. We often maintain healthy eating when we go to the grocery store prepared.

When thinking about making these changes in your lifestyle, setting goals helps you follow through and stay consistent with your behavior.  Many find the act of maintaining or accomplishing goals difficult. Consider these alternative ways of setting goals and learn how we can help you accomplish them.

Set goals with others

Community often motivates us to accomplish our goals when we work together to achieve the same purpose. If you have fitness goals for this year, take advantage of One Pass®, our gym membership program available to Saint Alphonsus Health Plan members, and join a class rather than exercise alone.

Create fun goals amid serious ones

It is important to remember to enjoy life and keep a lighthearted mentality. In addition to your health goals, make sure you add some easy and enjoyable ones, such as being a tourist in your own city, calling a friend rather than texting or finding an exercise you genuinely enjoy doing.

Break down your goals

Instead of “get healthy,” which is often too vague, consider breaking down your goal into small steps that are easily achieved, such as talking to a medical professional for that troublesome pain with Saint Alphonsus Health Plan’s 24/7 Nurse Advice Line, using our Over-the-Counter Medication Allowance to access everyday health products, walking for ten minutes a day or adding one vegetable to dinner every night.

Meet with your PCP to discuss what your health goals could be

Using our AWV benefit for members, consider meeting with your PCP and allowing them to help you set your health goals based on your current needs and situation in life.

As you consider improvements in your health and setting goals, remember the benefits available to you with Saint Alphonsus Health Plan. We’re here to help you succeed!