Ponca City, Oklahoma (December 31, 2021) – Start the new year right by committing to you in 2022. Simple actions can make a big impact on your health over time. Christen Ground, DO, a primary care physician with AllianceHealth Medical Group Family Medicine Ponca City, shares a few to consider this year.

Connect with others. Spend time with friends, family and those you care about. You’ll benefit your mental well-being and your physical health. Studies show that people who have close friends and family are healthier and live much longer than those who do not.

Get your ZZZs. Set a consistent bed time and wakeup schedule to ensure you get at least seven hours of sleep each night. Poor sleep can drive insulin resistance, disrupt your appetite hormones, and reduce your physical and mental performance. It is also one of the strongest risk factors for weight gain and obesity.

“Sleep is not only important to feel your best, but it is actually linked to lower cardiovascular disease,” says Dr. Ground. “People who get at least 7 hours of sleep per night have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, according to the American Academy of Cardiology.”

Minimize stress. Practice mindful breathing or meditation to bring moments of calm to your day. Stress has a negative effect on your health, affecting blood sugar levels, food choices, susceptibility to sickness, weight, fat distribution, and more. Books, podcasts or apps can teach you how to start a meditation practice.

Move more. Walk 30 minutes a day, five days a week and do muscle strengthening, like carrying groceries, at least two days a week. Walk with a partner for social connection and accountability. Movement can help you prevent, delay and manage chronic diseases, improve balance and stamina, reduce the risk of falls and improve your brain health.

Go outside. Walk around the yard. Work in the garden. Hike in the woods. Spending time in nature gives the benefit of vitamin D from the sun and helps with depression, exercise and even creativity.

Eat a rainbow. Colorful whole fruits and vegetables look great, are naturally more filling and better for you overall. A balanced diet with appropriate portions of produce, whole grains, lean meats and low-fat or fatfree dairy products helps prevent, delay and manage heart disease, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases.

Dr. Ground adds, “Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet are the cornerstones of looking and feeling your best. But did you know studies have shown that a healthy diet and regular exercise can prevent or delay diabetes, reduce blood pressure and reduce cholesterol? Picking the right diet and exercise plan for you may be overwhelming with all the different plans out there. If you are unsure where to start, sit down with your physician to discuss an exercise and nutrition plan.”

Visit your doctor. Go ahead and schedule your primary care physician and any specialists such as allergist, dermatologist, orthopedist or cardiologist. Put screenings on the calendar too, such as prostate exam, mammogram, bone density, and colonoscopy. Regular visits and screenings help you keep your health on track – identifying risk factors or issues early and managing chronic conditions like diabetes, cholesterol or blood pressure.

To find a physician or learn more about healthy choices for you, visit AllianceHealthPoncaCityDocs. com or call (580)762-9355 (WELL).

AllianceHealth Ponca City offers a free e-newsletter with a monthly dose of health and wellness inspiration sent directly to your inbox from a trusted medical source. Sign up at AllianceHealthPoncaCity.com/enewsletter-signup.

About AllianceHealth Ponca City

AllianceHealth Ponca City is a Joint Commission-accredited acute care, 140-bed hospital that provides care to people in Ponca City and surrounding communities. Inpatient and outpatient services provided include emergency, heart care, orthopedic, women’s health, surgical, neurological, rehabilitation, laboratory and diagnostic imaging services. AllianceHealth Ponca City has also been named an Acute Stroke Ready Hospital by The Joint Commission and American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. The hospital holds a Level 3 Stroke designation from the Oklahoma State Department of Health and received the Chest Pain Center Cycle 6 designation from the American College of Cardiology. Working to make a positive impact on the communities we serve, other access points include AllianceHealth Urgent Care Ponca City, primary and specialty care outpatient clinics, an outpatient therapy center and diagnostic imaging center. For more information, please visit alliancehealthponcacity.com.