12 Sep Why September is the new January

So the summer heatwave is over, the schools are back, the days are getting shorter and most of us are settling back into our routine after the holidays.

I have always felt that September is a like another “New Year” and therefore a great time to have a renewed focus on our health. Of course, September is when the new school year starts – for those of us with children, it means new school uniform, buying stationary and getting everything ready for the new term ahead. I’m sure most of us can still remember that “first day back at school” feeling with brand new uniform, shiny new shoes and a pristine new notebook and lots of hopes and goals for the new school year ahead.

But even if you haven’t got children of school age and school is too long ago for you to remember, September can still feel like a time of renewal. In the summer months, there are often lots of barbecues, summer parties, weddings and fun things to attend and some of us are lucky enough to get away on a holiday. During that time we may also take a holiday from some of our healthy habits too and of course there is nothing wrong with that from time to time. Being an all or nothing kind of person, I for one have definitely relaxed some of my healthy habits over the holidays – scoffing ice creams with my kids and indulging in a few glasses of something cold of an evening and so I’m feeling very ready for a healthy start.

The good thing about having a healthy start in September is that it is not all that cold just yet and its still quite light outside (healthy starts in January can feel tough if it is freezing cold outside and dark at 3pm). The other great thing is that there is plenty of time to achieve some health goals before Christmas rolls around and be looking and feeling on top form for all those Christmas parties and get togethers. And lets face it, Christmas time is quite frankly a hugely stressful time for everyone so it’s a good idea to have a little re-set beforehand and make sure we’re getting our nervous systems checked regularly with Chiropractic adjustments so that we are in the best possible place to cope with the stresses the festive season brings. And then we can reward ourselves with an extra guilt-free chocolate or two for being so inspiringly good for 3 months!

Here are our top 5 reasons to set health goals in September instead of January!

• Lighter evenings – great for still getting outside for a stress-busting, calorie burning evening stroll or a jog
• Warmer temperatures – we can eat lighter meals and not feel deprived when the weather isn’t too cold just yet
• We are still feeling refreshed from a restful summer holiday and it feels easier to take on some new goals
• There is time to achieve some health goals before Christmas so any festive indulgence doesn’t feel quite so … indulgent
• If you start now, when everyone else is setting new years resolutions in January, you’ll have achieved some of yours by then!