Are you the type to look back and analyse the months gone by? Or do you prefer to look ahead and plan the next 12? I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t spent much time ruminating on this year. Serious illness saw me confined to an NHS ward for five days, and my mother has dementia that’s advancing at aheartbreaking pace – two of the most life-changing things I’ve ever had to endure. And with life feeling tough, my typically unfailing dedication to healthy living has felt harder to hold on to. Exercise has been sporadic at best; food (often the ultra-processed kind) my wellworn crutch. Perhaps unsurprisingly, I finished the year in astate of low energy and even lower mood –with little motivation to make the sustainable changes necessary to start turning the dial the other way.
But if anything has the power to give you akick up the proverbial, it’s the promise of ablank slate that January delivers. And, having left 2023 behind me, I’m feeling truly ready to reboot and put in the work to make 2024 my healthiest year yet. In preparation for running the London Marathon in April, I’ll be stepping up my training to prepare my body for the challenge and, ultimately, get me to the finish line in arespectable time. I’m also going to overhaul my nutrition to improve my mindset and, crucially, fuel my workouts. Thankfully, our Sports Nutrition Awards on p35 are here to help me do just that. And our feature on the psychology of afresh start on p64 is packed with all the information you need on how to channel that January energy in away that will help to make all your goals not just achievable, but enjoyable, too.
Speaking of goals, we’ve been working towards ahuge one ourselves. This month, we’re launching our first app; it has all the must-read content you’ve come to expect from your favourite magazine, together in one place. Become amember of the Women’s Health Collective and you’ll unlock even more premium
