OHA offers New Year’s resolutions for a healthier 2019

Everyone has goals for the new year — things they want to accomplish for themselves or their loved ones. The Oregon Health Authority is encouraging people to consider making health one of their top priorities.

Whether choosing to get a flu shot or quit tobacco, the decisions people make about their health affect not only their longevity and quality of life, but also the health of the entire state. To this end, the OHA is offering the following ideas for those considering New Year’s resolutions for 2019:

Get a flu vaccine
Protect your families, co-workers, neighbors and community from the flu. Cases of flu are on the rise across Oregon, but it’s not too late to get vaccinated. To find flu vaccine clinics, visit www.flu.oregon.gov and use OHA’s flu vaccine locator tool.

Quit tobacco
Nearly 3 in 5 Oregonians who smoke want to quit. If you or someone you know is ready to quit tobacco, free help is available. Contact the Oregon Quit Line at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or online at www.quitnow.net/oregon or in Spanish at 1-855-DÉJELO-YA or online at www.quitnow.net/oregonsp.

Move more
Add walking as a family activity in the evenings instead of watching television. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children and adolescents get 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity each day and adults get at least 150 minutes a week. Increasing a person’s physical activity can improve overall health and reduce the risk of chronic disease. To learn how to incorporate more physical activity into your family’s busy routine visit https://health.gov/moveyourway/.

Eat better
Shared and family meals not only improve nutrition but also build stronger family bonds and emotional health. Learn how to easily make healthy eating part of your everyday life at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html.