What Are the Best New Year’s Resolutions For 2022?

Are you one of the millions of people around the world that makes a New Year’s resolution in the hope to make the new year better for yourself? If so, you are part of a 4,000- year-old tradition! Read how the New Year’s resolution has evolved from making promises to gods to making physical fitness the number one New Year’s resolution, and how swimming is a valuable resolution to improve both your physical and mental health.

The ancient Babylonians are noted to be the first people to make New Year’s resolutions. Their new year began in March when they made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they borrowed. If they kept their promises, their gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor which was probably very unfortunate! The Romans adopted a new take on the New Year resolution when Julius Caesar established January first as the start of the new year. Named for Janus, the two-faced god whose spirit inhabited doorways and arches, January held special meaning for the Romans. They believed Janus symbolically looked back into the previous year and ahead into the coming year. The Romans offered sacrifices to the gods and goddesses and made promises of good conduct for the year ahead.

Today’s resolutions have evolved from making promises to gods to making promises to ourselves. Money, family, love, and career are top choices for New Year’s resolutions for self- improvement, but the number one area people seek to improve is their health and physical fitness. Doing more exercise to improve one’s fitness and losing weight were the most common New Year’s resolutions for 2021 according to a YouGovAmerica survey.

If you are thinking of making a New Year’s resolution, to exercise more and take better care of your body, consider swimming your way to better health! According to Swimming World Magazine, researchers have found that swimming regularly promotes both physical and mental health well-being. Physically, swimming will help you improve strength, tone muscle, burn fat, and lose weight. Mentally, swimming has several health benefits including lowering blood pressure which assists in relaxation and relieving stress. Swimming can improve memory, mood, concentration, and cognitive function in general! Check out the mental health benefits of swimming here!

If you are fortunate enough to be a pool owner or belong to a club or facility offering access to a pool, then make your New Year’s resolution for 2022 to start swimming or to swim more often! You will be able to use all your senses while taking a break from technology to exercise your body and your mind! Keep the 4,000-year-old tradition going and have a very Happy New Year!

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