Healthy New Year! 5 Resolutions For A Healthy 2025 in Canada

The health and wellness industry is growing. In fact, the global value of the wellness industry is expected to expand to 7.3 billion in 2025. But despite the rising volume of products and services that promise to improve your health, some health statistics in Canada have declined in recent years – including mental health.

With that in mind, we’re committed to helping you make 2025 your healthiest year yet. We’ve partnered with Cigna Global to bring you five resolutions to help you improve your health in 2025.

Resolution 1 For 2025: I Will Find an Activity I Actually Enjoy Doing

Staying active comes with so many benefits. It can improve cardiovascular health (i.e. protect your heart), boost your mood, and strengthen your muscles (which is so important, especially as you age). In fact, regular activity reduces the risk of over 25 chronic conditions including stroke, high blood pressure, and certain cancers.

“Research shows that as much as half of functional decline between the ages of 30 and 70 is due, not to aging, but to an inactive way of life.” – Government of Canada

The vast majority of recent immigrants to Canada are in the 25 to 40 years old range, meaning they are particularly vulnerable to functional decline. Unless they get active, of course.

But, staying active also comes with challenges. It’s tough to build a routine and stick to it, plus life is busy and it can be hard to fit physical activity around everything else you have to do, especially while navigating life (and the weather) in a new country. This is especially true if you don’t like the gym that you just signed up for or your knees hurt when you run.

That’s why finding an activity you actually like is so important.

Luckily, Canada really has something for everyone when it comes to physical activity. There are limitless opportunities for outdoor recreation, plus there are gyms, clubs, and sports teams you can join almost everywhere – including online. So, if you try something and you don’t particularly like it, move on and try something else. In fact, challenge yourself to try a whole range of new things this year and then stick to the ones you liked.

Pro Tip: Make Your Activities Social For Added Benefits!

In-person social connections offer significant mental health benefits, and building your social circle can offer you some protection from poor mental health outcomes.

So, combining your physical activities with building your social circle can make it more likely that you’ll have improved mental and physical health – it’s a win-win!

Here are some suggestions for linking your social life with physical activities:

• Join a local park run. These 5km walk/run events are growing in popularity, often attracting hundreds of runners. You can find a list of park run events in Canada here.
• Skip the restaurant or bar and take your social time outdoors, with a hike, paddleboard, skating or skiing adventure instead. Or even just a run or brisk walk around your neighbourhood.
• Hit your local yoga, boxing class, spin class, or CrossFit gym – even if it’s ‘not your thing’. (You might find it’s not your thing, yet.)

See more tips for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Resolution 2: I Will Review My Health Insurance Coverage

We know, an insurance review might not be the most thrilling resolution – but it is so important.

Private health insurance can cover you for things that Canada’s public system won’t cover, such as many prescriptions, physiotherapy to help you recover from injuries, and dentist visits. Of course, what is and is not covered publicly largely depends on the province you call home, or will soon call home. Having additional health insurance in Canada means it’s more likely that you will access care that makes a difference in your day-to-day comfort and your ongoing health. Research in Canada shows that people with private dental insurance are more likely to go to see a dentist, for example.

So, while it may not seem like a big deal if you don’t have private health insurance or if your employer-provided coverage isn’t adequate, this cover can make all the difference to your health in the long or short term.

Resolution 3: I Will Meal Prep Healthy Balanced Meals

This is such a huge topic, because healthy meals look different for everyone. You may have different calorie and nutrient requirements to your partner and your kids, if you have any. Then, when you throw picky eaters, cuisine preferences, date nights, and a busy schedule into the mix, pulling off meal planning can feel like it deserves to come with a degree in logistics. We hope this list of quick tips will help:

Meal Planning and Preparation Tips

• Block off 15 minutes to plan your meals each week – or use a meal planning app to help reduce the mental load of this task. (Our team member Steph uses MealPrepPro for this, but other ones like MyFitnessPal and Mealime are popular too.)
• Consider getting groceries delivered to cut down barriers to meal prepping. You can order a few days in advance so your groceries arrive in time for your meal prep time.
• Wash and chop vegetables in advance, soak beans and rice, and marinate proteins ahead of time.
• Block time in your calendar to meal prep each week. Bonus points if you turn this into a fun family event or a catch up with your room mates.

Time-Saving Tips

• Batch cook for multiple days at a time.
• Choose one-pot or one-tray meals and slow cooker meals to simplify your cooking.
• Freeze meals for later – especially if you’re time poor during the work week.
• Prep grab-and-go snack bags with portions of healthy foods like vegetables and fruits, nuts, and/or yoghurt.

Resolution 4: I Will Make Wellness and Mental Health A Priority in 2025

There is this saying attributed to Dr. Sukhraj Dhillon:

“You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes a day unless you are too busy—then you should sit for an hour.”

So many of us deprioritize wellness and mental health among the busyness of our lives. We encourage you to reverse this trend in 2025 and really make the time for self-care this year.

Here are some tips we gathered from our team about how to fit self-care into your daily routine:

• Start your day with stretching or a short walk.
• Set a movement goal – like 10,000 steps per day or 30 minutes of exercise most days.

• Carry a water bottle so you can stay hydrated.
• Reduce mental clutter by staying on top of your regular checkups and health and wellness appointments (like dentists and counselling). It’s helpful to add them to a digital diary and share that calendar with your family so they don’t double book you.
• Set a bedtime alarm to help you get 7-9 hours of quality rest each night.
• Limit screen time before bed to improve your sleep health.
• Start a gratitude journal.
• Declutter your space – a decluttered home can reduce mental stress and save you time.
• Spend time in nature or bring plants and natural elements into your space.
• Unfollow accounts online that don’t fill your cup.

There’s another saying that says “show me your calendar and I’ll tell you what’s important to you”. Scheduling time for the stuff that’s most important to you and working backwards from there is a really powerful strategy to ensuring you have time for yourself.

Finally, remember rest is just as important as hustle. Schedule downtime, even if it’s 15 minutes to move, breathe, or meditate.

Resolution 5: I Will Be Kind to Myself and Realistic When I Set Goals

Finally, it’s important to be kind to yourself when you’re setting your goals and resolutions for 2025. There are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week. You can’t do everything!

So, pick some of the tips and strategies from this page and focus on a select few. Choosing to focus on the things that resonate and really mean something to you will help you build healthy habits that stick for the long run.

If you’re looking to get personalized guidance on your health and wellness in 2025, Cigna offers a health and wellness module that, in addition to health screenings, tests and examinations, empowers you and your family with the services and support to manage your own individual day-to-day health and wellbeing. Your Wellness companion, comprising of the Life Management Assistance programme and the Wellness Coaching, is available to help you and your family stay healthy and well, both physically and mentally. On top of this benefits, the Cigna Wellbeing™ app will give you access to a range of features, including the Global Telehealth service to easily and quickly speak with a doctor or specialist.

You are one step away from total protection. Start by getting a free quote for your health coverage and personalize it to your needs.

Exclusive December offer: 10% off for life!

This month only, Cigna is offering a 10% discount to all new Cigna Global Individual customers, who will be eligible for a 10%* discount on their plan and it will apply for the lifetime of the policy.

*Full terms and conditions available here.