Keep your health resolutions with the power of compounding

Just moving and eating a little bit better every day can translate into big health benefits.

Welcome to 2025! Made your new year’s resolutions yet? If you’re a Gen Z, chances are at least one of them is health-related. The McKinsey Future of Wellness 2024 report found that over half of Gen Z respondents considered fitness a ‘very high priority’, were spending more on wellness, and were also more interested in preventative health solutions.

So you’ve made your resolution. Now you have to (try and) keep it. But if you’re feeling gloomy imagining hours on a treadmill or bowls of lettuce leaves, don’t. Much like finance, the trick to achieving your fitness goals is to stop thinking of it as a sprint and to make it a long-term lifestyle change instead — which means starting small. Like, real small.

The magic of compounding

In finance, compounding is simply explained as ‘getting returns on your returns’. If you invested RM1 a day for a year, you would earn interest on RM1 for day 1. But on day 2, you would earn interest on RM2 plus day 1’s interest. On day 3, you would earn interest on RM3 plus the interest of the last two days. The more time passes, the more substantial the gains become — even if you never change how much and how often you invest.

It's the same for health, because you’re improving yourself every single day. Studies in the US have shown that even if you only run or climb stairs for five minutes, you can significantly lower your risk of premature death, combat fatigue, and improve your mental health. Similar guidelines have also shown that if you cut your daily calorie intake by just 100 calories, you can lose up to 5kg in a year without other significant lifestyle changes.

Each time you work out and eat a little healthier, your body becomes fitter and more accustomed to the change. Over time, you might find that you’re able to exercise more than before, or naturally make healthier choices when you eat out. Once these turn into real habits, you might even want to do more because they’re now part of your lifestyle, which just means you get even more benefits.

Put your mind to it

The first step doesn’t begin with the body; it begins with your mind. If you can’t convince your brain that yes, you really want to improve your health this year, no fitness resolution will last the month. That’s why there are tons of ‘brain hacks’ that revolve around trying to reprogram your brain to want to be healthier.

Here’s a few you can try:

• Set micro goals. If you’re starting from nothing, set the smallest possible goal and work from there. Do five leg lifts while watching TV. Tomorrow, march in place for a minute. Or, take less rice for dinner today and eat more vegetables tomorrow. It’s all about effortlessly building up to better habits.
• Make workouts fun. If you enjoy moving, you should move more. Whether it’s dancing, swimming or roller skating, just do something you love. Once you start looking forward to this, it’ll naturally become part of your routine.
• Do it with friends. You might not be super motivated to exercise on your own, but what if going to spin class also meant seeing your best friend? Spending quality time with loved ones and getting healthier; can you say "two birds, one stone"?
• Make it as easy as possible. The easier it is to be healthy, the more likely it is that you’ll do it. Keep your sports shoes in your car. Sign up for a class near your workplace. Stock the fridge with healthy frozen meals. Always have fruits on hand.
• Don’t stress over it. Many fitness resolutions have been ruined by internal guilt trips over missing a day or stressing out over the ‘optimal’ diets and workouts. It’s not a big deal if you miss a day or two — just try to balance it out.

Keys to the kingdom: consistency and patience

You don’t expect to plant a seed today and see a plant tomorrow. In the same vein, don’t expect immediate results from small starts. No sustainable diet or lifestyle change can promise you an overnight transformation. While it’s good to have an overall goal in mind, it really is all about staying the course and celebrating the small wins in this case.

If you’re extra motivated, you can try keeping a food and fitness journal or even doing basic health checks (you can do these at most pharmacies). Progress records like these will be a good reminder of how far you’ve come, when you’re feeling extra demotivated or wondering if it’s all worth it.

Be patient, stay consistent, and the magic of compounding will do the rest. Every positive thought, action and choice helps. Check back in after a month — just 30 days! — and see how you feel. Good luck and all the best with your resolutions!