Need some ideas for how to jumpstart your health journey this year? Look no further! On the following pages are plenty of health and fitness tips, encouragement, and resources you can use in 2026.
Active Rest: Prioritize sleep
This year’s focus is sleep. Medical professionals suggest 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, yet it’s rarely attained. Sleep has mental and physical benefits. It aids in memory and focus, while also lowering the risks of diabetes and high blood pressure.
BlueHealth Baptist: Find out your family history
The BlueHealth Baptist Care Team recommends beginning the new year with open communication between you and your doctor about family history. Did you know that your family history might be one of the strongest influences on your risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, or cancer? Even though you cannot change your genetic makeup, knowing your family history can help you reduce your risk of developing health problems.
Family members share their genes, as well as their environment, lifestyles, and habits. Everyone can recognize traits such as curly hair, dimples, leanness, or athletic ability that run in their families. Risks for diseases such as asthma, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease also run in families. Everyone’s family history of disease is different.
To learn about your family history:
- Ask questions
- Talk at family gatherings
- Look at death certificates and family medical records, if possible
Collect information about your grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, siblings, and children. The type of information to collect includes:
- Major medical conditions and causes of death
- Age of disease onset and age at death
- Ethnic background
Write down the information and share it with your doctor. Your doctor will:
- Assess your disease risk based on your family history and other risk factors
- Recommend lifestyle changes to help prevent disease
- Prescribe screening tests to detect disease early
The BlueHealth Baptist Team believes patients are individuals with unique needs and circumstances. The clinic’s multidisciplinary team takes a holistic view of your health, considering the bigger picture and working toward improvement. You’ll feel less like a patient and more like a person.
BlueHealth Baptist in Madison is a primary care clinic dedicated to members of Blue Cross Blue Shield. The clinic establishes relationships with its patients and is providing a high-quality primary care experience that is specific and unique. BlueHealth Baptist has one of the nation’s only drive-up labs, and it has onsite wellness classes as well as an outdoor walking track that is open to the general public. Call BlueHealth Baptist today at 601-664-4300 to schedule an appointment.
Capital Ortho: Keep moving
As the new year begins, our number one health tip is simple but powerful: Keep moving — intentionally and consistently. Movement doesn’t have to mean extreme workouts or drastic resolutions. It’s about building habits that support your body and protect your joints for the long run. Daily walks, strength training, stretching, and staying active in ways you enjoy all help improve mobility, reduce pain, and prevent injury. Just as important, listening to your body and addressing small aches before they become bigger problems can keep you moving with confidence all year long. At Capital Ortho, we believe movement is medicine … and the more you prioritize it, the better you’ll feel in every part of life. Start small, stay consistent, and make movement a non-negotiable part of your routine. Your future self will thank you.
Cornerstone Counseling: Don’t carry your burdens alone
When life feels heavy, remember you’re not meant to carry it alone. God invites us to bring our burdens to Him and to trusted others. Counseling, paired with prayer and God’s Word, can be a sacred space where healing, wisdom, and hope take root. Learn more at cornerstone.ms.
Methodist Rehabilitation Center: Prioritize stroke prevention
At Methodist Rehabilitation Center, we believe stroke prevention starts with education, healthy habits, and proactive care that supports heart and brain health. Just as important is recognizing the warning signs of a stroke and acting quickly — remember FAST: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call 911 — because prompt treatment can save lives and reduce long-term disability.
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center: Schedule an annual wellness visit
Mississippi Baptist Medical Center has served Mississippi since 1911 as a Christian-based nonprofit medical center. More than a century later, we remain on our original downtown Jackson site as part of one of the nation’s largest nonprofit health systems. Our network includes a designated burn center and over 30 medical clinics across the tri-county area.
An annual wellness visit is one of the best ways to stay proactive about your health. During your exam, you and your provider can address concerns, review screenings, and detect potential issues early. If follow-up care is needed, our specialty clinics are here to support your family’s needs. Plus, watch for our new Mobile Cardiovascular Unit, offering convenient heart screenings and education, coming early 2026.
Moore Dental Arts: Build healthy dental habits
New Year, healthier smile checklist:
- Brush twice daily
- Floss every day
- Drink more water
- Cut back on sugary snacks
- Schedule dental cleanings
Make dental hygiene a top resolution this year. Consistent habits support healthier teeth, stronger gums, and a confident smile all year long!
Two locations: Flowood and Carthage. mooredentalms.com
The Orchard: Move with purpose – every day
As we welcome a fresh new year, The Orchard is proud to share our number 1 health and fitness tip for residents, families, and friends: Make movement a daily lifestyle, not an occasional activity. Meaningful wellness doesn’t require intense workouts — just steady, intentional activity that keeps the body engaged and the mind joyful.
At The Orchard, purposeful movement happens in countless ways. Of course, our senior fit classes, chair yoga, and chair dancing sessions are wonderful for improving strength, balance, and flexibility. But movement also comes from the activities that spark community and fun.
A lively game of mahjong, gin rummy, dominoes, or bingo keeps the mind sharp and encourages social engagement. Hymn singing, live entertainment, and movies lift the spirit. Bible study nurtures emotional and spiritual wellness. And creative outlets like our writers’ group and arts & crafts classes strengthen cognitive health while giving residents a sense of accomplishment.
Even everyday experiences — like chauffeured outings to local favorites or a peaceful walk through our courtyard — offer valuable opportunities to move with purpose. What matters most is finding activities you enjoy and weaving them into your daily rhythm.
Daily movement boosts circulation, improves sleep, enhances mood, and promotes independence. Even small steps add up, especially when shared with neighbors and friends who make wellness feel inviting and fun.
This year, let’s embrace activity in all its forms. Move with intention, stay connected, and celebrate every step forward at The Orchard.
Pine Grove Behavioral Health & Addiction Services: Express your feelings appropriately
By Ted Crawford, clinical therapist
What would 2026 be like for you if you could actually tell people how you feel? I don’t mean popping off at them. I mean getting your feelings across without regretting the way you do it.
Many of us use this cycle: Stuff it … eat it … stuff it some more … don’t cause trouble – BOOM! Then, after a cool down, we return to fakey chit-chat like nothing happened and start a new cycle. Others have mastered the art of suppressing feelings and rarely, if ever, lose it. BUT, ask them about their migraines, gastrointestinal troubles, addictions, panic attacks, and feelings of emptiness when they get quiet and still.
Let’s try something different. First, a feeling isn’t good or bad; it’s a fact, like having to use the restroom. Of course, there are times when keeping a lid on is a good thing, and situations where a sudden unleashing of emotion is necessary, like when you or another is in immediate danger. But stuffing feelings altogether is akin to avoiding the restroom when you need it, just as spewing “unfiltered” emotion is about as appropriate as soiling yourself.
The middle ground is in not letting feelings accumulate. Express, but be aware of, your non-verbal body language. As for your verbal, identify how another’s behavior makes you feel. Then try using this formula: “When you … I feel … Could you … ?”
Say your brother-in-law talks about himself a lot. Instead of finally spewing at him one day, take a couple of deep breaths, then say something like, “Jeff, when you talk about yourself without showing interest in others, I feel irritated. I’d appreciate it if you could pay more attention to this.”
Realness can be risky. Paired with respect, however, it becomes highly valued authenticity. As a bonus for those who bottle things up, it could reduce the prescriptions needed for your various ailments.
If you or someone you know needs help with emotions, there is hope available. Please call 1-888-574-HOPE (4673) and visit pinegrovetreatment.com if you have questions about Pine Grove’s mental healthcare and addiction treatment services. Located in Hattiesburg, Pine Grove compassionately treats children, adolescents, and adults.
Prime Care Nursing: Build one small, sustainable habit
Instead of setting big resolutions, choose a simple, manageable habit — like a short daily walk, a few deep breaths before bed, or adding one healthy food to your day. Small actions reduce pressure, build confidence, and create momentum. Over time, these habits compound into meaningful, lasting change. Consistency matters more than intensity, and showing up imperfectly is always better than not showing up at all.
Red River Counseling: Resolve to play more!
As a counselor, I see play as sacred restoration for adults. Play reduces stress, strengthens relationships, and reawakens the joy God designed us for. When we engage curiosity and creativity, our nervous systems heal, resilience grows, and we remember we are beloved children — not defined solely by productivity.
Rochelle Thompson, fitness coach: Put your spiritual health first
As you create your wellness resolutions for 2026, remember to prioritize your spiritual health. Plan to connect more deeply with God through prayer, fasting, and giving to those in need. Also, release your worries by trusting in God’s provision. “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” – 2 Peter 3:18a
– Rochelle Thompson, public health advocate, fitness coach and instructor | 601-832-9112
Summit Counseling at First Baptist Jackson: Include mental, spiritual, and physical health
Taking care of your mental, spiritual, and physical health is optimal for a healthy lifestyle. How to stay healthy: Pray, talk to godly people, read the Bible, eat right, get enough rest, exercise, simplify and unclutter your life, make a daily gratitude list, talk less, listen more, slow down, laugh daily. God clearly says that nourishing your mind with the right things leads to good mental, spiritual, and physical health.
Wendy Maxwell, counselor: Don’t take everything so seriously!
Don’t take things so seriously. Be aware of the weight you give to things and even to some people. Challenge the darkness and negativity of the world by putting first things first. God gives us the opportunity to live in joy and peace because we are His. Live in the truth of who God is and who we are as His children. This truth we should take seriously, being intentional in loving God, loving others, and seeking joy. Don’t take other things so seriously: Stop doomscrolling, find a new hobby, and take time to laugh.