Today is a great day to invest in your fitness and well-being.
Although many people like to start new goals at the beginning of a new year, it’s never too early to develop healthy habits. In fact, today is as good of a day as any to start thinking about physical fitness and your mental health. If you have a lot of great ideas but don’t know where to start, don’t worry! We’ve got you covered.
Here are some of the things you can do right away to improve how your body looks and ultimately feels:
- Hydrate often. Many people are chronically dehydrated despite drinking beverages all the time. If you fear you’re not getting enough water into your diet, there are some things you can do starting today to make it happen. You can purchase a water bottle with a timeline on it. Using it as a guide, drink to the line by the time that is listed for best results. You can also invest in a water bottle that has a built-in reminder in it. It not only tells you when you should drink, but it also records how many ounces of water you’ve consumed in a day. If neither option appeals to you, use a water reminder app for your smartphone. Customize the alerts so that you’re frequently reminded to tip your bottle back and drink hydrating H2O.
- Make exercise something you look forward to doing opposed to something you feel obligated to do. Exercise routines become monotonous and go by the wayside in favor of something more exciting more often than not. Don’t become the type of person who gives yourself excuses for not working out. Find new and improved ways to keep your fitness regimen fresh and exciting. That way, you have a reason to get out of bed in the morning or hit the gym after work. Use the internet as inspiration. You’ll find many challenging routines that are fun and rewarding. If you can’t think of one on your own, hire a personal trainer to help you progress toward your goals. You’d be surprised at how motivated you feel when you’re paying someone else to support you with your progress.
- Get enough rest. Make sure that you’re getting to bed at a normal time each evening to ensure that you’re engaging in REM sleep. It’s how you’ll feel the most rested. Adults need between seven to nine hours of sleep each night for optimal performance. Less than that can significantly impede on your body’s ability to heal not to mention make you more susceptible to injuries and diseases. Create an oasis for resting in your bedroom by maintaining a comfortable temperature in the room, blocking out excess light and noise, and banning electronic devices from the space. Use a wind-up alarm clock opposed to a digital one to prevent sleep disruptions.
- Eat a balanced diet. Food is fuel. Eat a diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. Add a wide range of fresh fruits and vegetables to your plate each meal. Choose lean sources of protein and fatty fishes packed with Omega-3s. Choose whole grains opposed to white starches. Use healthy fats sparingly. You have a wide variety of oils to choose from these days including coconut, olive, and grapeseed. Avoid processed food even when your schedule is packed.
- Give your brain challenges. It’s not just your body that benefits from a good workout. Your brain needs one, too! Doing things to challenge yourself intellectually helps slow down the aging process by keeping your mind sharp. Find something that you enjoy doing as much as working out. Perhaps it’s taking a class at the local college, learning a foreign language at home, doing crossword puzzles in the morning or taking on a design project with many components. If it feels easy, it probably won’t be as beneficial as you need it to be.
- Be in good company often. People who have strong bonds with family and friends are often healthier than those who do not. Make it a point to get together with the people that you care about regularly. Even if you don’t get to spend the entire day with one another, make the minutes count. You can even make the activity you do together something physical. That way, you’re getting a good workout in, too. You won’t feel so compelled to cut the visit short because you still need to hit the gym.
- Set goals that make you work. It’s good to step outside your comfort zone. When you work hard toward a goal, the results are even sweeter than you expected. Give yourself something to focus on and then give the tasks your all. As you’re working to check off your to-dos, keep in mind why you wanted to achieve the goal in the first place. On the quest for improving yourself, it’s important to know your reason why. It will help you stay on track and motivated even when things feel difficult to achieve.
- Pencil in downtime. Make sure that you have plenty of time to relax. It may seem like being busy is an indicator of success. It’s not. Chronic busyness wears down your mental and physical health. It makes you more susceptible to illness and accidents. When you’re too tired to think straight because of all the activities you’re engaging in, it actually works against you. You won’t accomplish much if you’re bedridden.
- Make self-care a priority. It’s often an overlooked form of healthcare. Make putting yourself first something that you do regularly. Think of all the things you need to excel. Then start carving time out of your schedule to make it happen. You know what you need better than anyone else. Consider self-care preventative medicine because it helps nourish your mind, body, and soul.
Develop healthier habits today. You don’t need to wait until January 1st to turn over a new leaf. The beauty about life is that it’s full of opportunities to better yourself. Take the initiative to succeed at becoming more physically fit. Set yourself up for success by following the list above and focusing on the present moment opposed to what you think you can do in the future.