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Everyone wants to be healthy. It’s the reason so many people’s New Year’s resolutions include dieting and exercise. It’s also the reason the health and fitness club industry is a 27.6 billion dollar industry.
We all have good intentions when it comes to taking care of ourselves, but the fact is that we are all busy. And I get that.
I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t exercise much during the winter months because, well, it’s cold. And aching ears, burning lungs, and snot-cicles don’t appeal to me. I’d rather sit by the fire in my favorite sweatpants and drink hot tea and not worry about it.
However as spring slowly awakens, I get really excited about lacing up my running shoes, and growing a vegetable garden and being outside more. I start thinking about ways to better myself and be consistent with healthy practices.
Now is a good time to start formulating how you will kickstart your health this spring and I have 4 tips that will help you get there. Let me know what you think and if you have any tips to add to the list!
**Note – I am not a healthcare professional. These tips are based on personal experiences as well as the experiences of people I know and love.
4 Ways to Kickstart Your Health
1. Make a Diet Change
This is my #1 piece of advice, because eliminating gluten and dairy is what kickstarted my own health. And based on what I have read, it is the solution for many people who are struggling with recurring health issues that can’t be explained by their doctor.
There are some good diet challenges, like the Whole 30 Challenge, that show you how to eat “clean” for a month and gradually add common inflammatory foods back in, allowing you to see which foods may be causing your ailments. I have seen many people benefit from completing this challenge.
No, it’s not a cinch to do. You will need to read up and plan out your meals for the month. Adjust your budget accordingly. Mentally prepare yourself to say “no” when you are tempted to break down.
Honestly, this is one of the cheapest ways to find out if any certain food(s) is causing health issues or disallowing you to loss weight. If you are under the regular care of a physician, check with him/her before you start.
Do your homework and go for it. I HIGHLY doubt you will regret it.
2. Drink more water
Annoying, right? Insert mega eye roll here.
You might be thinking one or more of the following:
Water doesn’t even taste like anything!
Water is boring!
Hydration- UGH!
I just don’t like water!
Well, let me ask you this: do you like being alive? Besides keeping you hydrated (which is a key component of being alive), water also takes almost no energy to process in the body (especially if you drink it at room temperature) and helps eliminate toxins…which keeps you from getting sick and helps your body function as it should.
Drinking 6-8 glasses of JUST water – with no chemical laden flavor packets – can jumpstart all kinds of good things like weight loss, toxin elimination, and headache relief.
My best, most loving advice here is for one to get over oneself and just go for it.
If you do need a little flavor in your water, by all means infuse it with fruit like raspberries, blueberries, or even cucumber (which is not a fruit). Adding a couple of mint leaves may also kick it up a notch if you can’t stand plain water.
If you happen to have trouble keeping track of your water intake (like me), here is a free printable water intake chart that can help. There are 8 spaces (in the form of water glasses) for each day of the week that you can check off each time you finish a glass of water. Fun, right?!
I personally use THIS cup and have found it to be wonderful! I move a ring up to the top each time I finish a whole cup’s worth of water and at the end of the day I can see how much I drank. A few more reasons I love this cup:
1. I don’t have to keep up with any paper. Everything I need to track my water intake is on the bottle.
2. This water bottle is less than $10!
3. It’s super cute! I love all the colors!
4. There is a grey option for anyone who wants a monochromatic color scheme. This is a good option for men who don’t want to carry around a rainbow water bottle.
3. Get Moving
I have said it before and I will say it again: you do not have to train for a race, compete in Crossfit challenges, or wear yourself out to improve your fitness level. A small, non-competitive goal will do just fine!
A 20-30 minute walk or run 3-5 days a week is a simple way to get moving now. Chances are you have a pair of running shoes already. Put them on and GO! The key is to get your heart rate up and keep it up for at least 20 minutes. This time frame is important because it takes 20 minutes to stimulate your cardiovascular system and challenge its current state.
That’s why after several weeks of working out you find that you are able to go further, breathe more easily and achieve more than when you began. And this, my friends, is what people are talking about when they say they are addicted to working out. The body responds by releasing endorphins which make us feel that “runner’s high” and gets us excited to go again.
I understand that you may never feel this way about exercise. You may hate working out no matter the activity, time, or intensity level. And that’s fine. Just find something you can tolerate and remember that whatever you don’t use, you will lose in time; specifically muscle mass, coordination, balance, joint health, and overall health.
Nobody can work out for you. You have to decide what you can do, and then go make it happen. No more excuses.
To get a free printable of the motivational graphic above, sign up HERE.
4. Eat Less Sugar
Calm down. I didn’t say eat NO sugar.Ā I’m not cutting out sugar so why would I tell you to do it?
Just eat less sugar. A lot less. But why? Because I know that if you’re sick enough, tired enough, or angry enough nothing will stop you from fighting to get your health back on track.
Sugar feeds disease. This is not new information. Sugar also causes inflammation in the joints (among other areas) and all illness begins with inflammation.
According to the American Heart Association, the daily limit for sugar intake for women is 6 teaspoons. That’s WAY more generous than I would personally recommend, but if you’re needing a measurement for reference purposes, there it is.
You will feel so much better if you cut back on sugar. Even if you don’t take any other suggestion from me, take this one.
There is really nothing to lose here but maybe weight and ailments. The longer you wait to kickstart your health, the harder it will be. These four steps can give you a good jumpstart to getting your health on track sooner rather than later.
Share in the comments below any tips you have found to be helpful to you personally!
