The internet can get very confusing along with social media. It seems like every other post or video or link is telling you new ways to build a healthy lifestyle.
The reality is that to build a healthy lifestyle, it's simple. But don't confuse simple with easy. The simple things are required to be done daily. The simple things do not provide immediate results and nowadays, that is one of the biggest problems.
Because of Amazon Prime or Netflix or Social Media likes, we have grown accustomed to immediacy that we start to expect it in everything in our life. But the reality is that it is not possible in many things in life to include your health and fitness results.
So let's talk about 7 ways you can start building a healthier lifestyle.
1. Move on a daily basis
This doesn't necessarily mean you need to exercise every single day, instead you can first focus on being active. This can be as simple as making time for an evening walk after dinner, or just doing things around the house. But what I would say is aim to exercise at a minimum of 4 times a week.
Our society is not always set up for us to be mobile as we sit in chairs, in cars and on our couches at home. Sitting too often can shorten the range of motion for our joints. Daily joint mobilization such as arm circles and leg swings can help keep our joints limber and ready to do what life calls for us to do. Do these mobilizations as you brush your teeth or wait for your food to warm up.
2. Monitor your breathing.
A good first check is to notice if you are breathing in and out of your nose or your mouth. Our bodies are designed to breathe in and out of our nose the majority of the time. Breathing in/out of your nose helps to activate the vagus nerve which plays a key part in the parasympathetic nervous system. Your parasympathetic nervous system is also known as the rest and digest system.
When we are under stress (sympathetic nervous system), we often hold our breath. The next time you notice that you are stressed, check in with your breath and see if you are nasal breathing.
3. Monitoring your Nutrition
Eat whole foods: meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar (we are not referring to fruits here).
Do you eat the same amount of food on a very active day vs. a day where you are more sedentary?
Carbohydrates fuel workouts, so know that they are meant to be consumed to allow us to move at our best for our workouts. Protein helps our bodies recover from workouts and is best digested in a restful state.
4. Find an active community
If we are wanting to be more active, it is helpful to be around like minded people as this will help us keep our commitments when our willpower is low.
Find coaches that can help you stay on track towards your goals, the life you'd love to live.
Check in with who you spend time with. Are these people having a positive influence on your life or are they pulling you towards unhealthy habits?
5. Be consistent
What we do most of the time seems to matter more than what we do every once in a while. Developing healthy habits takes time and often times help from others.
Picking yourself up after a setback is key. It will not be a perfect road.
6. Spend time with yourself
We are bombarded with notifications, sounds on the TV, podcasts and music on a daily basis. Although each of these things can provide value in our lives, they can also drown out what is going on internally.
When we sit and pay attention to our thoughts, it can be a fruitful practice to journal as this validates our thoughts and feelings.
When we are aware of what is going on inside of us, we can construct solutions to our troubles, and connect with coaches that can help us get unstuck.
7. Find time for Fun!
It is easy to get caught up in our day to day life and work with the day ending before you know it. Carving out time for fun can be a great way to get feel good hormones into the bloodstream and allow cortisol to exit.
Look for ways to find humor in your day. Carving out a bit of time to watch the funny reels sent from your friends or opening those memes from your one friend that always delivers quality ones can improve the quality of your life.
