Health & Wellness Tips

By Nancy Cozart

Health & Wellness Tips

If you are looking for ways to improve your health and wellness, below are some suggestions and tips to get you started moving in the right direction.

Life can be difficult sometimes and sticking to a diet and exercise routine can be a challenge. Don’t despair if your focus on health and wellness has been less than stellar lately. Life gets in the way of your best laid plans sometimes. Maybe you get home from work and you are hungry and tired. Despite good intentions, you might feel like you just don’t have the energy to get to the gym to work out.

The good news is that it’s never too late to take steps in the right direction and get back on track to the path that leads to better health and wellness. You are on a journey. Your destination is better health and wellness.

Every day that you take a step forward, you are moving closer to your goal. Every morning when you wake up, make sure to remind yourself that it’s a new day and a new opportunity to focus on your own health and wellness goals.

If you are like many of us….you put everyone else’s needs before your own. If you have been putting your own health and wellness on the back burner, it’s time to get motivated and put your own needs first and foremost in your life.

Tip #1: Set Your Alarm Clock One Hour Earlier

If you get home from work and you feel like you are too tired to exercise, maybe it’s time to try a new strategy. You can try setting your alarm clock one hour earlier every morning. When you wake up in the morning, try going for a walk on the sidewalks in your neighborhood. Or go to a nearby park and walk the trails. You could invest in a treadmill for your home and you could walk a mile on your treadmill every morning. Or you could go to the gym for an hour every morning before you go to work. You can also try working out with a Zumba or aerobics dance exercise DVD at home every morning. Whatever you decide to do with your extra hour every morning, just remember that by setting your alarm clock for one hour earlier, you have given yourself the gift of the opportunity for better health and wellness.

Tip #2: Add More Fruits and Vegetables to Your Meals

If you find that you have been eating junk food, try substituting fruits and vegetables as sides instead of potato chips or french fries with your meals.

If you are dining out at a restaurant, skip the hamburger and fries and try healthier options such as vegetable soup and salads. Instead of soda, try water with lemon. Instead of cake or cookies for dessert, try fresh fruit.

Tip #3: Make Nutritious Smoothies at Home

You can also try making your own healthy smoothies at home by adding fresh fruits and veggies to your blender. Try mixing a variety of fruits and veggies with Almond Milk for a Vegan smoothie that’s big on nutrition and low on calories. You can use a blender or a Nutri-bullet to create your own homemade nutritious smoothies. Try adding fresh or frozen fruit such as cherries, pineapple, strawberries, bananas, peaches and blueberries to your blender. Mix in some spinach and grated carrots. Add almond milk. Blend on frappe’ or smoothie setting. Pour into a tall glass. Add a straw. It’s like fruit salad in a glass! It tastes delicious, too!

Tip #4: Enlist a Buddy

If you are trying to get back on track with your fitness goals, consider enlisting a buddy. Find a friend who also wants to exercise more frequently. Consider signing up for a Zumba or group exercise fitness class with your friend! You can also schedule time with a friend to meet up at a local park and walk the trails together. By enlisting a buddy to help you with your fitness goals, you might find the support you need to help you get back on track.

Tip #5: Go to Bed One Hour Earlier

If you feel tired or fatigued every day, consider going to bed one hour earlier every night so you can wake up refreshed and ready to put your fitness goals first and foremost in your life.

Tip #6: Consider Joining a Gym

If you are having difficulties getting motivated to work out at home, consider joining a gym. Consider signing up for group exercise classes at a local gym and put the appointments on your calendar to remind yourself to go to class. While at the gym, make sure to ask for instructions on how to use the equipment if you are new to the gym.

Tip #7: Consider Joining a Community Center with a Pool

If you have Arthritis or problems with your back or other health issues, you may want to consider joining a gym with a pool so you can swim laps or take water aerobics classes. Check online for local community centers or YMCA’s in your area. If you are having difficulty exercising due to health issues, swimming or water aerobics might be a great way to exercise without putting stress on your joints!

Tip #8: Take a Walk around the Parking Lot on your Lunch Break

If you get a lunch break at work every day, consider bringing your lunch to work and eating a healthy lunch at your desk. Then, use the remainder of your lunch break to walk around the parking lot. Or you can take two 15 minute exercise breaks every day instead of taking coffee breaks. Or take a walk around the parking lot before and after work. Consider getting a pedometer and counting your steps. Every step you take brings you closer and closer to your fitness goals!

Tip #9: Take the Stairs instead of Elevators

When possible, consider taking the stairs instead of elevators at work, while shopping, and at doctor’s appointments.

Tip #10: Park Your Car Further From the Entrance

When possible, try to park your car further from the entrance at work, at the gym, at shopping malls, at the grocery store and at appointments. The more steps you take each day, the closer you get to your fitness goals. You don’t have to run in a marathon to achieve your fitness goals. By adding in more steps every day, you will be taking steps towards living a healthier lifestyle.

The Key to Better Health

The key to living a healthier lifestyle is to make a conscientious decision to focus on your own health and wellness goals every day. Don’t fret about the past mistakes you’ve made…yesterday is in your rear view mirror now. Start with today. Make a vow to yourself that you will put your health and wellness goals first and foremost every day to give yourself the best possible outcomes for living a healthy life. Nobody can do it for you. Setting your own health and wellness goals and achieving those goals starts with you. It’s time to live a healthier lifestyle. Living your best life starts today.

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