Getting fit isn’t an easy thing to do. If you’ve long eschewed proper diet and exercise then –– make no bones about it –– establishing a workout routine is going to prove difficult at first. This is an unfortunate yet common problem since around 80 percent of American adults don’t get the recommended weekly amount of exercise.
On the bright side, there are low-stress ways to create a better lifestyle for yourself and improve your well-being. Indeed, though there’s no substitute for regular exercise and sensible diet, you can make the transition easier for yourself by making a few smart, but simple, decisions. Check out these six suggestions here and start living healthier today.
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1. Schedule Walks During Your Workday
Sitting down at a desk for eight hours is an unhealthy way to spend your day. The bad news is, most people can’t afford to quit their job in order to focus solely on their health. On the other hand, you can mitigate the negative effects associated with sedentary workplaces. One of the best ways to do that is to schedule a walk (or walks) at key intervals during the day. Instead of getting up for a coffee refill at ten, or struggling to stay focused at three in the afternoon, get up and take a fifteen-minute walk. Plus, inviting coworkers to join you is a great way to start an office-wide healthy tradition.
2. Unplug
To piggyback off our previous point, most Americans live in a sedentary state. They sit all day at work and then come home only to sit down in front of the TV screen. Or their laptop. Or their smartphone. No, we’re not advising that everyone cancel their cable subscriptions, ditch their laptops, and go live as a hermit. However, cutting back on activities like watching TV can open up your schedule to fit in more healthy alternatives.
3. Warm Up & Cool Down
Time is often a major stumbling block for people looking to incorporate more exercise into their daily regimen. And feeling stressed out about a lack of free time is a legitimate concern for many people. Still, skipping a warm-up and/or a cool-down session to squeeze a workout into your day is an unwise idea.
Warming up beforehand and cooling down after will help prevent injuries. And you should never forget that safety is your number one priority when exercising. What’s more, if you feel muscle or joint pain at any point during or after a workout consult an orthopedic surgeon right away. Letting an injury fester can create a myriad of problems for you down the road.
4. Drink More Water
It’s no secret that drinking water is a good thing. Water is fantastic for your skin and your system as a whole. Plus, drinking more water is just about the easiest health-conscious change you can make. If you really want to up the ante, though, consider replacing soft drinks and other beverages with a glass of water. True, it may be difficult to give up your morning cup of coffee or that after-dinner soda –– but those beverages are laden with caffeine and sweeteners. Eliminating them –– and their empty calories –– is a fantastic way to help yourself on the path toward a healthier you!
5. Schedule Doctor’s Appointments
Many factors influence your health, and some of them are outside of your control. Indeed, though most people probably don’t like to think about it genetics and other aspects of your day-to-day life can have an adverse effect on your overall well-being. As such, it’s critical for everyone to schedule regular visits to their doctor. Even if you “feel fine,” speaking with a medical professional will help you identify potential risks you may have otherwise ignored. Remember, doctors, are paid to educate you on your health care needs and help you set and reach reasonable fitness goals.
6. Reward Yourself
Ideally, the positive outcomes of working out and dieting should be reward enough to motivate people to hit the gym. Still, it’s always nice to provide yourself with tangible signs of your own success. Even something as simple as buying new “skinny” clothes could provide you with a massive confidence boost. If you’re going to attain consistent results, you need to make sure you’re addressing your emotional and mental needs as well as your physical ones.
Final Thoughts
We won’t sugarcoat the truth: becoming healthier is hard work. But it doesn’t have to be as stressful as you think. A little planning can go a long way, and some of the simplest changes to your lifestyle can yield incredible dividends. At the end of the day though, consistency is crucial in regard to weight loss and health in general. Making good decisions for a week, a month or even a year won’t amount to much if you revert back to poor health habits later on.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
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