Why and How to Lead A Healthy Lifestyle - 1 Reminder At a Time

Why and How to Lead a Healthy Lifestyle – 1 Reminder at a Time!

Most people have a desire to lead a healthy lifestyle, but often times this desire can get lost in the day-to-day hustle and bustle.

Sometimes we need a little advice and encouragement for how to stay on track. The good news is, if you are looking for an extra push this week (or month), you've come to the right place!

Check out the tips below that are good reminders for -
Why and how to lead a healthy lifestyle:

1. Make it a priority to be physically active at least 30 minutes most days. Exercise strengthens your bones and increases muscle mass which leads to more fat burning.
2. It's the most important meal of the day – never skip breakfast! You need fuel for your body to be at your best throughout the day.
3. Try to eat from the 5 main food groups each day and limit the amounts of fats and oils in your diet.
4. A healthy lifestyle of exercise and nutrition increases your metabolism as your body becomes more efficient at burning food for fuel.
5. Living a healthy lifestyle helps your self-esteem giving you confidence, not only in how you look but how you feel.

TIP: Keep these reminders somewhere where they are easily accessible to you – written on a sticky note on your refrigerator or your nightstand. Sometimes a couple words can make all the difference!
Other things you can do for exercise:

• Skipping. Just like kids enjoy skipping from place to place, they will probably think you're pretty cool if you skip with them. So be a kid again!
• Hula Hooping has made a resurgence, and not just for young girls! There's so much more you can do with a hoop than just twist them around your waist. Many parks in the summer will have people playing and dancing with their hula hoops, and many are more than glad to give you impromptu lessons!
• Hiking at any park, and if you have a child, this is a wonderful time to enjoy nature, even with a youngster as young as 3!
• Roller skating, Ice Skating, and if you have the time to practice, Skate Boarding.
• Don't forget your pets! While cats may not want to go for a 'walk' with you, it's worth it to try, and dogs always need to be walked, whether in the country or city. You'll get the exercise, they'll get to check out what the other dogs in the neighborhood are doing - and where' they've been doing it. Don't forget to bring a doggie bag with you.

TIP: If you're going to be doing anything more strenuous than walking, be sure to do some stretching exercises at least 10 minutes before your skate, run, or hooping.

If you have trouble feeling motivated, here's some reasons why NOT to exercise: these thoughts may remind you of something you don't like rather than something you do like!

Don't exercise because you feel like you're fat. Sure, you might do well to lose a few pounds, but you also want to avoid going in the wrong direction and guilting yourself to overdoing it. Also, this reminds you have a negative emotion.

Do it because of the strong feeling and energy you get - getting your blood flowing and helping improve your mood

Don't exercise as an energy boost if you're not getting enough sleep. Yes, it does boost your energy but if you don't get enough sleep your body won't have the proper energy in storage to keep you going for long. You will end up even more tired, and stress your body and even weaken muscles!

Use your exercise time earlier in the day to give you something to rest with! If you must choose between sleeping a few extra hours or exercising, choose sleep so you can meet your body's daily 7-8 hours; choosing exercise over adequate sleep too often, and your body might not benefit as much as you'd like!

Exercise cannot work out your problems! You still have to deal with life's struggles in constructive - and more satisfyingly confrontational ways. That will help make problems go away.

Instead: Use exercise to put yourself in a better frame of mind to challenge those problems head on, with the energy and acuity that it brings naturally. And you can often use a good long walk or run to casually mull over these issues so when you get back you will have given some thought - not stress - to the issues.

Don't do it so you can later eat whatever you want. Exercise cannot always counteract the bad effects of every food you may want, and don't forget, it's easier to put calories into your body than to take them off!

Instead; give yourself the occasional treat you really enjoy, rather than using using exercise as an excuse to overindulge.

TIP: Do exercise with a POSITIVE mindset - not for NEGATIVE reasons!

Posted In: Health & Nutrition, Health & Wellness