Sometimes the hardest part about fitness and health is just getting started. Getting the momentum to take the first leap can seem impossible, but if you break things up into baby steps it is much easier and things will seem less daunting. As with most things in fitness, my motto is “start slow and steady.”
I used to be that girl that would go full on with exercising and start “a new diet” on Monday, psyche myself up and feel great for the first 2 days, only to “fail” miserably a few days later because I gave into pizza, cookies and ice cream. I would put so much pressure on myself and then feel like crap when I didn’t see any results, even though I gave up a few days after I started. With time and experience I have come to realise that you can make HUGE changes by taking baby steps in any part of your life (personal, self-care, health, fitness, mental health, etc), consistency is key. Being consistent with anything in life for enough time will get you results and create long lasting healthy habits.
There is no quick fix to getting healthier, but we can all make small changes that can have a big impact on our health and well-being. Here are a few tips that might inspire you to take a (baby) step in the right direction.
Move your body
This is a pretty obvious tip, although most of us don’t move enough during the day. Many of us, if not most of us, have jobs where we sit most of the day in front of a computer screen. This not only promotes a sedentary life, bad posture and overall imbalances in our bodies, but also makes us feel “lazy” and lethargic. To counteract this we all just need to move a little more. Go for a walk, take the stairs instead of the elevator, fit in a quick 15 minute workout during lunch or before/after work, or anything that works with your busy schedule. Just making that extra effort to move you body and get the blood pumping will help to refresh you and inspire you to move even more since you will be feeling more energy in general.
Smoothies
Getting enough veggies in every day is hard, I struggle so much with this! A great, and easy way to get more nutrients (Not only fruits. And yes I mean vegetables!) and fibre in general is through delicious smoothies. If you are thinking: “gross, veggies in my smoothies!”…you can add your favourite fruits so you don’t even taste the veggies. I really love ginger, watermelon, mango, pineapple and apples in my smoothies. My favourite veggies are kale, spinach, cucumber and celery. This is also a great way to make sure you stay hydrated if you have trouble getting enough water during the day or find water too bland. Start your day with a smoothie and you are killing 2 birds with 1 stone, hydrating and getting in essential nutrients for your body.
Water
How much water do you drink a day? This is probably my number 1 struggle, getting enough water. Our bodies are made up of predominantly water, yet most of us don’t drink enough water on a daily basis. I try and carry around a water bottle at all times (work, car, gym, etc) so it’s just staring me right in the face and I have no reason not to hydrate. Even then I have trouble drinking water, so I try and at least have some herbal teas, spicing up my water with natural fruit (lemon, orange, etc), drinking sparkling water or even having some kamoucha. I try to stick with no sugar options and liquids that have some type of health benefit if possible.
Sleep
Sleep is essential for preparing cells and healing your body. Without the adequate sleep and rest we are more likely to skip our workouts, eat junk food, and make overall bad decisions with our health. If I were to tell you where to start with changes, I would 100% say sleep! Sleep helps regulate hormones which also affect appetite, mood and so much more! So even if you are doing everything above right, but you aren’t getting enough sleep, you won’t feel the benefits since your body is exhausted and trying to recuperate. Make sleep a priority. See my previous post on how to get better sleep.
Protein
Incorporate 1 source of protein with every meal or snack. This helps to keep you full and less likely to snack on junk food between meals. Protein digests slower and keeps you fuller for longer. When you have a sugar filled snack your body is on a high, and then an hour or so later you crash, feeling way worse than before and needing another “pick-me-up” snack. Some great snacks which include a protein source are: hummus and veggies, apple with almond butter, egg on toast, a handful of nuts with your favourite fruit, etc.
You don’t have to make huge changes, but you do need to start somewhere. Try starting with 1 small change every week and by the end of the year you will have newly formed habits and feeling so much healthier.
Another good way I found to get myself motivated is to start a little challenge group with friends or at work. This help everyone stay accountable and you can motivate each other.
Xo
Lorena
