Spring has finally sprung. It won’t be long before the days get longer and the temperatures get warmer. Soon will be a time for shedding layers and, of c
ourse, spring cleaning. That can apply not only to cleaning out your closet, desk, and house. It is also a time to clean out bad habits and maybe even finally dust off your New Year’s resolutions.
While most people take the beginning of the year as a chance to get a fresh start, Mother Nature brings new beginnings in Spring. It’s an opportunity for you to start incorporating healthy habits finally.
But, it isn’t easy. Mixed messages, latest fads, and unclear goals can derail getting healthy and getting fit.
Here are fivetips that can help you get on the road to a fitter you this spring.
- Find your “why.”
Is it losing weight? Perhaps it’s to have more energy? It could even be to keep up with the kids or at the advice of your doctor. Once you can identify why you want to get fit, it will help you make it through a tough class, get up when the alarm goes off an hour earlier than usual, or give you the willpower to pass on your co-worker’s birthday cake (or at least the second slice). Without a solid why you may find yourself quickly sidetracked from making a change in your life.
- Be active every day
There are plenty of ways to be active. While Flex Fitness is here for you be it taking a new class, working with a personal trainer or just getting on a bike or treadmill, it isn’t the only way to find fitness. If you find activities that you love—playing a sport, doing an obstacle course or even going on a hike with friends, you will find joy in being active every day even if you can’t make it to the gym. Remember a body at rest tends to stay at rest and a body in motion tends to stay in motion—the more you move, the more you’ll want to move and the healthier you will be.
- Eat real, whole food
Low carb. Paleo. Low fat. Eating can be confusing when every week there is a new “stars secrets to getting skinny,” published in a magazine. The key is to eat for fuel, not just for taste. That doesn’t mean you can’t find healthy foods that taste great. Just try to eat as many whole foods without a laundry list of ingredients. This way you’ll get the fuel you need to get healthy, naturally.
- Don’t skimp on sleep
Sleep. It is often the missing ingredient to being healthy. Of course, it is easier said than done. Most of us are hectic, overscheduled, and need to find more hours than there are in the day. Sleep often is put off for work, fun and just that binge of Game of Thrones or Iron Fist. But getting enough ZZZZs is key if you want to be truly healthy
- Hydrate
It seems natural. Drinking more water is one of the simplest ways to boost your health. Proper hydration aids digestion, increases energy, nourishes the skin, and countless other healthy benefits to your body. But, too often we eschew water for a coffee, soda or nothing at all. By making some simple changes such as keeping a water bottle at your desk, starting and ending your day with a glass of water, or passing up that second cup of Joe for some H2O can make a huge difference in your hydration.
They say it takes 21 days to build a habit. Springtime provides an excellent opportunity to start working on making a fitness habit that will make your summer healthier and happier (especially when you put on your bathing suit for the first time!).