Improve Your Physical Health with These 5 Easy Steps
September is self-improvement month. Now is the perfect time to evaluate where you are on new years resolutions, or how you currently stack up to your goals. The first one that pops up in many of our minds is physical health.
Try these easy steps
1. AM workouts
Do whatever you need to do to make these happen. When you start your day with a workout, you prevent the chance for other things to come up throughout the day to get in the way of your workout. Getting active is also a healthy start to your day. When the first choice you make of the day is to get out of bed and take care of your body, it sets you on the path to make healthy choices the rest of the day.
2. Consistency
Consistency is key, don't be unrealistic and try to start a routine of two-a-days or marathon workout sessions in an attempt to jump start fitness. You will not be able to maintain this, and it will wear you out and make sticking with the routine unrealistic. Keep it simple, aim to workout 3-5 days a week for 30-60 minutes at a time, and remember rest days are important too. Your rest days are when your muscles recover.
3. Stretch before bed
Treat your body well, and it will do the same for you. Stretching at the end of the day helps to relieve tension in your muscles from the day. Do what feels good, whether it is a full yoga session before bed or just a few stretches for your most used muscles.
4. Little extras
Not everything you do for your physical health needs to be a drastic change, the little things, done regularly, add up. Try parking at the back of the parking lot forcing yourself to walk just a bit further. Take the stairs, seriously, unless you have a genuine reason to take the elevator or escalator, such as recent surgery, carrying a heavy load or transporting large items, just take the stairs. If you do not mind feeling a little silly you can also do things like calf raises while you brush your teeth, or 10 squats after every bathroom break. All these small changes and habits will do your body good.
5. Compete against yourself
Don't worry about what everyone else is doing. Set your goals based on your current abilities. Each day try to do a little more than you did yesterday. If you can only hold a plank for 10 seconds to start, do one every day and strive to hold it just a little bit longer. If you can run a mile in 10 minutes, try to increase your speed a little with each run. Continue pushing yourself, and you will find that what you can do changes, as long as you keep at it.