A New Healthier You
Written by Sam · Filed Under Tips, Weight Loss Programs 2,875 views
A New Healthier You
2009 was a challenge for most people I know…we were challenged incredibly with our employment, finances, family life, relationships and of course our health. It seems like our health is one of the easiest to get hit the worst in tough economic times. Many of us try and make ourselves feel better with food and this leads to excessively eating foods with little to no nutritional value like chips, popcorn, ice cream, chocolate and pastries. But now?
Now it’s the year 2010! It’s time to reflect on last year and think of ways we can make this year better. Sounds a little overwhelming though doesn’t it?
Well let’s make this as simple as possible but let’s first start by promising ourselves to make this year a healthier year. We can always get better with our health, and if you don’t think that’s possible then you aren’t opening your mind up to learning. Even though I’ve been training for over 17 years I still feel like I’m learning each and every day and having this huge audience consistently asking questions allows me to think of solutions with different angles in mind.
Let’s get started!
Better Sleep
The first point I think we should all focus on is sleep. Healthy regular sleep 7-8 hours each night. Your body’s circadian rhythm depends on this…in other words every biological mechanism that is continuously happening in your body has a rhythm which is affected by your sleep.
If you sleep in 2 hours one day then that cycle of your body expecting breakfast at 8am in the morning is now messed up. This leads to a dominoes effect where your digestion system is now put on hold, the energy supplied to your muscles, heart, brain are all affected.
Invest in a good mattress and pillow and focus on making this year a good year for sleep. If you can master this one art then you will see major, no massive health benefits including natural weight loss. (check out my article on Sleep Well With the Right Pillow).
Weight Training
Weight training is the next fundamental component of your health. Regardless of whether you are male/female, young or old weight training should be a component of your exercise regimen. Training with weights strengthens our muscles, bones, tendons, and joints and prevents serious health problems like painful lower back, knees, and brittle bones (osteoporosis).
Just make sure you train the right way, get a personal trainer for even just a few sessions this year and ask him/her to make sure that you are performing exercises the right way. That your back is aligned properly in all movements, that you aren’t swinging, that you have your feet the right distance apart and that you are not placing excessive force on your shoulders or knees.
Sure this may set you back a few hundred but you should should be doing this before you think about spending money on any health supplement including vitamins otherwise you are just throwing away that money. The benefits will be very impressive, I promise you that!
Variation in Your Cardio Routine
Are you the type of person that does the same cardio routine like a 60 minute jog week after week? Well 2010 is the year to mix things up. Sure that kind of routine is overall good for your health but if you want to see improvement in your physique then variation is key. Try high intensity interval training, signing up for sports you’ve never done including volleyball, skiing, yoga, kickboxing, surfing, soccer, etc.
This alone will inject a whole new level of excitement into your exercise plan and keep you motivated and excited to keep improving.
More Natural Foods
Let’s keep it simple…healthy eating can be much more easily followed if you purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables than processed foods which are packaged.
Have fun with this…try a unique fruit or vegetable a month and by the end of 2010 you will have found probably one or two new favorite healthy foods. Some you might want to try: pomegranate, kumquat, bok choy, pitaya, chayote, beets, acai berries, guava, etc.
Conclusion
What do you think about that? Nice simplified focus for a new healthier you in 2010…better sleep, weight training, variation in your cardio routine, and more natural foods. Forget all the other hype for now and focus on these points and you are going to reach levels you never have before regardless of your age. Be adventurous, have fun and have a new perspective of this year…here’s to a New Healthier You in 2010!
Have anything you’d like to add? As always I appreciate your comments below…
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