As a lot of you know I am a FitFluential Ambassador. I was so excited to be chosen back when it all began, and things are really starting to move now and I couldn’t be more excited! We were asked to share 7 steps or tips we could give to someone who wanted to start being healthy, right now. SO many people say “I will start Monday” or “I will start in January” but why not start now? We are not promised tomorrow, so make today the first day of the rest of your life, and make it a good one! So, here are my 7 tips/steps. Small things you can start doing NOW that will put you on the path to being fit and healthy:
1. Find your motivation/inspiration: Everyone has a reason that they want to be healthy. It is the thing way down deep that keeps you going even in the hard times. The thing you think about when you don’t feel like working out. This can be your family, an upcoming race or competition, wanting to be alive long enough to see your grandkids get married, anything really! Once you figure out what it is, it can help drive you and push you on to meet your goals.
2. Get enough sleep: Sounds so simple but is so difficult for some people. If you are not getting enough sleep, you will fall into a vicious cycle of exhaustion, excuses, and grumpiness! How can you adequately care for your family if you are exhausted? How can you feel like working out if all you want to do is take a nap? Aim for 7-8 hours and notice a big jump in your drive and energy levels.
3. Cook more: We all know that restaurant meals are way larger than an actual portion should be. A person can easily consume a day’s worth of calories in one meal out. Pack your lunch before you go to work, celebrate the weekend in some other way than eating out, and save restaurants for special occasions. Or, learn where you CAN eat out that has healthy options with correct portion sizes.
4. take time each day to be still: Here on RWS I place a lot of importance on mental health as well as physical health. I feel that you can be as physically fit as you want but if you are mentally or emotionally exhausted or struggling, you aren’t truly “healthy.” So take a few minutes each day to sit in the quiet by yourself and reflect. For me, it’s praying. For someone else, it may be taking a nice long bath. But take some time to be still and decompress every day. Even if it’s just five minutes.
5. Eat Breakfast: So many people think if they skip breakfast they will lose weight. Breakfast is wht kick starts your metabolism for the day and keeps your energy levels up. If you skip breakfast not only are you more likely to be tired, but also more likely to over eat later in the day.
6. Move more: It can be parking at the farthest away spot in the parking lot, or going to an extra spin class this week, but just move more! Have a dance party with your kids while you help them clean their rooms. Walk the dog. Play tag with your kids in the backyard. It doesn’t have to be an hour long sweat session to count as a workout, just get your body moving and you will WANT to do more and more!
7. Make it fun: If you don’t enjoy what you are doing it’s easy to let new good habits die. To make them tick, make sure you are enjoying what you are doing. If you hate running, don’t run! Take a zumba class instead. There are so many ways to stay active and fit, just get a little creative and see what you can come up with!
QOTD: Do you have any tips for someone trying to get healthy?
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I love your 7! I like to make exercise fun by dressing up for short races (5ks or 8ks!). Fit is Fun! So glad to be FitFluential with you 🙂 Oh… an email is on the way…
oh that is fun! and I got your email. Love it!
Great tips! My favorite tip is to drink a ton of water and tea! 🙂
It’s crazy how simple and common sense these tips are but people forget or don’t take them seriously! I can never believe when people at my work tell me they dont eat breakfast! I would DIE and probably end up going out every lunch and buying so much bad food because I;d be starving. It’s the little things that really help!
~Jenn
Great tips Heather! These are really great, and very do-able. There are definitely some pretty easy ways to have healthy snacks/veggies for meals available, etc… Eating out is not only expensive, but hard to get healthy/lower cal meals. I’m happy you also included “being still” and mental health. I think it’s pretty important:)
Don’t give up your favorite things cold turkey. I hate when people say they are never having (insert favorite unhealthy food) again. You have a better chance of sticking with the changes if you learn to moderate those treats.
I love all of these tips – and the great tips from other Fitfluential Ambassadors! What’s great is that you all give different tips – shows how many variations there are to being healthy! 🙂
so many great tips- thanks!
Thank you so much! I really needed this right now. I have just hit my heaviest weight ever and while it’s not unhealthy it could be getting there. I really just need to get my butt in gear again and make friends with my gym. I had a very bad time with my old trainer and haven’t been back since. I have tried other methods but I just need a gym again. Thank you again!
you are welcome! I am so happy to have helped someone lol! I hope you are able to get back on track. today is a new day, so start now!
Breakfast is so important. I’m better able to maintain my weight when I eat breakfast versus when I used to not eat it. So true though. And I do love the “take time to be still” because that is so important in today’s “go go go go go” world. thanks for the list!! 🙂