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If recovering from troubled times has you feeling stressed, run down and generally unhealthy, you might be considering committing to an overall get-healthy routine. Perhaps you’re considering a new gym membership, a new piece of exercise equipment, or a new diet to either get back to square one or to start a new, healthier life.
Whatever your goals, remember that by committing to routine fitness and healthy eating, you’re not only committing to improved physical health, but also to improved mental health. Both nutrition and physical exercise are tied to improvement in multitudes of health conditions like depression, diabetes and addiction. And, if you practice them together, Harvard Medical School notes that you’ll see even better results.
Consider, for example, a person in addiction recovery. Alcohol causes the body to pass valuable nutrients as opposed to absorbing them, and this leads to compromised immune systems, anemia, slow wound-healing and other health complications. But with the incorporation of an appropriate recovery diet, patients see marked improvements in their body’s overall physical and mental health. The same goes for exercise. Those who exercise achieve a natural high that occurs when the body releases mood-enhancing endorphins.
Take a look at these tips on getting to a better you.
Our Top 5 Fitness Tips
- Set a small, sustainable goal to start. Avoid taking on the “all or nothing” mentality. If you start off with a small goal and build on it, you’re more likely to commit to a sustainable fitness routine.
- Schedule your exercise. Don’t just say you’ll exercise tomorrow; actually schedule it the same as you would any other appointment, preferably during the morning hours. By scheduling your fitness, you’re actually committing to making it part of your routine.
- Commit to an exercise goal. If you can keep your eye on the prize you’re likely to be more motivated to keep up with your routine. For example, commit to walking in your first 5K. A goal will keep you focused on making continued progress.
- Use a fitness app. There are many fitness apps that provide motivation and support in your new efforts. Rewards achieved in virtual challenges and online community networking can help you stay focused on your new lifestyle. If the apps are on your smartwatch or fitness tracker, you’ll be using and relying on it almost every day, so be sure you have a quality, durable watchband that matches.
- Shake it up. Our bodies have the remarkable ability to adapt to new fitness routines, according to researchers from Loughborough University, and over time you’ll find what once was a routine that helped you lose weight won’t produce the same results. To avoid a plateau, shake up your fitness routine with plenty of different components like stretching exercises, strength training, and cardiovascular workouts.
Our Top 5 Healthy Eating Tips
- Use the 80/20 rule. Commit to eating nutritiously about 80 percent of the time and allowing room for indulgence about 20 percent of the time. Again, overcommitting leads to letdowns. Instead of trying to change every single eating habit, adopt an 80/20 rule that allows for a little leniency to enjoy some of your favorite things.
- Keep a food journal. Recording everything you eat is a valuable way to hold yourself accountable for the choices you make.
- Slow down. Give your body time to recognize that it’s full by slowing down at the table. More mindfulness at the dinner table will help control your appetite and your weight.
- Add fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies don’t just add key nutrients to our diet, they also add bulk, which makes us feel fuller faster.
- Stay hydrated. Drinking plenty of water has numerous health benefits, but perhaps most critical is its ability to aid in digestion. And proper digestion is what allows our body to absorb valuable nutrients.
You’ll find that once regular fitness and healthy eating are part of your daily life, you’ll be able to cope better with life’s other demands and better manage your recovery. Remember, you have the power to make your new, healthier life all about a new you by adapting to a lifestyle geared toward well-being.