Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
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Making an improvement to our health can be tough. We want instant results. But what if we saw change as a process rather than a single task to be completed? A small change in the right direction can motivate you to continue your progress, without battling with yourself. Try these small, gradual changes to improve your life and health.
Exercise
When it comes to exercise, we often set some lofty goals for ourselves. Yes, I’m training for a half marathon right now! Though there is nothing wrong with having big goals like running a 5K, 10K or even a marathon, it just might be a little daunting to your body if you are not ready for the commitment and conditioning that is challenging. Trying to do too much too fast can cause injury and negatively affect your motivation. So I recommend that you start small and work up to the bigger goals if you’ve been mostly inactive. Ten minutes a day for the first few weeks will allow your body to get used to the exercise and stop overwhelm.
Medical guidelines recommend that we do 30 minutes of exercise a day five days a week. Starting at 10 minutes means you are developing good habits and can slowly build up to the 30 minutes. Once you have established your workout routine, there’s no reason why you can’t go past even the recommended 30 minutes.
Meditation
The health benefits of meditation are well documented. It is also a great activity to regulate our emotional health and as a way of self soothing in difficult times. There are many different types of meditation such as Mindfulness, Yoga Walking Meditation, and Tai Chi. There are also meditation retreats that teach you how to meditate and allow you to extend your practice. Using the idea of mindfulness, you can bring your attention to any moment during your day and experience being there fully aware in that moment. This means that you can turn washing dishes or walking the dog into a meditation, building to a formal practice over a period of time. Improving our mindfulness is noted to improve the quality of our life.
Quit Smoking
Smoking is a big road block with regards to health. The effects of smoking are well researched and documented, and health providers recommend that you stop as soon as possible. If you are a smoker, or if you have been, you’ll know that this is easier said than done. I have been there. Unfortunately, smoking is an addiction and, like all addictions, it can be very difficult to break. There are, however, many ways to stop the addictive cycle. These include books, nicotine replacement products, and e-cigarettes. Nicotine replacement patches are now available through your doctor. Remember to ask about your options.
Another way to reduce your need for cigarettes is to use an e-cigarette or Vape pen. Vaping has been in the news a lot lately, due to the new FDA e-cigarette regulations. The FDA is going to be more tightly monitoring, the production and sale of e-cigarettes. Some people believe that it means e-cigarettes may end up being controlled by the big tobacco companies. Using an e-cigarette is a good way to stop the consumption of all the harmful chemicals in normal tobacco. Then you can gradually reduce your nicotine intake.
Get A Makeover
Sometimes we need to change our outside to inspire our inside. This can be done inexpensively or can be quite a large investment. For example, if you want to want a new look why not try a bolder lipstick choice or try contouring? If you feel your wardrobe needs updating, why not get rid of the items you haven’t worn in six months and buy one or two new things to put into rotation. Doing things gradually will give you time to get used to the new you, as well those around you.
Dietary Changes
What you eat is another big influencer of your health. Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, eat healthier, or cut out a certain food group, any change in your diet can be difficult to maintain. I recommend starting with eliminating certain foods one at a time. As well as adding others. Increasing whole, raw fruits and vegetables will benefit overall health as well. There are also food intolerances to consider; such as wheat, dairy, corn, eggs, etc. You will have to do the elimination diet to know for sure if you have any. Research whole grain products and what might be best for you and your family.
**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your health care provider. Women’s lifelink, it’s owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.
