What a warm, sunny February! It was awesome to see people outside running, playing with their kids and starting their yard work. I am also ready to declutter my house, open up the windows and do some spring cleaning. You are probably thinking, that’s great and all but what does this have to do with being healthy? As a health coach I am constantly thinking of ways to help my clients achieve a healthier lifestyle. Not just by telling them to eat healthy and workout more but also teaching them ways to organize the chaos and decrease stress in their lives.
Here are five tips I give my clients to help them to organize and plan ahead to ensure they stay on track with healthy lifestyle choices:
- Plan and Prep Your Meals – Put in your online calendar or write in your planner what you will be having for dinner every night. Go grocery shopping to make sure that you have everything to make those meals. Take one day to meal prep for the week. By planning your week, you feel prepared to make healthy choices that are going to keep you on track towards achieving your goals.
- Schedule Your Fitness – Put on your calendar when you will commit to coming to the gym to work out and stick with that plan. You’re also more likely to stick to your plan if you work out with someone else so think about scheduling some workouts with family or friends! Also, set out your workout clothes or pack your gym bag ahead of time. The less last minute running around you have to do, the more likely you’ll stick to your plan.
- Make Sleep a Priority – Try to sleep for at least 8 hours every night. This allows your body to fully recover after a long day and a great workout. Without the adequate sleep you will feel less alert, less productive at work, need caffeine to keep you awake, and also you won’t recover from your workouts in order to build lean muscle tissue.
- Keep Stress at Bay – Stress can harm your body. It can cause you to store fat easier, decrease the function of your organs, disrupt your daily mood and hinder you from seeing results. Develop healthy stress coping techniques such as taking a hot shower at night, practicing yoga, reading a book, turning off electronics one hour before bed, exercising daily and planning ahead.
- Drink Water – Drinking enough water can flush out toxins, boost your immune system, decrease headaches and help with digestion along with keeping you hydrated throughout the day. It’s recommended to drink ½ of your bodyweight in ounces of water per day.
Sometimes when we don’t see results, we need to take a look at other components of our lives to see what is really contributing to us not achieving our goals. I hope that some of these tips help you!
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