Maintaining good health is important for everyone, and people value their health for different reasons. It may be because it ensures you will be around to see your children grow up. Good health may be important because it lets you do things like travel or play sports without injuring yourself. You may simply want to be healthy to avoid the expense of drugs and doctors that comes with illness.
Whatever the reason, placing a value on your health means making lifestyle choices like getting yourself in shape. Some of the choices are easy, but some require planning and discipline. They all need commitment for the long term. If you are hoping to improve your health by getting in shape, here are some of the things to consider.
Small steps mean long-term success
Many people fail at getting in shape because they start too ambitiously. You can’t expect to run a marathon in a month, and overdoing it may lead to injury. Starting small will make it easier for you to fit exercise into your schedule. If you work long hours, or feel like you can’t fit in exercise, a commitment of a few minutes a day can start you on the road to a lifetime exercise habit.
There are many ways to fit in small exercise routines. Plan to walk stairs for ten minutes once you get to work. Download an app with a High Intensity Interval Training program and do it before your evening meal. Enlist a co-worker to walk 20 minutes with you over the lunch hour. Decide on doing something you like, or at least don’t hate. Over time, the improvement in your health combined with the routine of the exercise may lead you to increase your time commitment. If not, you’ll still have made a beneficial change for your health.
Prepare for setbacks
If you have ever been on a restrictive diet, you know how it feels when you cheat and eat a cookie or some American sweets. For some people, one instance of cheating is enough to throw them off a diet completely. If this sounds like you, then think of a setback – like missing a workout – not as a deal-breaker, but as an anomaly. Decide that you will be back at it at your next opportunity, which could even be later in the same day.
Another setback many people face is injuries. You need to plan for the aches and pains that can happen from working out. One great investment is in compression clothing, infused with copper and zinc it helps relieve muscle soreness. A pair of women’s compression shorts will get you back on your health quest, and they are UPF 50+ and machine washable.
Support your efforts with smart choices
Have you ever thought about whether you are a morning person or a night person? This can be helpful information in your workout planning. If you hate mornings, you may have trouble getting out of bed just to exercise. On the other hand, getting exercise out of the way so that you enjoy your day may be the best use of your time. Simply determining when you will exercise, according to your personal clock, may be the one thing that gets you off your feet. Pick a time when you are most likely to workout, and write it on your calendar – in ink!
Your diet can definitely support getting in shape. The right foods and proper amounts of water give you energy for exercise, promote healing if you injure yourself, and increase your metabolism so you can lose weight and ease strain on your joints. Your body needs the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables, so consult a nutritionist or your doctor to determine what is healthy for your height and age.
The mental side
Many people love to exercise. The fact you have trouble fitting it in, or make excuses for not doing it tell you that while you love the idea and benefits of exercise, you are not fond of the actual exercise. You can work on this in many ways. You can meditate on how much better you feel when you are in shape. You can find rewards for your healthy choices. You can enlist the help of friends and family to encourage you.
Getting in shape is attainable for everyone. You can make decisions about the time, place, and type of exercise you’ll do, and about how you will support your new lifestyle. Better health is waiting for you.
