The first step on any journey is always the hardest â and if youâre trying to get fit and healthy, that first step can feel like a huge one.
But you can crush that first step by making small changes to your lifestyle, starting with everyday behaviors.
âBeing aware of your habits â and rethinking those habits â can help you curb the worst of your behaviors,â explained Susan Bloom M.D., assistant clinical professor of preventive medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai in New York City, and author of âThe Immune System Recovery Plan.â
Sometimes, itâs those small â yet consistent â changes that have the biggest bang for your buck.
Here are eight simple lifestyle tweaks that can help boost your health, fitness, and energy.
1. Get More Sleep
âThe very first place to start is a good nightâs sleep,â says Jarrod Spencer, Psy.D., sports psychologist at Mind of an athelte in Bethlehem, PA.
But anyone who has spent the night (or nights) counting sheep, staring at the ceiling, or tossing and turning knows that itâs easier said than done.
Before you turn to over-the-counter sleep aids, set yourself up for sleep success by optimizing your bedroom â like using light dimmers so you can adjust the level of lighting, getting the right pillow, and investing in a sound machine.
Getting enough sleep can impact your mood, mental clarity, your ability to lose weight, energy levels, and more, so itâs important to try to get enough sleep under your belt every night.
2. Stand More
Research estimates the average person spends more than half of their waking hours with bum in a chair.
âBut I exercise,â you may be thinking. Thatâs great! But youâre not off the hook.
Another study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that for every single hour spent sitting watching TV after age 25, your life expectancy is reduced by 21.8 minutes.
While it might not be realistic to quit your (desk) job, you can do things like getting a standing workstation, and mixing in frequent, short sessions of light physical activity (e.g., walking) throughout the day.
The American Council on Exercise suggests taking breaks every thirty to sixty minutes.
3. Exercise Where You Can
Even when youâre watching TV at home, you can designate commercials a mental cue to get off your butt and fit in a few minutes (usually just 90â120 seconds) of squats, push-ups, or jumping jacks.
This will not only help add to your total minutes of exercise each day but will also help you make better food choices during your TV watching. Itâs harder to eat the rest of that bag of chips when youâre doing push-ups.
4. Down Some Joe
There was a time when coffee had a bad reputation; it was reportedly unhealthy and stunted your growth. But thereâs emerging research pointing to a bevy of health benefits.
If youâre caffeine-averse, no worries:Â Studies show benefits extend to decaf, as well.
And hereâs some really great news for those who want to boost your exercise performance with coffee: Studies show that caffeine can help you train longer and harder.
One downside to coffee? Adding cream, sugar, and other toppings can rack up the calories fast.
Cut back without giving your taste buds a shock by gradually decreasing the add-ins.
Swap the packets of white sugar with a touch of honey. Instead of cream, try 2% milk or a milk alternative like unsweetened almond milk.
5. Make Your Tea Green
Not a coffee drinker? Tea is also a healthy beverage, containing health-promoting substances such as polyphenols, catechins, and epicatechins, which research suggests have antioxidant-like properties.
If youâre already a tea drinker, focus on green tea.
Why? Although all teas â green, black, white, oolong â have health benefits, green is king.
âHot or iced, itâs an excellent way to hydrate and boost anti-oxidant intake,â says registered dietitian and exercise physiologist Samantha Heller.
But beware of the pre-sweetened teas, which are very high in sugar content, she warns.
In green tea, the leaves are wilted and steamed, processed immediately after picking, which accounts for the difference in the final photochemical balance, and gives green tea its health-boosting catechins
To boost your tea benefits, use water that is near-boiling, and let the leaves steep for about two to three minutes â leaving them longer will release tannins and make the tea bitter.
6. Drink All The Water
Water is a great way to quench your thirst, but itâs also essential to many vital body process.
Youâve probably read or heard that you need to drink eight glasses of water a day. Turns out thereâs no scientific evidence to support that â your daily water requirements vary depending on your age, gender, size, activity level, and other factors.
Use your body weight as a general guide to get you started. Drink your body weight, divided by two, in ounces.
So if you weigh 150 pounds â that would be 150 divided by 2, which equals 75. Thatâs 75 ounces of water you should be drinking every day.
Keep yourself hydrated and on track for your health goals by carrying a water bottle with you and refilling it throughout the day.
7. Time Your Pre-Workout Food Right
Fueling your workout with food can help you get the most out of your workout, and choosing the right food and timing are key.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, youâre better off eating one to three hours before your workout so that your stomach and muscles donât compete for energy.
Of course, everyone is different, so you might have to play with the time frame to see what works best for you.
âI recommend eating [at least] an hour before your workout,â says New Jersey-based registered dietitian Amy Gorin. âThe snack should have a combo of carbs and protein â the protein provides your body with amino acids [the building blocks of muscle], and the carbs will help you power you through your workout.â
Some good choices include a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole-wheat bread; Greek yogurt with fresh berries; an apple spread with almond or peanut butter; or a handful of nuts and raisins.
8. Get to Know Portion Control and Meal Prep
Itâs all too easy to shove a burger in your mouth when youâre weâre rushed, tired or stressed.
An easy way to prevent overeating or grabbing not-so-healthy meals is to plan out your meals and snacks for the week or day ahead.
No weighing out your food. No calorie counting. Just match the container to the food group and youâre done.
Another easy trick â downsize your dishes. âUsing smaller plates can cut down on your total caloric consumption,â explains Anderson.
Research found that larger plates lead people to serve themselves more, eat more, and waste more food.
*Statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
BY: Sheryl raft and Kate Bayless
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