Wanting to get fit and healthy is a brilliant goal for anyone, but many people fall short at the first hurdle. Simply put, when you’re comfortable with your lifestyle, it’s difficult to make a significant change, even if you know it’s for the best.
No matter what your end goal is, whether you’re training for an event, trying to lose weight, or simply want to be a bit more healthy, these tips will make the transition easier.
The fact is, people are busy. One of the main reasons people stop their fitness journey isn’t that they’re lazy or don’t want it enough, it’s because they simply don’t have enough time to dedicate to regular exercise.
However, you can use some quick fitness hacks to help yourself get fit and healthy without taking too much time out of your schedule. Rather than dedicating an hour or two every day, try to add more movement to the things that you’d be doing anyway.
For example, a standing desk can help you to be more healthy as you work. Sitting down for hours on end isn’t good for you and leads to back problems and a sedentary lifestyle. However, if you’re able to keep standing and even move about while working, you’ll become healthier without impacting your lifestyle too much.
Find a Routine That Works for You
While integrating exercise into your daily activities is a great way to sneak in some extra movement, you’ll make far greater progress if you set a routine as well. This doesn’t have to be a huge imposition on your life, but scheduling a quick exercise session will make it more likely for you to stick to it.
Even a half an hour walk every day is worth penciling into your day. It doesn’t eat up a huge chunk of time and won’t wear you out too much, but that activity is so much better than nothing. Ideally, you’ll create a routine that works out all of your body, but just being active is a good start.
By starting small, you won’t burn yourself out and you’ll be able to build up to bigger and better routines.
Get the Right Gear
Once you have a set routine, it’s time to invest in the right gear. Depending on your preferred exercises, you might not need a great deal of equipment. However, you should always find some appropriate workout clothes.
When you work out in regular clothing, you get sweaty and uncomfortable much more quickly. These clothes also don’t give you the freedom of movement and temperature regulation that you need to exercise safely. Quality sportswear, like national athletic sportswear, will help you to look and feel good while working out.
Meal Planning
If you want to get healthier, you will need to change more than your exercise routine. Many people struggle with dieting, but there’s a simple solution to this problem. Rather than “going on a diet”, change your eating habits.
One great step is to set meal plans and to buy the food that you need, resisting the temptation to get loads of snacks and unhealthy treats. This cuts down on takeouts and can even save money.
Mental health refers to your overall wellbeing. It also includes the way that you perceive yourself, your relationships and even how you deal with difficulties. At the end of the day, anyone can experience mental health or even emotional problems, and most people will, but if you feel as though you could do with a real pick-me-up, then this is the guide for you.
Make A Social Connection
Phone calls and social media have their place in our lives, but not many things can beat the mood-boosting power that comes with having face-to-face time with other people.
Stay Active
Staying active is incredibly good for the brain and it is also good for the body as well. Regular exercise can have a huge impact on your mental health as well as your emotional health too. As if that wasn’t enough, it can also help you to improve your memory and your sleeping routine. If you find it hard to stay active because you have no interest in working out, then it is more than possible for you to try and get into sports instead. Sporting activities are great if you want to get moving and they are fun too. If you don’t really like sports then try and watch the occasional match on television, and look uprugby scores. This can help you to bond with a particular team, and it is a great conversation starter with friends.
Talk it Out
Talk to a friendly face if you can. Social interactions are really one of the best ways for you to calm down your nervous system and they can also help you to relieve stress too. If you talk it out with someone then you get things off your chest and you may even find that it helps you to deal with situations better in the future.
Appeal to your Senses
Does listening to agreat song help you to feel calm? Maybe squeezing a stress ball helps you to feel somewhat centered. Either way, you need to do whatever helps you to take things down a notch. Everyone responds to sensory input differently, so you need to try and find out what works for you if you can. If you can do this, then you will soon find that things work in your favor.
Make Leisure your Priority
Leisure time is necessary for yourmental health as well as your emotional health. It’s so important that you take the time to relax and then contemplate all of the positive things that are going on in your day. Make the effort to notice the small things if you can, because you can then reflect on them later if you feel as though your mood is in need of a boost.
Eat a Good Diet
Another thing that you need to do is try and eat a good diet. You have to make sure that you are doing what you can to support your immune system and also eat brain foods too. If you can do this, then you will soon find that you can rocket your mental health.
Do you sometimes feel that you’re getting mixed messages about conducting your relationship with your partner? You’ll often hear the culture screaming something in your ear, but your instinct is saying that you should do something different.
If that sounds like you, you’re not alone. It turns out that there is some pretty toxic relationship advice out there. Here are some examples:
Spending Long Time Apart
Spending a long time away from your partner is usually a sign of a serious problem in the relationship – or, at least, that’s how many people see it.
But does it have to be that way? It turns out that spending time apart is actually quite a healthy habit. It gives people time to process the irrational beliefs about their partners and see them more fully as human beings.
In many cases, we can allow ourselves to be consumed by the person we are infatuated with. It is an intoxicating experience and can lead to sleepless nights. All we want is to be close to them.
Unfortunately, when you take this approach, your personality changes. You become somebody different from who your partner fell in love within the first place. Eventually, one person begins to feel suffocated.
Feeling Attracted To Somebody Outside The Relationship
People get into a lot of trouble for feeling attracted to people outside of the relationship. We want to believe that we only have eyes for our partners and never look at anybody else. And the same works the other way: we want our partners to only think of us.
We know from our own experience, though, that this isn’t realistic. Everyone is capable of finding multiple people attractive, regardless of their relationship status.
The trick here is to process these feelings healthily. Don’t bottle them up. Instead, accept the fact that you are attracted to somebody else and then let it go. Try to avoid suppressing feelings or anything like that. And have a conversation with your partner about what you are experiencing, and you might be surprised that they are feeling the same way now and then.
In our romantic culture, we believe that relationships should be as permanent as a vasectomy. They are for life.
But this approach leads to all kinds of problems. For one, it eliminates fear in the other person. If they think that you will stick with them forever, no matter what, they won’t worry if they treat you badly. They may behave terribly, knowing that you will stay by their side.
But if they think that you have the power to end it, they will “behave themselves,” and the hope is they start to work on themselves. Self-awareness is a powerful thing and sometimes in a relationship the partner is the one to help push them in that direction. Becoming more mindful and watch what they say and how it affects you. And hopefully, they will make every effort to improve their lives so that they provide you with value. This is healthy empowerment. We get comfortable from time to time, and having someone there to push us even on a relationship level can be a good thing.
Allowing Conflicts To Go Unresolved
Lastly, we believe that we need to resolve every conflict in our relationships to succeed. You shouldn’t go to bed on an argument – or so the saying goes. But it turns out that just letting go of conflict is okay too. You and your partner can disagree on things. You don’t have to agree on everything. Many of the most successful couples allow conflict to rumble on for decades. But don’t forget to manage that conflict in healthy ways rather than let it fester. Think about what matters, and when it comes down to it, not having a picture-perfect relationship doesn’t mean you don’t have a good one. Even a great one.
As a mom, I get it – how hard it can be to grow a successful business without sacrificing yourself and your commitments to the people most important to you (including yourself!). The truth is: No one can replace you as a mom. And you have needs too.
You need support
You need to be effective
You need to work smarter not harder
Your boundaries need to be solid
Freedom isn’t just about working from home for you.
True freedom is living the life you love. Period.
I remember when I was trying to do it all. I felt alone and at 22 and with a baby on the way and a new business, I felt overwhelmed. I grew up being shown not to let others help you so I constantly felt I had to do it on my own and figure it out on my own. And because I was still struggling trying to step into recovery the idea of being a mom was both exciting and overwhelming and I felt the same way about owning my own business.
I knew I didn’t want to work for someone else, but I had no business coaching, no schooling and just a few people I observed growing up some good with business and money, and others not so much. The idea of a summit was nonexistent, and just a few more tips and strategies could have saved me I am certain on many occasions..
That’s why I was so excited when my friend and colleague Asti Atkinson (a successful serial entrepreneur and mom) told me she was hosting her bi-annual interview series all around this topic! She’s incredibly invested in helping moms be wildly successful in their professional pursuits while still taking time for mindset, self-care, and being completely present for their families.
The Summit is Called: Vibrant and Healthy Mompreneurs:
Keys to Power Up Your Life and Business so You Can Be More Present with Your Family, Release Mom Guilt, and Get Your Energy Back!
I have a complimentary ticket for you to attend. You can register using this link >> www.MyMomMakesMoney.com/hopezvara. Just so you know, you will be able to watch from anywhere!
I was hand-picked to speak at this virtual event, and my message is something I’ve put time, energy, and heart into! Of course, I hope you’ll attend to support me, and I think this Virtual Summit has something special for you too. AND THERE IS STILL TIME TO SIGN UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is for any woman:
Who wants keys to improve her mindset – which lays the foundation for success, fulfillment and happiness
Who wants to take better care of her body, increase her energy and focus and experience true vitality
Who wants to be successful in business, raising her children, and enjoy a loving relationship.
Who may feel overwhelmed with the work/family balancing act that seems to be part of daily life
Who wants to link arms with other visionary Mompreneurs who are actively working to create a better reality
Who just wants to learn real life strategies that will help her uplevel her business and create a lifestyle she and her family truly love.
In this summit, more than TWENTY-ONE experienced professional trainers and coaches are coming together to share secrets they use in their own lives and with their clients to help create success in mindset, health & wellness, relationships, and business. Together, we want to help you with the “HOW” behind growing a great business WHILE experiencing happiness and fulfillment in the other areas of your life that are so important.
I have a complimentary ticket for you to attend. You can register using this link >> www.MyMomMakesMoney.com/hopezvara. Just so you know, you will be able to watch from your home, office, or on the go.
This is a great opportunity for women in my community! This is something I wish I had when I was a young mom and business owner, which is why I am so glad Asti is hosting this and that I get to share it with you!
Everything you do in life is based on you making decisions. No matter how large or small, it’s all based on decisions.
I have been feeling lately that my life is missing several things. That I (in more than one way) am out of balance. I know it! My body knows it! My soul knows it!
I consciously walk through the day knowing that what I am all doing is not where I am suppose to be. Now, in the immediate, yes, quite possibly I should be right here, right now. However, when you feel it in your bones a shake down is in order… It’s a frustrating feeling.
Have you ever felt like that?
Have you ever found yourself visualizing your life different? Not day dreaming, real dreaming.
Like “Hope, get your a$$ moving and make those shifts you need to make-please”. And then you see yourself doing them?
I discovered in a mindset coaching call yesterday, that by the way I so desperately wanted to do for about 2 years with this person but continued to not make the decision to book it; that “I Hope Zvara have not been making decisions since I was very, very small. Like eight years old”.
This blew my mind. I mean, I know I struggle making decisions at times, but seriously… EIGHT.
You may be saying to yourself, “what the heck is this all about?
Well, I’ve come to realize over the last decade of my life every decision, every bodily issue is an accumulation over time. That we did not just wake up and have this ailment, or illness, or negative outlook, or positive one. My session with my mindset coach Belinda was nothing fancy, but what we uncovered was a longtime lingering inability to make decisions. And for me, it’s not that I can’t make any decision, it’s I often linger in regret, doubt, worry and fear I made the wrong one.
Watching for years someone in my life turn down opportunity after opportunity as they literally fell into their lap. Unconsciously became something I adapted to my own life. Turning them down out of fear? Worry? Maybe liking the struggle a bit too much? I don’t know. But what I do know is both you and I, as adults have full control over our own situation to change it. To make a decision today. And if it turns out not so great, then make another one and move on.
My mindset coach encouraged me to just make decisions. Just make a decision and move on. To say the decision out loud and then actually do it. To make the next right decision, don’t over think it, and go on to the next one. End of story.
And the feeling I get is like I am the caterpillar that has spent the last several days (weeks, months, years) spinning its cocoon, and now am in it, but not sure when to come out?
Maybe you feel like that today too? Maybe you aren’t quite yet in the cocoon, but are just figuring out how to spin the silk?
Either way, my journey can only be a journey when I make decisions, no matter how large or small. And if I desire to soar to victory, I must be willing to make the decisions that go along with it. The decisions that may not go well, as well as the ones that will.
I love the metaphor of Warrior II: With your arms stretched out at “T”, your back arm represents the past, at your fingertips but that is it. The front arm, with you intently gazing out over the fingertips keeps the future in front of you. And as for you, you are in the present moment, which is the gift. Stacked, strong, planted, unwavering, that if tempted to go backwards, or lean and reach forward, the present will draw you back.
Every single yoga pose during a yoga session is a decision. To move or not move. Breathe or not breathe. Hang in there one more breath or give up. To literally roll up your mat and say under your breath, “this is crazy nuts”, or decide to expand yourself and do it anyway.
Both you and I must walk strongly through life as a Warrior. No need to fight, or swing your stick, but be still, in the present moment, and make the next decision that comes your way no matter what phase of the cocoon we are in.
Today, make the next right decision and then move on.
Spin your cocoon.
Spread your wings.
Or just take that next breath.
But you are in charge of your next decision, it may be small, but it’s yours to decide. Just stay present as you look out at it and you will surely remember the gift in today’s decision.
DISCLAIMER: The purpose of this website is to provide community support and knowledge of various lifestyle topics. This website is for informational purposes and should not be seen as any kind of professional advice unless stated otherwise. We are not physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, or therapists. All our advice is based on our own experiences. This website is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new diet or exercise program.
