Strategies for Safely Improving Your Health This Year
Life catches up with all of us…whether it’s family, work or projects around the house, our commitment to staying in shape can often take a back seat to other concerns. The winter months often add to our physical ennui—who wants to go out for a walk when there’s a foot of snow on the ground?
But we’re into the warmer months now and it’s the perfect time to make a new commitment to improving your health. It’s important, though, to take the rights steps to make certain you don’t make things worse, that you don’t end up with nagging injuries or put yourself at risk for heat stroke or exhaustion. Here are some ways that you can get into the great outdoors this year without worry:
- Work your way gently back into shape, even if you’ve been active most of your life—You’d be surprised how quickly your body can adapt to being sedentary. Don’t think that, because you were an avid cyclist, soccer enthusiast or tennis player just a couple years ago that you can jump right back into it with both feet. Start with walking (a dog is a great motivator for that). Make sure you stretch before and after you walk…your body will thank you. Once you’ve loosened your muscles, take an easy spin on the bike or find a friend to go and hit some balls for an hour.
- Focus on activities that involve less intensity—Walking, easy cycling, swimming—these exercises are all good for you without putting you at risk of overdoing it. Want to increase your strength? Consider resistance band exercises rather than pumping iron.
- Don’t exercise in the middle of the day—Get up early or take an evening stroll, so that you don’t run the risk of heat exhaustion.
- Make getting in shape a family affair—There’s always greater success in numbers. Furthermore, when the whole family’s on board, you can take turns being the motivator. There’s an extra bonus here—you’ll get to spend more quality time with the people you love.
- Set realistic goals—The biggest reason most people don’t stick with a fitness program? It’s not fatigue and it’s typically not pain or inconvenience. More often than not, what makes people give up is failing to see any progress…and that typically stems from setting goals that are too difficult to achieve. Look at improving your health as a long-term endeavor. If you’re trying to lose weight, be content with losing a little each week or each month. Chances are, if you take off a lot of weight in a short period of time, you’ll put most of it back on. The same goes for fitness goals. Add five minutes to your walk instead of an extra hour. Add a couple of reps to your resistance band exercises, rather than cranking up the tension.
This can be the year that you get back into shape and stay healthy. Just remember—set realistic goals and take it easy.
