You don’t need to make major changes in your life to improve your health and fitness. Making small changes every day can improve your health in the long run. Forget about strict diets or spending long hours in the gym to transform your body.
The tips below can make you fitter and healthier if you do them consistently. But, don’t start doing all these things at once. Start two new habits every week until they all become part of your lifestyle. Here you go, 8 things you should do every day to stay fit and healthy.
1. Eat Lots of Veggies
One thing everyone agrees about eating healthy is that you should eat more vegetables. Consumption of vegetables has numerous health and weight loss benefits.
Vegetables are rich in fiber, which helps suppress appetite. They are also a great source of Omega-3 fats, vitamin B and other minerals.
Also note that, eating veggies reduces the risk of diseases like arthritis, cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Try to eat veggies at every meal.
2. Walk More
Walking may seem like a regular activity, but it can actually help you get fitter and healthier. In fact, according to American Council of Exercise you can burn up to 500 calories by walking 5 miles.
Other than burning calories, walking regularly reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, boosts the immune system, etc.
It’s better to walk outside than to walk on a treadmill because you’ll get exposure to sunlight and fresh air – both which are necessary for good health.
3. The Back Bridge
You should do the back bridge regularly if you spend long hours seated. According to research, the back bridge helps undo the effects of sitting, gets rid of lower back pain and improves posture. This exercise will also improve back strength and spine flexibility.
If you are not flexible enough to do the back bridge, do the glut bridge. Then work on the full back bridge as your flexibility improves.
4. Eat an Apple
If there’s one fruit you can eat every day without worrying about excess calories, it’s the apple. An average size apple has 50-80 calories.
For one thing, apples rich in antioxidants; these are disease-fighting compounds which also reduce inflammation in the body. They are also rich in fiber so you’ll stay full for long.
If you snack regularly, replace the unhealthy snacks with apples.
5. Drink At Least 2 liters of Water
Water is good for your health, and some studies show it can help you lose weight. Organizations have different recommendations on the amount of water you should drink. But the truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all.
The amount of water the body needs will vary depending on the level of activity, body size, temperatures, and so on. That said the average person should drink at least 2 liters of water a day to stay hydrated.
Drink a glass of water before every meal to avoid overeating.
6. Get Enough Sleep
Nowadays, folks are busier than ever and rarely get enough sleep. Unfortunately, research shows that lack of sleep has negative effects on weight loss, overall health, mood and even sex life.
It’s recommended you get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night.
7. Stretch Your Hamstrings
Sitting down for long hours tightens the hamstrings, and this reduces flexibility and your ability to pick things up.
Stretching the hamstring will enable you to squat deeper and reduce risk of injury. The easiest way to stretch hamstrings is to touch your toes. Just bend over and touch your toes without bending the knees. You can do this standing or sitting flat on the floor. If you can’t touch your toes just bend over and stretch as far as you can.
8. The Plank Exercise
The plank is a great exercise for strengthening the core and abdominal muscles; it will also improve your balance and posture, and reduce risk of injury.
Hold the plank for as long as you can, and work on beating your time record every day.
Frankly, you don’t need to change your lifestyle to makes these habits part of your life. Just start slow and, eventually, they’ll become part of your life.
9. See a chiropractor.
It keeps your joints healthy and you are able to maintain your mobility longer as you age. Did you know most of our patients come in for regular tune ups so they never issues?
Source: Care2.com Written by Brian Syuki, from Focus Fitness
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