7 Habits to Implement for better health today!
It’s Monday morning, you’ve got Inflow in hand ready to embark on a week filled with Pilates, Yoga, and impeccable nutrition. We're stoked for you, but hold up honey! Just like anything in life, long-lasting results take time. I know that's not exactly what you want to hear when you’re guns blazing ready to take action and make a serious change. However, implementing some small consistent changes every single day is where you will find health and fitness become a long-term habit whilst also reaping short-term rewards.
For optimal health and fitness, instead of committing to your perfect plan straight out of the gate, commit to what you know you can for the first week until it becomes a habit. For example, if you have never done Pilates before start week 1 with a commitment to 2 classes, and in a couple of weeks,' you might want to add in 1-2 more classes.
Creating better health comes from small consistent steps and doesn’t always need to be directly linked to food and exercise. We’ve compiled 7 of our favourite daily rituals that help keep our health and fitness on track. Choose a couple from the list to implement into your day, today!
Morning Lemon Water
Drink a glass of water with freshly squeezed lemon upon waking. Not only will you be starting your day with a large glass of water to assist with hydration, adding the juice of a lemon can assist with digestion, is a morning dose of vitamin C and polyphenol antioxidants which can assist with eliminating toxins in the body and promotes healthy clear skin.
Short fasting periods
Intermittent fasting has been a growing trend in the past couple of years endorsed by celebrities as well as top physicians. Intermittent fasting has been proven to increase life longevity, improve mental focus, regulate hormones, and can assist with weight loss.
Benefits from intermittent fasting can be created from shorter period times such as 12-13 hours to get your metabolism and digestion into an optimal circadian rhythm that suits your lifestyle. It also helps us become more mindful when the late-night sugar cravings creep on in.
Increase Water Intake
Our body is made up of over 60% water. Staying hydrated is essential for almost every biochemical reaction in our body. The world health organization states that optimal water intake is 1 litre per 25kg of body weight and 1 litre for every hour of exercise performed in the day. To make a healthy change today count how much water you are drinking on average a day and for this week, increase it by 500ml. You’ll be surprised how this little change, can create drastic changes to your overall health, including more energy, clearer skin, better concentration, and digestion.
Count your 5 & 2
It's simple, five serves of vegetables (1 serve = 75g) and two serves of fruit per day are what is recommended for our daily nutrient intake, however, 95% of Australians are not getting their 5 and 2. To make a more conscious nutritious choice today, count how many fruits and vegetables you can add to your day.
Create Morning & Nightly Rituals
Creating lifestyle changes is not about taking quantum leaps but creating small consistent 1% changes every single day that lead to big results. Implementing a morning and/or a nightly ritual that is a healthy daily habit gives you routine and also gives you a sense of achievement that you have ticked something off for the day. It sounds small, but in turn, creating a daily ritual in your day can cascade in many other areas of your life. A daily ritual shouldn’t be big or unachievable. It’s giving yourself a moment to set up or wind down your day. A ritual could include anything from meditation, having a cup of tea, going for a walk, journaling, breath work, Pilates, yoga, a coffee anything that gives you time to stop, think clearly, and makes you feel great!
Schedule Everything
Now you have Pilates and Yoga available to you on your own time, it’s your priority to make sure you schedule the time to get it done. Just like you schedule in your work meetings, schedule in your meetings. Not only will you feel more organised and consistent. You will feel less stressed and clearer knowing that you have made the time for yourself and there’s one less thing to think about once it’s scheduled in your diary. Creating a regular daily schedule is essential for creating habits and achieving the success and results you deserve.