Did your exercise routine or healthy eating habits go by the wayside during the holiday season? Have you felt less motivated or too overwhelmed to get started again? Here are a few tips to help turn that mindset around and boost your motivation!
Exercise:
- Be realistic. Set reasonable, achievable goals to ease you back into a weekly routine.
- Keep track of progress. Seeing personal improvements helps to increase motivation.
- Get support. Tell your friends and family about your exercise goals so they are aware and can help in your efforts.
- Find the fun in it. Pick an exercise activity that you enjoy doing! If you like it, you are more likely to stick with it.
- Break it up. If you are short on time and can’t reach 1 solid hour, try doing multiple sessions that are 10 – 20 minutes each throughout the day.
- Get a buddy. Working out is often easier when you have committed to going with someone else. An exercise buddy can help keep you more accountable to your goals.
- Put it on the calendar. Penciling in the time you are going to exercise each day makes it an appointment, similar to the other appointments you’ve scheduled into your day.
- Make it convenient. Find ways to exercise that are the most time-efficient, like exercising at home instead of going to a gym.
- Think about the health benefits. Understanding all of the countless benefits your body is getting from exercise is something to think about when contemplating getting off the couch.
- Reward yourself. Treat yourself for making the effort to exercise and sticking to your goal – go to a movie, buy flowers, take a short trip, or go to a sporting event or concert.
Nutrition:
- Plan ahead. Make a meal and snack plan ahead of time so you don’t have to ask yourself the question “What should I eat for……?”
- Make a grocery list. Knowing what you are going to buy before you step into the store makes it a lot easier to avoid impulse purchases.
- Shop in season for fruits and vegetables. They will taste better and cost less!
- Purchase frozen fruits/vegetables for quick meal prep. You can easily make a quick stir fry or a smoothie for a meal on-the-go.
Challenge yourself to try a new healthy food every week. New “superfoods,” which are dense in nutritional value and low in calories, are continuously being identified. Have you tried chia seeds, flax seeds, quinoa, kale, chick peas, kefir, buckwheat, barley, or plantains?
Try one or two of these tips to start off your new year feeling fit, happy, and healthy! If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the Wellness Coaching program, reach out to your Wellness Coach for more exercise and nutrition tips.
Have a question for a Health Advocate? Email nhess@healthadvocate.com, and your question may be the topic of an upcoming “Ask a Health Advocate” column!
