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Easing Back Into Healthy Habits

January Inspiration

by Lauren Archer

Certified Clinical Hypnotherapist and ACE Certified Personal Trainer

 

 

On your mark, get set, go!  And so we begin … a new year, new goals, and we’re all trying to enjoy life and perform at our best.  Most of us are already facing deadlines and challenges, and we need to take the best care of ourselves to meet our responsibilities.  Let’s make sure that getting back into the swing of a healthy lifestyle is something that adds to our pleasure and doesn’t add to our stress level!

 

 

 

 

 

Here are my top 10 tips for getting back into healthy habits:

1. Start slowly.  Many of us have rested and relaxed for 2 weeks over the holidays.  Your body may need to gradually build back up to a regular routine.  If you try to jump in at full intensity, you run the risk of injury or burn-out.  Try doing your regular workout at a reduced intensity just for the next two weeks.  You’ll have a more positive experience, and this will help you start the year feeling successful.  Often when we’re striving to reach new goals, we want to make big, sweeping changes.  But that can be overwhelming, unsustainable, and easy to slip backwards into old behavior patterns.  Instead of trying to accomplish everything at once, make one small change each week, allowing some time to integrate each one into your lifestyle. Little steps, taken often throughout the day, have tremendous impact over time.  Congratulate yourself on each small success.

2. Drink up! An easy way to resume healthy habits is simply to drink extra water this week. Put a note near your computer or near the kitchen sink reminding you to drink up!  Author F. Batmanghelidj, M.D., has written several books on the amazing benefits of simply drinking enough water.  He says, “imagine a juicy plum picked from the tree and left exposed to the sun or wind – it becomes a prune.  The dehydration of the plum produces the shriveled interior and wrinkled skin that are typical of a drying fruit.  Loss of water causes the internal and external structures of living things to change, be that dehydration in a fruit or in a person.”  Often when we think we’re hungry, we’re actually thirsty.  Experts agree that by the time you experience thirst, you’re already dehydrated. And remember, coffee, milk, juices and sodas do not count.  The book “Your Body’s Many Cries for Water,” is an excellent resource.  Check out http://www.lauralee.com/batman.htm for more information on this topic.

3. Notice your “self-talk.” This week, pay attention to your words – it’s the first step in becoming aware of your thought patterns.  When you hear yourself say something critical or limiting about yourself, stop and say “cancel that.”  Then rephrase those words into something more positive.  For example, “I hate exercise…wait …stop …cancel that.  Once I get started, my body enjoys moving.”  Question your assumptions and excuses.  Notice your internal dialog, and ask “is this really true?”  Remind yourself that making healthy choices doesn’t have to be so hard…it can be enjoyable, rewarding and fun! 

4. Out of sight, out of mind. Remove leftover holiday “treat” food as soon as possible.  Remember your body is not a garbage can.  If it’s full of sugar and empty calories, toss it.  Remove temptations from your environment, and make sure you have enough healthy snacks on hand (like fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables, lean protein sources, complex carbohydrates). Here’s one for you: When is a treat not a treat?  When it gives you a fleeting moment of taste, and leaves you with nothing but empty calories.

5. Where attention goes, energy flows.  How can you keep your attention on your goal of creating healthy habits?  Keep some visual reminders around your home and office.  For example, pick up a health or fitness magazine and leave it where you can glance at it during the day.  Some of my favorites are Health and Oxygen, available at news stands, and The Nutrition Action Newsletter (see the link on my website to Center for Science in the Public Interest). Reading fitness books and magazines can be like bringing a community of friends into your home that are conscious about their health and reminding you to stay conscious about yours.

6. Never underestimate what you can do in 10 minutes.  If you’re as busy as I am, squeezing in time for exercise can be quite a challenge.  The latest exercise research reveals that breaking up your routine into 10 minute segments can be as effective as doing one longer continuous work-out.  So if getting up an hour earlier when it’s pitch dark outside is not your cup of tea, getting up a mere 10 or 15 minutes earlier is much easier to manage.  Want to make this even easier?  Sleep in some comfy, stretchy work-out clothes so that in the morning, you just hop out of bed and you’re ready to go.  That will save you time too! 

7. First things first.  Many of us share this experience: first thing in the morning, we log onto our computer to check our email, and the next thing we know, an hour or more has passed!  So…promise yourself not to even look at your computer until AFTER you’ve done your morning exercise.  Then you can enjoy a tall glass of water, a protein shake or an herbal tea while checking your email and you’ll feel great about your progress!  Let’s face it, there will always be more things to do than we have time to do them in – we can’t allow ourselves to use that as an excuse not to exercise.  Making the time to exercise will help us have the energy and strength we need to accomplish all of those things on our list.

8. Exercise efficiently.  These days, we have to accomplish more and more in less and less time.  Fortunately, exercise technology is keeping up with the times.  With an exercise ball and a couple of dumbbells, you can achieve many of the same results at home as at an expensive health club. Think of how much time you can save if you learn how to exercise efficiently at home, vs. driving to and from your gym.  With a little knowledge and some advice from a personal trainer, you can develop a custom exercise program that will maximize your available time and energy, allowing you to achieve great results in less time than you may have thought possible.  You don’t have to commit to a year of regular personal training sessions – four to six independent sessions can be enough to teach you the basics and get you started on your own. 

9. Take brain breaks.  As you go through your work day, take advantage of what recent peak performance researchers have discovered.  Taking a “brain break” every 90 to 120 minutes keeps you functioning at your best.  In one of my favorite books, “The Power of Full Engagement,” the authors have studied top athletes as well as top corporate performers, and discovered that it is the regular renewal of energy that separates the top 10% from the rest.  “To maintain a powerful pulse in our lives, we must learn how to rhythmically spend and renew energy.” If we try to maintain a constant speed throughout the day, we “flatline,” and that is unhealthy.  A brain break is simply a short break in your routine (if you’re sitting, stand and move; if you’re moving, pause and rest), to allow a shift in your energy and attention.  Brain breaks have been proven to increase creativity, productivity, and enhance mood.  What can you do during a brain break?  Try these ideas:  a healthy snack, a drink of water, some stretching, some deep breaths, a mini-visualization, a walk, some leg lifts, a hand or foot massage, some inspirational reading, listening to music, lighting a candle and pausing to focus on your dreams.

10. Be kind to yourself.   Finally, and perhaps most importantly, forgive yourself when you occasionally slip.  Reward yourself (with something other than food) for your small successes. Honor your efforts on a day to day basis.   I love Winston Churchill’s quote, “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”  We all fall off the wagon from time to time.  It’s only a failure if we don’t get back on it. 

Winter has just begun…

We have just passed the Winter Solstice, the time of the darkest nights and shortest days.  Think about our ancestors – during the cold, dark days of winter, it was natural for them to conserve energy, gather with the tribe, and share their stores and stories.  It’s a time for planning and preparing.  Astronomically, we haven’t begun to notice the days getting longer yet, but we will shortly.  If we develop a set of healthy habits now, by Ground Hogs Day they’ll be integrated as a part of our lifestyle, and by the Spring Equinox we’ll be looking and feeling better than ever!  And it will be easier than we thought!

 

So here’s to an easy and healthy new year!