In her regular column Adelaide health guru FitM.U.M (aka Kelly Delfos) looks at the first step towards achieving your fitness goals, and the most important to keeping you on track – goal setting.
Spring is upon us and it is one of my most favourite seasons. The sun starts to come out and everything just seems that little bit brighter and happier. You might find that you start to naturally feel a bit more motivated than perhaps you did in winter so I highly recommend capitalising on that feeling and making some simple changes and incorporating these 5 good habits into your life.
- Set the alarm clock 30 minutes earlier and head outside for an early morning walk. It is a wonderful time of the day (once we can peel ourselves out of our comfy and warm beds) and it really sets the tone for your day. Use this time to gather your thoughts, prepare for the day ahead and you will also find it get’s your step count up for the day by being active from the minute you wake up.
- Hopefully we will all be getting up nice and early now and starting our day with some physical activity, but it is equally as important to ensure you are still getting enough sleep. Now is also the time to consider switching off those electronic devices a bit earlier than usual and heading to bed to make sure you get plenty of rest. Most of us are finding more and more that we are leading busy and stressful lives and we need to be able to switch off and relax. Give yourself enough time to unwind and clear your mind before going to sleep. We should be getting an average of 8 hours sleep per night to function at your best!
- If you work in an office or at a computer all day, I encourage you to step away from the screen during the day and getting outside for some fresh air. Even soaking up 5 minutes of Vitamin D outdoors will have huge benefits and leave you feeling better. This will refresh your body and mind and help to give you a little boost to get through the afternoon. Standing up and doing a few light stretches will help relieve tension in tight muscles.
- Daily organisation is definitely the key, if you are adding/including an early morning exercise workout be sure to be organised with breakfast. Set yourself up for the best start possible to each day. Preparing food the night before is an easy task and ensures that you remain on time for all the other jobs that need to be complete as part of the busy morning routine. I make overnight oats the night before, normally on a Sunday night which prepares breakfast for three mornings and all I need to do is add some berries or some yoghurt to the top of it in the morning. Quick, simple and delicious.
- Consistency is the main element when it comes to being successful with exercise and nutrition changes. Be sure to stay on track as best as you can and do not over commit when it comes to making changes to your diet or adding exercise. Make simple, realistic changes to begin with that are manageable and can be maintained long term to turn these new behaviours into lifelong habits!
Spring sets you up for summer (which is rapidly approaching) so try and incorporate these few simple changes now. Be prepared, consistent and embrace new habits that are manageable and you will certainly have a spring in your step this year!
More News
