For many of us being fit is just wish in the back of our minds that nags us from time to time. We look in the mirror and sigh, I need to get in better shape. Or we are winded after the first flight of stairs and say, “Man, am I out of shape.”
But we never do anything about it because it seems to complicated and time consuming to get our bodies fit and healthy. If only there were an easy, simple way that was enjoyable and didn’t take up too much of our time.
Well, here are 5 simple steps you can take to get your body in shape
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food” ~Hippocrates
Eating well isn’t nearly as complicated as the health merchants would have you believe. If you follow this simple rule of thumb, you’ll have it made. Eat food that is as near to its natural state as you can get it. The more processed food you can avoid eating the better. This especially goes for processed sugar and starch.
- Read the labels and learn the code words for processed carbohydrates.
- Eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
It really isn’t much more complicated than that. As far as fuel goes our bodies require 6 things: carbohydrates for energy, protein for building and repair; vitamins, minerals and fiber for maintenance and fat for storage.
Of course there is slo water but we will deal with that later. As for these 6 items, simply consume them from sources as close to their natural state as possible, or as you can stand.
“Those who think they have no time for exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.” ~Edward Stanley
Exercise doesn’t have to mean hours in the gym—unless your training for the Olympics. It doesn’t have to be so hard you are sucking air like a landed grouper. In fact, it can be as easy as a brisk, refreshing walk. There are scientific principles that can applied to a daily walk that will really increase its benefits.
- Walk 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes
- Take 3 normal walks and 2 faster walks
- Walk to a regulated pace
- Walk to music
Drinking water is essential to a healthy lifestyle. ~Stephen Curry
Drinking enough water each day is essential to your health but what do you do if you hate water? Sure, drinking pure water is probably the best choice, but if you can’t swallow it, adding flavors is better than no water at all. You can purchase great flavor packets to empty into your bottle of water, that will make it a lot easier to drink.
As you can see from the graphic, Water has a lot of essential benefits to your health, but
how much should you drink. The rule of thumb was 8 glasses of water a day. Of course, that is not accurate because there are many variables such as your body size, your physical activity level, the temperature etc.
Sleep is that golden chain that ties health and our bodies together. ~Thomas Dekker
Of course, like the amount of water you should drink, the amount of sleep you should get per night varies with each individual, but it is safe to say that the amount is between 7 to 9 hours.
The number of hours is not the only important thing, in fact, even if you set aside the number of hours you need, if you don’t establish a regular bed time and rising time it will be hard to get to sleep and get the rest your body needs.
Remember, good sleep benefits you in many ways.
Happily we are learning that the mind has to do with the misdeeds of the body, and that there are no more valuable therapeutic agents than cheerfulness, happiness, and hope. ~Olive Thorne Miller
This is probably one of the most neglected steps to good health. Scientist and researcher, Dr. Fredrickson dedicated many years studying and researching how our physical and emotional mental states affect our health. She has published many studies and they all agree that the benefits of a positive mins set include a speedier recovery from heart disease, better sleep, less colds, fewer instances of major diseases such as cancer. She has established that positive attitudes like playfulness, thankfulness, amazement, love, engagement, peace, and community have a direct impact on our health and well being.
So learning how to cultivate and create these attitudes will greatly aid in your over all health.
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