According to the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, getting healthy could be as easy as seven minutes a day! Curious how? Keep reading to learn more…
Here at ACHS, we look for ways we can easily integrate health and wellness into our daily lives because, let’s face it, we’re all too busy!!
It sounds cliché, but you really can improve your physical and mental health with just a few tweaks to your daily routine. I’ve adopted these four easy strategies over the last few weeks and am feeling healthier than ever! Try them out for yourself and let us know what you think!
- Fitness: Not a morning person? Don't have an hour to go to the gym? As featured in the May 12 issue of the New York Times Magazine, The American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal has developed a 7-minute workout designed to give your whole body a great workout. My husband and I have been doing this together in the evenings, and I can attest to the fact that if you really work it for those 7 minutes, you’ll be “feeling the burn” when you’re done! Check it out online here. [1]
- Water: If you’re like me, you wake up in the morning and have coffee first thing…then one cup turns into three cups, and before you know it, it’s 2 o’clock and not only have you not had any breakfast, but the only water you’ve had is laced with caffeine, cream, and sugar :) Try starting your day with at least 8 oz of water before you have your coffee. You’ll start hydrating early and will be surprised at how much more water you’ll drink throughout the day.
- That leads me to breakfast: It’s another cliché, but it really makes all the difference in your daily nutrition. Your body needs fuel to perform at its optimal level, and you’ll feel better if you get in the habit of eating breakfast. Try a granola bar, nonfat Greek yogurt and banana (sprinkled with chia seeds if you really want to bump it up on the health meter), or oatmeal.
- Portion control: For a lot of us, it’s not necessarily what we eat that’s the problem, it’s how much of it we eat. Our Assistant Registrar Brooke Pillsbury had a great idea…try serving your food in smaller dishes like a baking ramekin or small bowl. Your bowl will be overflowing and gives you the perception that you’re having a large serving. Besides, using a ramekin is a lot more fun than just using a smaller plate. :)
- Overcome the afternoon cravings: We’re a group of foodies at ACHS, and there’s always goodies to be had in our kitchen! Making the right choices can sometimes be tough, but your body will thank you when you pick the hummus and carrots over the donut holes! Try to replace your sugar fix with a piece of fruit or a great-tasting smoothie!
Try these easy tips for a few days and post your comments with your results! Have more tips? We can't wait to hear them :)
[1] Health & Fitness Journal. (2013) American College of Sports Medicine. Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/