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| 26 Tips to Improve Your Health, Fitness and Nutrition |
Getting and staying healthy is a lifelong journey. While the path isn't always easy, small steps can make a big difference. This article shares 26 practical tips to help you improve your overall wellness.
Stay Hydrated for Better Workouts
Proper hydration is key for peak exercise performance. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends drinking about 16 ounces of fluid two hours before a workout and another 8 ounces right before exercising. During your workout, sip about 6 to 12 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Rehydrating after you exercise is crucial too - drink 16 to 24 ounces of fluid for every pound lost through sweating.
Find an Accountability Partner
Having an exercise buddy or accountability partner helps you stay motivated and consistent. Try finding someone with similar fitness abilities and goals. Check in regularly to share progress and cheer each other on. Knowing someone is counting on you makes it harder to skip workouts. Partners can join you for gym sessions, outside activities, online classes and more.
Fill Your Fridge with Nutritious Foods
Surrounding yourself with healthy foods makes good choices easier. Fill your fridge with fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and low-fat dairy. Having prepped veggies and hummus makes for easy grab-and-go snacks. Limit temptation from chips, cookies and ice cream by keeping less of them in the house.
Soothe Sore Muscles
Intense or new workouts often leave muscles feeling achy. Relieve post-workout soreness with rest, gentle stretches, foam rolling, cold therapy or massages. Light exercise also helps by increasing blood flow to affected areas. Stay hydrated and get plenty of high quality sleep as well. If pain persists for over 72 hours, consider taking a break or modifying your routine.
Curb Sugar Cravings
Sugary temptations lurk around every corner. Dropping excess sugar helps control calories and prevent energy crashes. When cravings strike, opt for naturally sweet foods like fruit, flavored yogurt and stevia-sweetened treats. Slowly weaning off sodas, candy and baked goods makes giving them up easier over time. As a bonus, less sugar equals better dental and overall health.
Invest in Quality Shoes
Wearing improper or worn out shoes while exercising easily leads to pain or injury. Replace athletic shoes once they surpass 300-500 miles. Visit your local running or sporting goods store and try on options in the late afternoon when feet are most swollen. The most important factor is fit - make sure to walk and move around while testing them out.
Create Killer Playlists
Music can make or break a good workout. Craft motivating playlists filled with your favorite high energy tunes. Match the beats per minute (BPM) to your planned activity. Faster paced hip hop or dance music pairs well with HIIT routines. Slower songs work better for yoga, pilates and stretching. Save a few empowering anthems for when you need an extra push.
Weigh Yourself Once Weekly
Jumping on the scale daily leads to unnecessary stress over normal fluctuations. Experts recommend weighing yourself just once per week, on the same day, under the same conditions. Record your numbers to identify trends over time. Remember that the number on the scale is only one measurement. Focus on performance gains, better sleep, reduced inflammation and other non-scale victories as well.
Control Portions at Meals
It’s easy to overindulge when restaurant dishes and packaged foods provide no portion guidance. Become a pro at eyeballing proper serving sizes. Aim to fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, then split the other half evenly between protein and carbs. Measure pasta, cereal, nut butters and oils when cooking at home. Serving foods on smaller plates or in bowls also reduces mindless overeating.
Sip Slowly at Happy Hour
Alcohol packs plenty of empty calories and impairs decision making skills. If drinking, fill up on water between each cocktail. Choose light beers, white wine spritzers or vodka sodas using calorie-free mixers. Also, line your stomach beforehand by eating healthy fats, protein and fiber. Avoid drinking on an empty stomach altogether.
Fuel Up Before Running
Nutrition plays a key role in race day performance. About 60-90 minutes prerace, eat a light, high-carb snack such as oatmeal, toast, bananas, yogurt or low-fiber cereal. Continue hydrating, then have another small carb-focused meal or snack if your race starts more than two hours later. Save proteins and fats for post-run when insulin sensitivity increases.
Gear Up with Essentials
Every runner should carry certain must-have items. Arm yourself with layered clothing, body lubricant to minimize chafing, stash pockets for gels and chews, pepper spray if exercising solo, your ID including emergency contacts and cash for post-run snacks. Use sunscreen, sunglasses and hats when running outdoors. Don’t forget your phone, debit card, keys and a wearable device for tracking mileage.
Refuel After Exercise
Exercise recovery starts with refueling. Consume a mix of carbs and protein within 30 minutes after finishing your workout. Carbs replenish glycogen stores while protein helps rebuild and repair muscle tissue. Chocolate milk, smoothies, eggs, yogurt and trail mixes all contain the ideal ratio. Continue emphasizing high quality nutrition at all meals and snacks as your body adapts.
Vary Up Your Routine
Doing the same workouts week after week leads to plateaus where the body adapts and gains diminish. Combat workout boredom by regularly changing your regimen. Take new classes, swap out machines, go for trail runs instead of the treadmill, learn new skills like Olympic lifting, take up swimming, bike outdoors, follow YouTube exercise channels—options are endless! Adding variety and trying modalities you enjoy increases adherence.
Replace Worn-Out Shoes
Replacing sneakers at the first signs of wear helps ward off pain and injury. Look for visible smoothing of the sole tread, diminished shock absorption, decreased stability and uneven wear patterns. Swap your original insoles for fresh ones to extend their lifespan. Track your mileage so you know when to shop for a new pair. Rotate two or three pairs to evenly distribute wear and tear.
Choose Supportive Sports Bras
Finding a properly fitted sports bra provides comfort and reduces bounce during activity. Look for wide straps, secure back closure options and compressed cup material without underwire or removable padding. Encapsulation style bras work well for larger busts by fully surrounding each breast. Compression types restrict motion by flattening tissue against the chest wall. Racerback and crossback straps also increase support.
Relieve Annoying Side Stitches
The dreaded side ache can stall any runner in their tracks. Although the exact cause is unknown, diaphragm spasms likely play a role. Slowing down often helps. Exhale forcefully as your left foot strikes the ground; inhale through your mouth on right foot contact. Deep belly breathing while briefly walking can calm spasms too. Preventative tips include avoiding food or liquid intake within 30-60 minutes prerace, wearing loose clothing, building fitness gradually and treating GI issues.
Indulge Cravings Intelligently
Completely restricting favorite foods often backfires, leading to binge episodes. Allow yourself small indulgences by controlling portions and frequencies. Get the most satisfaction by eating slowly and mindfully. Savor each bite without distractions. Split desserts with others or order the smallest size. Giving in to cravings in moderation prevents feeling deprived.
Incorporate More Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices enhance food flavors without hiking up calories, salt or fat. Exploring new seasonings keeps healthy eating exciting. Basil, oregano and thyme add flair to marinara sauce. Smoked paprika gives deviled eggs a flavor punch. Cumin, chili powder and cayenne lend Tex-Mex choices a kick. Cinnamon sweetens oats, butternut squash and fruit preparations. Grow fresh options in patio containers for easy access.
Adjust Workouts Over Time
As your endurance and abilities improve, doing the same routines eventually yields diminishing returns. The key is progressive overload - gradually increasing distance, weight, sets, reps, intensity or frequency. Boost running mileage 5-10% weekly, allowing recovery between hard and easy days. Try one more set or 5-10 extra minutes of planking or cardio. Slowly add the next dumbbell size. Noticing when your workouts feel “easy” means it’s time to notch things up.
Apply Sunscreen Liberally
Unprotected sun exposure raises skin cancer risks and prematurely ages skin. Shield yourself by regularly applying a broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen. Choose sweatproof formulas for active days. Reapply at least every two hours and immediately after swimming, toweling off or sweating heavily. Wear wide brim hats, UV blocking sunglasses and sun protective clothing for extra protection. Seek shade during peak intensity hours too.
Select Healthier Fast Food
Eating on-the-go often means less nutritious choices. When fast food can’t be avoided, many eateries now offer better-for-you options. Seek out rotisserie chicken, chili, salad bars, veggie flatbreads, yogurt parfaits, baked potatoes and subway-style sandwiches. Compare calories, salt, saturated fat and sugar before ordering. Watch portion sizes with chips, crackers, fountain drinks and condiments which pile on extras.
Prevent Chafing with Lubricants
The friction, moisture and salt from sweating often causes chafing during longer workouts. Protect skin by applying petroleum jelly, body glide sticks, baby powder or chafe-preventing creams before activity. Moisture wicking, seamless athletic fabrics help too. Treat reddened spots afterward using cold compresses, hydrocortisone and topical zinc oxide. Keep the area clean and dry to help damaged skin heal.
Consume More Fiber
Fiber promotes numerous health benefits including better digestion, heart health, blood sugar control, weight management and more. Since few Americans meet their fiber needs through diet alone, consider supplementation. Psyllium husk, methylcellulose and wheat dextrin work well. Increase high fiber foods too - fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and beans. Also up your fluid intake. Adding fiber too quickly can cause gas or cramping until your system adjusts.
Maintain Exercise Consistency
Sporadic workouts scattered between long lapses waste previous efforts. Consistency drives results by establishing better metabolic functioning, neuropathway connections and cellular adaptations over time. Schedule exercise sessions like doctor appointments you can't miss. Attach workouts to existing habits like commuting or morning routines too. Training partners provide accountability as well. Sticking with regular activity yields compounding improvements.
Review Key Takeaways
Incorporating even a few of these fitness, nutrition and lifestyle tips builds better lifelong wellness. Hydrating properly, finding accountability buddies, planning quality meals, treating sore muscles, and conquering cravings helps get started on the right foot. Investing in items like shoes, music and equipment sets you up for success. Fueling appropriately before and after exercise, adding training variety, limiting sun exposure and making healthier selections all move you forward. Consistency with workouts, and continually challenging yourself, pays dividends over time.
What other wellness tips would you add? Leave a comment below!
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