First steps to a healthier you
A question most people have for starting on a healthier path is simple “what is the first step?”. This question does not have a simple single answer, and therefore is a common reason most people never start. There is too much information out there telling people of new ways to lose weight or gain muscle that it becomes too complex and convoluted and they just cannot start. So how is it best to answer such a simple but complicated question? Well, I have three simple solutions that will start you on the right path, without drastically changing your life.
Walk more! Walking is an underrated way to improve many health markers, from heart function, to weight loss, to slight muscle gain. There is a reason why 10,000 steps is such a popular goal. Walking gets the body moving and tells your heart and muscles it has to work. This small step (see what I did there?) will start your body in the right direction. So how best to do it? If you walk 10 minutes a day, start by increasing it to 15 minutes a day. If you walk 6,000 steps in a day, try to walk 8,000. Once these improvements have been made and followed for a week, increase again.
Make sure to eat your veggies! Yes this sounds cliché, but think of this. If you start to get full from fruit or veggies before you start eating your delish cheeseburger, maybe you wont want to make a second one. When starting something new, I do not want anything drastic. Do not cut out all your junk food or meat! Instead, maybe just eat some veggies or fruit first, so you wont want to eat quite as much chips or tacos. Remember, small steps! if you eat one apple a day, maybe eat one apple and 3 large carrots next time, or instead of a side of chips with your burger, maybe green beans?
Make sleep a priority! Many Americans fall victim to the thinking “its better to get work done and workout late rather than sleep, ill burn more calories!”. However, this is not the case. Your body needs ample sleep in order to heal and metabolize quickly. This means maybe 7 hours of sleep is better than 6 hours and some work before bed. Once again start slow, adding one hour of sleep a night is generally not too hard considering how much we play on our phones a day. When you go into bed, leave your phone on the desk and charger rather than bringing it to you.
Remember, having someone with you to help keep you accountable can help you stay with your goals along your journey. Please reach out to me with questions or anything else!