Photo by Emily Sea on Unsplash
When people talk about getting into shape, oftentimes they speak about it as if it’s something they’re going to start doing as part of their next New Year’s resolution. Lots of folks have bought into the idea that you can’t just do something “cold-turkey” but the fact is, you absolutely can. In fact, putting your foot down and taking a firm and definitive stance can actually be more effective than slowly tip-toeing into a lifestyle change. With that said, here are five things you can do right now, today, to improve your health.
1. Vape Instead of Smoking
If you’re not a smoker then go ahead and skip this step, but if you are then you should definitely think about switching to vaping. With a vaporizer, you can still wean your way off of nicotine by starting with e-juice that has nicotine in it and slowly reducing the amount of nicotine per cartridge until you’re just using flavored vapors. In fact, you can inhale more vapor than you can smoke, which is why the “squonking” trend (more information) was born – so you can store more e-juice and take more pulls before having to refill.
2. Start an Exercise Program
Yes, exercising can seem difficult when you haven’t done it in a while, but it can quickly become habitual once you’ve broken past that initial barrier of knocking out your first set of reps or walking your first few miles. Compare some of the most popular exercise programs, pick one, and commit to it today.
3. Create a Meal Plan
Dieting is something that is very easy to procrastinate on, as we keep telling ourselves, “oh I’ll start the diet next week.” Unfortunately, “next week” never comes and we continue eating whatever we want, year after year. Pick a diet program and commit to it today by designing a meal plan that you know you can adhere to.
4. Try Meditation & Yoga
You might not believe in the benefits of meditation & yoga, but science has proven that it can have a positive impact on your mood and flexibility at the very least. You don’t have to set a date on your calendar to start this simple yet beneficial routine either. Just look up some meditation and yoga channels on YouTube and get started today.
5. Get 8 Hours of Sleep
We’ve all heard the eight hours of sleep recommendation a million times, and yet the average adult only gets about 6-7 hours of sleep. What’s an extra hour or two, you ask? Well, a full cycle of REM sleep takes about an hour and a half, so you’re losing an entire cycle of REM if you wake up two hours early. Start getting eight hours of sleep today and you’ll wake up tomorrow feeling healthier already.
The Start of a New Lifestyle
In closing, all of the above steps can be started in a single day, but to have a noticeable effect they must be sustained for at least a few months. The good news is, after working these habits into your daily routine, you should notice a difference in the way you feel within a matter of weeks.
