At the beginning of 2020, I decided to seriously start my health and fitness journey. For the first two months of the year, I was doing great and was starting to see results. Then COVID hit, and my journey was derailed. I spent the first three months of quarantine with no motivation to leave my bed, let alone my house. After a couple of months watching all the progress I made go down the drain, I decided that it was time to start my journey back up again. While it has not been easy as I still lack a lot of motivation, these 5 tips have helped me kick start my health and fitness journey all over again.
- Drink More Water
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Everyone under the sun has been told that to start your health or fitness journey you need to drink more water. And why has everyone been told this? Because it’s true. Water makes up about 60% of your body’s weight, and you depend on it to survive (Mayo Clinic). A lack of water can easily lead to dehydration, which causes your body to lack the energy it needs to perform basic tasks. Dehydration can drain you of energy and make you more tired. However, as easy as drinking more water seems, if you’re someone like me, it seemed impossible. Filling up a water bottle a million times a day and then also having to pee a million times a day was not something I looked forward too. So, I bought a 24 ounce Starbucks cup that has a straw (for whatever reason, I drink more water when there’s a straw involved) and aim to drink at least three full bottles a day (morning, afternoon, and evening). If you find water boring like I do, try drinking flavoured water, sparkling water (I bought a soda stream this summer and it honestly changed my life) or even try playing around with different water temperatures (ice-cold, room temperature, or even hot water).
- Get More (and better) Sleep
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The U.S Department of Health and Human Services recommends that adults get 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. But you already knew that, even if you choose to ignore it. However, they also suggest that you need to get good quality sleep regularly to feel well-rested when you wake up. If you start your day off already feeling sluggish due to a lack of sleep, you will have less energy and motivation for your day. In addition to energy, sleep effects so much of our lives, and getting good quality sleep is even better. Sleep can help reduce stress, improve your memory, lower blood pressure, improve your mood, and even help maintain your weight (Dreams.co.uk).
- Celebrate Non-Scale Victories
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You may be asking yourself, what are non-scale victories? And when I first started my health journey, I was curious too. However, they are as simple as they sound. Women’s Magazine describes non-scale victories as “celebrating things that help you reach your health goals that have nothing to do with your actual weight.” Licensed clinical psychologist Alicia H. Clark, PsyD, says that celebrating your non-scale victories helps you notice when you’re making progress. So what are some non-scale victories that you can begin to celebrate? Curves suggest that some of the most popular non-scale victories are things like your jeans fitting a little better, increased stamina, and more energy daily. I walk the same trail all the time and a non-scale goal for me is to cut down on the amount of time it takes me to do that walk. A few months ago, when I started, it would take me an hour to do the walk, now I can do it in 45 to 50 minutes if I don’t get stopped at too many traffic lights. My goal is to eventually walk 6km in an hour. It takes the average person/beginner about an hour to walk 5km and an intermediate can do 6km in an hour, according to Leandi Van Zyl from Bussiness Standard.
- Find a Balance with Snacking
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One of my biggest problems when I started my health journey was the constant snacking. I was eating 3 meals a day, plus like 6 snacks a day too. After trying to completely remove snacking and failing miserably, I decided to replace my ‘unhealthy’ snacks with better ones (read more here about how snacking, on healthy foods, isn’t actually that bad an idea). I replaced potato chips with roasted chickpeas (these are my favourite, by the way: Three Farmers). I added foods like snap peas, strawberries, and Greek yogurt to curb some of my cravings. And I even switched to Halo Top (a low-calorie premium ice cream that you can learn more about here) over my trusted Chapman’s Ice Cream. I knew that I wasn’t going to cut eating between meals out of my life entirely, but replacing the ‘junk’ food with healthier options has made all the difference. Also remember, moderation is key. So, if you want to have some Doritos (probably my go-to snack), have a bowl instead of crushing the entire bag.
- Find an Activity that you Enjoy
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Finally, find some way to be active that you genuinely enjoy. If you like to dance, try taking in-person or online Zumba classes. Try rock climbing or bike riding. For me, it was walking and horseback riding. And honestly, I enjoyed walking because it was a convenient time for me to listen to podcasts more than anything else. Horseback riding, on the other hand, is something that I love. Half the time, I forget it is even a form of physical activity because I enjoy it so much. If going to the gym or going for a run isn’t your thing, then don’t do it. There are so many other ways to stay active that are enjoyable. So try skating or kayaking or even lawn bowling. Find a way to stay active that feels more like a treat and less like a chore.
Bonus tip – remember, you are doing this for you and no one else. So do what works for you and what you enjoy. If it takes 2 months or 2 years to reach your goal, remember that every day you are making progress and something is ALWAYS better than nothing.