6 Simple Strategies to Power Your Summer
By Sandy Schroeder
Warmer weather may be prompting you to do everything right now, but your body may be protesting. Here are some suggestions from Prevention to skip the frustration and energize all of your summer plans.
Start the morning with a stretch - Fitness coaches recommend you stretch when you get up to relieve nighttime stiffness. Try this sample exercise: Lie on a mat with your left leg flat while you pull the right knee toward your chest and wrap your hands around the right hamstring. Hold for 30 seconds. Release and repeat with the other side.
Relax with 30-second breathers - Whenever you feel tension building, or just need to clear your head, let go of the pressure with five deep breaths. Inhale and count to five. Pause. Then count to five as you exhale. Repeat five times. To take it a step further, picture yourself letting go of all of your problems each time you exhale.
Get moving and keep moving - Start small and keep going by adding extra increments of exercise or other physical activities to each day. The more you do, the more energy you may have to keep expanding your schedule. Add a walk in the morning, some stretches after lunch, or a quick run right after work. Then figure out ways to activate weekends with hiking, biking, camping or boating. If you are still up for it, add some home projects, cleaning out the garage, repainting the guest bedroom, or tackling the bushes in the backyard.
Get your daily dose of protein - Research says adults should get 0.8 grams of dietary protein per kilogram of body weight. Seniors over 65 need 1 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That works out to be 68 grams of protein for a 150-pound person. Take a good look at your diet and see if you need to add eggs or oatmeal to breakfast, and lean protein with fish, chicken or tofu to lunch and dinner.
Get an outdoors boost daily - Use it however it works for you, but count on the fresh greenery, breezes and sunlight to work in your favor. You might step outside to meditate after lunch, or take a walk around the neighborhood in the evening. On the weekend, head for the park, the water, or the courts.
Set aside time for self care - Many of us intend to lose 10 pounds, do a better skincare routine, or treat ourselves to a weekend away, but how often do we follow through? Make a list of the things that would really improve your day, week or year. Then start making them happen.
If these strategies to energize your day work, hang onto them, and add more.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Windermere, Fla.