Fitness and self-care are two necessary aspects of health and wellness. They are important pillars in stroke, and other disease prevention. Yet, we can find ourselves struggling to create a balance between the two. Here some realistic tips you need to know to incorporate both practices harmoniously.
Eat Healthily – A Heart and Brain Healthy Diet
Balancing life’s commitments can interfere with a nutritious diet, but the benefits are undeniable. Having a diet rich in vegetables and fruits, one that minimizes processed foods and ingredients like refined sugar, can enhance your physical and mental health. Over time this will improve your mood and cut your risk of acquiring a variety of ailments, physical conditions and diseases such as stroke.
If you find that making healthy meals simply is not practical without cutting back on other positive habits, you do have options. Using a delivery service to provide fresh food can streamline the process of losing weight and make a suitable diet more sustainable. Some delivery services focus on the core aspects of a nutritious diet, like portion control, tasty foods, organic and food variety. After all, the more choices you have, the more likely you are to persist with your diet.
You can also utilize the many easy and quick recipes that are available on the internet and what our blog is also creating. Many of these recipes have preparation times under fifteen minutes. Finally, you might try to weekend cook for several workday evenings. Soups and stews can be stored for a few days without spoilage.
Don’t Overdo
Wanting to be fitter is a goal that many of us have. When it is done for the wrong reasons, however, it’s easy to end up overdoing things. This can adversely impact one’s physical well-being and cause burnout that may bring your healthy lifestyle to an abrupt halt. Some important questions to ask yourself:
Am I working out excessively?
How is my current routine making me feel?
Are you constantly focused on going to the gym at the expense of other forms of self-care? If so, you may well be exercising at an unhealthy intensity. Make sure that you supplement your active lifestyle by prioritizing sleep. Getting enough sleep is an integral part of healthier living, as it allows our bodies to recharge and recover from the stresses and strains of the day.
Take Up a Hobby
Self-care encompasses more than practical acts — it’s also about finding the time to do the things that bring you joy. Yes, it can be hard to find free moments in a hectic lifestyle, but you deserve downtime, and if you need a rationalization – downtime is good for your health.. Sometimes, we can feel guilty about not doing something productive, so we may avoid fun activities even when we do have free time.
Yet, pursuing hobbies is an excellent way to bring down stress, rejuvenate oneself, and restore wellness to our lives. Certain hobbies can even complement fitness routines. Activities like mountain biking (you might need a good bike for that), hiking and dancing can get you in great condition, all while you have fun. Learning a new hobby, meanwhile, can offer fresh challenges, intellectual stimulation and provide invaluable motivation in life.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
It’s okay to do things just because they relax you. Not everything needs a larger purpose, especially if those pastimes lower your stress. If you want a physical method of processing your stressors but need something gentler than exercise, pick up yoga or tai chi. For example, there are different yoga forms, some more relaxing than others, like Yin Yoga or Hatha.
Meditation and mindfulness can bring immediate relief, and the more you do them, the easier it will be to slip into their mindset. Laughing is a good way to purge your body of stress, as is listening to soothing music. Find what works best for you and go with it.
Self-care is all about finding that balance between health and happiness. If we exercise into exhaustion, we may be in shape, but we won’t have the energy or time to enjoy it. Conversely, if we only ever do things to relax as a way of combating stress, we may never master it truly.
Both fitness and self-care require harmonizing to achieve that near perfect health we desire! All constructive in stroke prevention as well as other preventing or mitigating other diseases.
Sheila Nelson is the Founder of Fitsheila.com and is a personal trainer who believes setting small goals to tackle is the best way to put yourself on the path to better health. She believes in staying positive and engaging in mindfulness practices.
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