Imagine if your lifestyle was healthy, active and sustainable till the day you perish. How would you feel if on a whim you could do any physical activity you choose. No “getting in shape” for…
The good news is that with proper awareness, foundation and habits, you can be in control of your health and always be physically ready for whatever life brings your way. Living a healthy, active lifestyle sustainably requires a strong foundation. I’d like to share 5 of the areas we work on daily with our clients and ourselves to grow and maintain that foundation.
- Sleep
Sleep is the #1 performance enhancing activity a person can do. Yet very few folks get enough sleep or honor its importance. At a minimum 7 hours per night in a completely dark room with zero electronics is accepted by sleep experts. Optimum is 7-9 hours, but there are individual and seasonal differences.
Sleep Environment
- Cool and dark: 65-68 degrees F. and you can’t see your hand held out in front of your face
- Dim lights (blue blocker glasses) and stop electronic activity 30-60 min before bedtime
- Bedroom free of electronics, wifi, bluetooth, LED lighting, TV. The bedroom is reserved for sleeping and procreating only.
Daily Habits for better sleep
- A relaxing practice: mediation, massage, mobility work, easy reading, breathing
- No caffeine after noon
- Limit alcohol and keep working that direction “less is best”
- Sunshine exposure directly on your skin and eyes
- Bedtime before 10 PM
- Have a routine and stick to it most of the time
- Hydration
Water is essential to our existence and we will die without it. Drink clean, clear water. Water is the main ingredient of your blood transporting nutrients throughout your cells and keeps tissues moist and lubricated.
- Aim to drink about ½ you body weight in ounces daily
- Add a pinch of salt to room temperature water first thing in the morning
- Consume between meals rather than at mealtime
- Stress Management
Everything is stress. Either good for us (eustress) or harmful for us (distress). Some stress is physical, some stress is emotional, some stress is psychological. And none of any of these are the same for any two people. The goal is to keep a positive balance of eustress vs distress.
- Practice an enjoyable hobby
- Smile and laugh
- Sunshine (again)
- Human touch
- Time with enjoyable people
- Appropriate exercise practice
- Avoid social media
- Nutrient Dense Food
The much debated, oft dreaded food chatter. Vegan this, veggie that, macro tit, carnivore tat, keto bliss, paleo blah blah blah. Humans are omnivores. You are a human. Eat whole-unprocessed foods. Protein and Fat are essential for life. Carbohydrates are not.
- Choose Nutrient dense foods
- Quality over quantity
- Bioavailable nutrients
- Honor digestion: Chew your food, sit down, disconnect and eat
- Prioritize protein and vegetables at every meal
- Vary types and colors of foods
- Completely avoid industrial seed oils
- Learn about anti-nutrient properties and food aversions
- Movement
Exercise is important and just plain old fashioned human movement is the best. We now live in a world where our survival is not hinged upon our ability to be physical. This is convenient for things like our education, career, or diabetes development. Our modern environment wreaks havoc on our biology and is not conducive to health.
The objective is to move blood, oxygen and lymph; raise temperature and expose your joints to full healthy ranges of motion. Loading the skeleton, muscles and connective tissue keeps bones strong and builds muscle. Lean muscle mass is the fountain of youth and the foundation of our immune system.
- Resistance training 2-5 times per week
- Aerobic development to support cardiovascular and musculo-skeletal system
- Walk your dog
- Take the stairs
- Park across the parking lot
- Wash your car by hand
- Yardwork
Continue to be mindful of these areas and work towards improvement and you will find how easy it is to live a sustainable healthy, active lifestyle. If you’d like guidance along your health and fitness journey reach out to us and one of our coaches will be happy to assist you.