It seems as though everyone wants to live a healthier lifestyle, but many people don’t quite know what that means or how to begin. While there are many changes you can incorporate into your life to help you live healthier, two areas to focus on are starting a fitness program and getting a better quality of sleep.
Start by Developing a Fitness Plan
Starting a fitness regiment takes more than just committing to exercise more, although that is the necessary first step. Once the decision has been made, however, your next step is to determine your current state of physical fitness. You should do this even before you join a gym. How long does it take you to walk one mile? To run it? How many push-ups can you do in one minute? Sit-ups? By establishing your abilities in these areas, you can set a benchmark for judging your future progress.
Now, you’re ready to get started. Whether you sign up at a fitness center near you, for example, Denver fitness centers, or choose to work out at home, you should set up a regular exercise schedule. In setting up specific times for your workouts, you’ll be less likely to miss days.
It’s also important to start slow and consult your doctor about your plans. This will help you avoid future injuries and reduce the risks of complicating any medical conditions you may be experiencing. As time goes on and you feel more comfortable with your workouts, you can increase the intensity and duration of them. This will earn you better results and make your workouts more challenging.
Sleep Affects Our Health
Even though most people understand the importance of getting quality sleep each night, millions of people fail to get it every night. Sleep disorders represent a growing problem in our society, which may be why the National Sleep Foundation shares tips for helping people beat insomnia. Being without sleep affects our health in ways we may not be aware of, such as impulse control and increased cravings for unhealthy foods. By employing these tactics, you can ensure you’ll be getting enough sleep each night.
One of the best sleep habits to adopt is to set a predetermined time to go to bed and wake up each day. By keeping this schedule, even on your days off, you’ll be helping your body become better acclimated to the routine. Additionally, it’s a good idea to practice a relaxation ritual before bed each evening. This can be anything that helps you relax from taking a warm bath to reading a book. Other suggestions include lighting scented candles, meditating, or listening to calming music.
What you do during the day equally contributes to getting a good night’s sleep. If you have trouble staying asleep at night, you might want to try eliminating afternoon naps. Instead, increase the amount of physical activity in your day. By wearing your body out with more exercise, you’ll be better prepared for sleep in the evening.
Another thing to consider is your sleeping environment. It’s a good idea to ensure your bedroom is free from distractions and is conducive to relaxation. This means eliminating sources of noise and light that could disturb you. Wearing earplugs or a visor may help you control external stimuli and help you feel more relaxed. If you have serious trouble sleeping, look into organic mattresses to get the support you need. Keeping the room at an optimum temperature, in the mid-60s, is also important. If your bedroom is either too cool or too warm, it can interfere with your sleep patterns.
Getting enough sleep and enough exercise are two areas of our lives that can affect how we function and how healthy we remain. By initiating changes to help achieve a better quality in both of these areas, we can be healthier overall. In fact, getting enough exercise can help us sleep better, which, in turn, will give us more energy during the day.