7 MINUTE READ
Take care of your body. It’s the only one you’ve got.
Damo PT
I’m sure that 474 936 people said that before me but this one hits home for me.
If you want to call your lifestyle healthy, you need to have the foundation that will support this claim. Otherwise you’re simply lying to yourself (sorry not sorry.)
I’ll take you through 5 best habits that you can start implementing straightaway that will boost your mood, immune system, and energy levels immediately. Do this and you will thank yourself for the rest of your life.
A lot of people I train say they’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work. Apart from asking them to tell me exactly what they tried (to show them they still got plenty of things to try) I feel for them because they usually fall for ‘diets.’ We all do.
If you’re looking for a short term trick- leave this page now.
And I mean it- NOW.
It’s not for you.
You still there?
Good, enjoy reading on 🙂
The hard truth is that in order to change your body physically, you need to implement life lasting changes. If anyone is telling you anything else, they’re lying in your face trying to get money out of you for a product that most likely does fuck all.
That’s the reality of the world we live in. We crave for quick fixes, easy solutions, no one seems to be willing to put the work in to reap the rewards later.
That’s why there aren’t that many successful people in comparison to the majority of the society. There is an astonishing scarcity of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to get things done.
If you want to become a professional athlete, a bodybuilder, a marathon runner, you will need to make your life revolve around it. However, if you’re looking for a starting point to get your new body, these are the 5 best changes you can make.
SLEEP
Boy isn’t sleep the most important regeneration process that prepares you for tomorrow’s struggles. All the fatigue, soreness, headaches, and many many more can magically go away after a good night’s sleep. I bet you experienced it. Try to get 7-8 hours of good-quality sleep every night and you will be surprised of what an impact it can make. Below you can find some tips on getting as much out of your time at night as possible:
- keep the room temperature low
- cut off the light (or wear a facemask)
- lower the brightness of lights / phone screen up to 1h before you go to sleep
- limit electronic devices in your bedroom (yeah, you’ve read that right)
- evening meditation / yoga / stretching / breath work – find your ritual
- limit caffeine and alcohol intake (duh!)
STRESS MANAGEMENT
Stress is unavoidable, we experience it every day of our lives. Unfortunately, not many people realise what kind of an impact stress can have on your body and how to deal with it. Don’t get me wrong- sometimes it can be good! However, it’s up to you and how you react to it. If you want to manage stress instead of being its victim, check out the habits below:
- get as much sunlight as possible- go out and move!
- meditate
- get a hobby that relaxes you
- (naps are good)
- don’t be afraid to seek help
Stress can literally eat you alive. When cortisol (stress) levels get too high your body thinks only in terms of survival, that’s how humans have evolved. Even though there is no direct threat to your life, parts of your brain still have this defense mechanism and don’t really care. When that happens, your body uses all the energy it can get to focus on surviving. After that, there is no energy left for you to feel well, be motivated, or be involved in any physical activity.
HYDRATION
Did you know that your body can mistake hunger for thirst? Next time when you think you’re hungry but don’t actually feel your stomach really asking for it, down a glass of water. See what happens. I can almost guarantee that you won’t be feeling the same way!
By the way- over 60% of your body consists of water. Do I really need to tell you how important it is?
Yeah, I guessed so.
It lubricates your joints, helps regulate body temperature, transports nutrients within your body, keeps all the tissue hydrated, builds about 75% of muscle tissue, the list goes on.
You and I both know that it sounds cliche, but without water there is no life. You can survive around 3 weeks without food but can only survive from 3 to 4 days without water. DAYS. That’s how vital water is.
What are you waiting for? Go and grab a glass of water. I’ll wait.
Aim to drink:
- women- 2.5 – 3 litres of fluids a day
- men- 3.5 – 4 litres of fluids a day
These recommendations cover fluids from water, other beverages and food. About 20 percent of daily fluid intake usually comes from food and the rest from drinks.
Don’t forget to put a bit of salt in your food. The sodium will help you retain water ensuring your body doesn’t flush it out too quickly.
MOVEMENT
We evolved to move. Humans as species are not supposed to be sitting behind a desk for 8-10 hours a day without moving any further than the fridge or coffee machine. Movement is our natural state and only by practicing it we can stay stronger and more flexible for longer.
That lower back pain of yours didn’t come out of nowhere- you probably have a sedentary job and your pelvis has gone into anterior tilt over time. The headaches you’ve been getting probably have nothing to do with you being tired- it’s your neck muscles being too tense and a simple massage would help.
The main idea is to stay active and you can do it in a number of ways:
- weight training 3-5 days a week, period. No buts. No ifs. Non negotiable. Progressive overload is the best things for your fascias, muscles, joints, and skeleton
- cardio- entirely up to you but aim for 2 days a week to keep that heart healthy
- active rest days- go for a walk, biking, rollerblading, jogging, rope skipping, whatever gets you out and gets you moving
- move for recovery- yes, more movement means more blood flow to the muscles which speeds up the recovery, as more waste is taken out of your muscles and more blood rich in oxygen and nutrients goes into the muscle
Small steps = huge change in the long run, remember this. Start moving more by taking the stairs instead of the lift. Walk to work instead of taking the bus or the train (walking 2h might not be the best idea so get off the bus stop before and take it from there.) Get an active hobby, I don’t know, dancing for example! Do literally ANYTHING as long as it gets your eyes off Netflix and gets you moving.
NUTRITION
Hydration numero uno, then we go to the food you put into your body.
You’re being bombarded with information on different diets and how they are the best thing. Let me disappoint you here real quick- no diet will get you the body or health benefits you want. You need to make lasting changes to your nutrition to reap the benefits of it to a degree that you can hand stand in your 80s or 90s instead of killing the roads in a wheelchair.
Keep in mind those key principles when choosing what you eat and you’ll be amazed how your body reacts. Less bloating, higher energy levels, no energy crashes, better mood, lower blood pressure, the list is endless.
- quality food- try to get as much real food in your day as possible. These are the least processed foods you might think of- veg, fruit, rice, potatoes, meat, milk, etc. Any non processed foods that come straight from nature without human interaction (at least try to keep it to the minimum.)
- get a decent amount of protein with every meal- oh yes, the building blocks of your body. No matter who you are, you need protein. Try to centre your meals around it, then add some veg and some sort of carbohydrate
- chew the food well- it will help the absorption process
- go for whole foods sources whenever possible
Wow, that’s a lot of information to digest (pun intended!)
Don’t get overwhelmed- implement these changes one by one.
Week one- drink more water. Or maybe move more. Then week two chuck in another habit and keep the two going. Then add one more to the point that in a few weeks all 5 became part of your life. Easier said than done- I know but trust me, your body will thank you later.
Take care of your body. It’s the only one you’ve got.
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