Healthy People's Healthy Habits

We all see people who we look at and say man how do they look so good, maybe you are that person. How do they stay in shape and look so good as they age; good genetics, they workout, eat healthy, not a lot of stress in their lives, they get 8-9 hours of sleep a night.  Well maybe you have most those things and your still not where you think your body should be.  Below are some healthy tips from healthy people who have aged gracefully over the years.

Healthy Tips

1. Take care of yourself in your 20's- the habits you form over the course of your 20's will help formulate your healthy habits for years to come.  For example, if your in the sun without sunscreen you will develop sun spots on your face, you partied to hard in college than early in your work years and didn't workout losing weight only gets tougher as you age.  For females the muscle you put on in your 20's has been shown to decrease your risk factors for bone related diseases in your 60's and beyond. This decade most people don't have as many responsibilities so take the time to invest in your future health. 

2. Go to bed- sleep is huge if you want to age gracefully and be present for your life.  We have all been there when you feel like a zombie you stayed up way to late and got up extremely early the next day. You are cranky, you eat things you normally wouldn't, your more stressed, and not fully present in your day. Now if you combine years of limited sleep think of what that does to your overall quality of life.

3. You are what you eat- we have all heard this saying before you are what you eat.  It is a true statement.  Think about it if your putting cookies, crackers, baked goodies into your body your body will become more soft and squishy.  Now if your eating fresh fruits and veggies, lean protein your body will become more firm and start to tone up. 

4. Work out- I have been told this by my clients who are in their 80's & 90's.  They make time to workout with me 3 times a week.  When they don't workout they get stiff, lose their balance, and overall lose of strength.  The younger you start these habits the better the body will be for the aging process.  I hate to break it to you but everyone ages.  The more you do with your body now the more you will be able to do with your body later in life.  Trust me when your in your 90's and still doing squats, push-ups and being able to walk up and down a 4 flights of stairs, you will thank me. 

5. Find a stress relieving hobby- So many people are a ball of nerves and their bodies hold onto that stress in various formats.  Some get extremely stiff, others have a certain area that tightens up, some get dizzy and others feel like their minds are in constant overdrive.  We are in a 24/7 stimulating environment.  We have to unplug and find something that we can do daily that will release stress.  That may mean meditating for 5 minutes a day, reading before bed, writing 3 things your grateful for at the end of the day, or journaling daily.  You may also want to find a hobby that you can do on your day off.  It can be anything from going on a bike ride, go for a walk, go boating, scrapbook, go to the movies, try a new restaurant, complete a task on your bucket list.  This one tip needs to be followed!  Stress is overtaking many people in the US and we need to make time to relax so we don't suffer the health consequences later in life. 

6. Don't get in the fast food habit- Everyone has been there they are tired from work, no food to cook for dinner, a hungry spouse of family to feed.  So they figure they should swing by the local fast food joint.  Now every once in awhile this is fine.  What happens to people is they start doing it day after day and now it has become a hard habit to break.  The solution plan your meals on Sundays or your day off.  Cook the meals ahead of time and keep in your fridge or freezer.  That way you will have a game plan.  If you were swamped that week, hey it happens to the best of us. Have ingredients on hand that you can whip something up in 10-20 minutes tops.  Remember if you fail to plan you plan to fail.

What are your healthy tips?  Share in the comments below!

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness information.

  

Healthy Ideas for your heart

What are things that you can do to keep your heart healthy?  Well besides the obvious working out what else is there? No matter your age you need to HAVE FUN at some point in your day.  If you hate your job, have so much stress you are a ball of knots, you have no time to hang out with your family or friends you need to make time to have fun.  Whether that be carving out 30 minutes everyday to get a workout in, read, take a bath, chill out in front of the tv, play with your dog or cat, cook a recipe you've been dying to try, go shopping.  Put it on your calendar!  Below are some other great activities you can do to keep your heart healthy!

Heart Healthy Ideas

1. Take time to laugh

2. Enjoy a cup of tea

3. Workout 4-5 days a week

4. Have a date with someone you love with either yourself or a loved one

5. Enjoy a day with a friend

6. Play with your cat/dog

7. Dance to your favorite jam

8. Eat a handful of almonds

9. Indulge in a great book (I have a lot of recommendations follow me on pinterest to get a full list) http://pinterest.com/safiretraining/

10. Eat salmon once a week

11. Go for a hike

12. Try something new this week

13. Cook a recipe your dying to try

14. Give someone a kiss

15. Take a day off 

Hopefully this list will help you relax and enjoy life just a little bit more.  Check out www.safiretraining.com for more information. 

Holiday Parties are here, how to prevent that weight gain!

Now that the holiday parties are about to begin how do you prevent that holiday weight gain?  Well there are many basic tips that one can follow.  I will share some of my top tips below. 

1. Eat before you go to the holiday party- If you go to a party hungry you will consume more food, more drinks than you intended to.  So eat dinner before you go and the food might not look as appetizing as it would if you were starving. 
2. Stick to 1 glass of alcoholic beverages of your choice- After one consumes to many alcoholic drinks you tend to want more to drink and eat.  So sticking to one and sipping on it all night is a better choice. 
3. If you do drink more than 1 drink- If you do go beyond your 1 drink max. make sure you drink water before you have your next drink to stay hydrated. 
4. Have a set time you want to leave the party at- If you and whomever you came with to the party both know what time you plan on leaving stick to that.  That way you know you will be getting a good nights rest.
5. Indulge in smaller treats- Most people have trouble not eating anything at a party, myself included.  Stick to the smaller treats such as a smaller christmas cookie, mini candy cane, and bite sized treats.  Just stick to 1-2 or you may end up getting more calories than you bargained for.
6. Get your workout in the day of and morning after- Make sure you get a good workout in the day of the event and the next morning to keep yourself motivated during this stressful time.
7. Take your workouts outside- Try a free local ice skating park, skiing, or snowboarding for the day. 
8. De-stress a bit and get into yoga- Yoga will help keep you centered and calm your mind and body down.  

Above are great tips to help keep you motivated and help you beat the holiday bulge. If you want more information check out www.safiretraining.com for more information. 

How to know if you need a new support network

Are you trying to achieve your fitness goals and not going anywhere?  Have you taken a look at who you are surrounding yourself with?  Sometimes to break through those plateaus you need to surround yourself with people who can help push you to the next levels.  Below are some tips if you need to ditch your old support group and some tips for finding a new group.

Signs you need a new support group

• Your support group guilt trips you to attending happy hour with them each week
• Your co-workers are always negative and tell you all their drama causing you to miss your lunch workout.
• They encourage you to skip the gym and discourage you from getting a trainer
• They always want to go to an un-healthy restaurants and encourage you to get the worst meal.

A lot of times these "friends" like you the way you are and are afraid for you to change and leave them in the dust.  So tell them you will still be the same person you are just making healthier choices for yourself and would appreciate a little support.  If they can't do that look for a new support group by following the tips below.

Finding a new support network

• Join a local gym class 
• Find a new friend at your local gym
• Find a "friend" from facebook who likes to workout and ask if you can join them
• Go to meetup.com and check out the local fitness classes
• Buy a groupon and go to a speciality class such as yoga, barre fitness to find a new workout buddy

So take a look at your network surrounding you are they pushing you to be a better person or are they de-railing your goals?  Only you can truly answer that.