Regular exercise is so important to both your physical and mental health. But sometimes our busy lifestyles can make it a challenge to create and maintain a proper exercise program.
To kick off this new year, here are a few tips that can help in working toward a healthier lifestyle.

Begin By Changing Your Mindset
The first thing to remember is that exercise doesn’t have to mean making time to go to a gym or running for miles. Any physical activity counts and the main objective is to avoid sitting for prolonged periods of time. If you work in an office take the stairs instead of the elevator. Need to schedule a meeting? Try making it a walking meeting. When it’s time for a break, take a short walk to a nearby coffee shop instead of staying put. Even making a point of standing and stretching or walking around your office every half hour or so will help.

Working from home has its own challenges, here are some more ways to keep moving, and motivated, in your home office. Every little bit helps and they all add up, so changing your idea of what exercise is, can be a great first step.

Taking the stairs whenever possible is a good step in the right direction

Keep Track Of Your Progress
Wearable step counters are a great way of keeping track of how much you move every day and more importantly, they let you know when you need to get up and move around more. Even writing down your activities in a fitness journal can help you understand how much – or how little – exercise you get in a day.
Once this becomes a habit, you may be surprised how quickly your stamina and energy levels can increase.

Step counters, fitness trackers or even a journal helps you keep track of activity

Make It A Family Affair
When spending time with family, try to incorporate something active as an alternative to more screen time. Go to a local park or try hiking if there’s a conservation area nearby. Join your kids on a bike ride around the neighbourhood. Even dancing around the living room to your favourite tunes while you do house chores is a great way to get some exercise while having fun. Having kids, or a partner, join you in these activities can make it more fun and easier to maintain a consistent program.

It’s easy to stay active when it’s family time

Strong Doesn’t Have To Mean Long
While it is important to incorporate some strength training into your fitness routine, that doesn’t have to mean buying expensive machines and spending hours in a home gym. All you need is five or ten minutes and some floor space to incorporate a few simple exercises like glute bridges, squats or push-ups into your routine.

If you are a novice at exercising there are endless opportunities for free classes online, ranging anywhere from five to sixty minutes. Take a look around until you find one that works best for you. Just remember to take it slow at first and try to incorporate a little movement into your everyday routine.

There are many free online fitness classes to try at your speed

Healthy Food, Healthy Body
With a busy schedule, it can be tempting to settle for fast food and processed snacks, but with a little planning you can dodge this trap. The first step is to avoid bringing too much high-fat, prepared food into your home. Stock up on vegetables, fruit and whole grains so they are available at a moment’s notice.

Plan meals and snacks ahead so that you are not tempted to resort to take-out around dinner time. Plan special days like Meatless Mondays. Many doctors recommend incorporating at least one meat-free meal a week. It’s good for you and the environment and you might just be amazed how delicious meat-free recipes can taste.

Healthy eating is always an important part of your fitness regime

Sleep On It
The other important aspect of a healthier lifestyle is making sure you get enough sleep. Sleep is restorative and while you are dreaming your body’s systems are working to repair muscles, grow new tissue, and filter impurities. It can also reduce stress, help improve memory and maintain a healthy body weight.

To help with a regular sleep cycle, try maintaining a regular bedtime and stick to it, even on weekends. Consider a screen-ban in the bedroom to avoid the temptation of endless scrolling or Netflix binging. It is also a good idea to avoid large meals and alcohol in the evening hours. Best of all, getting some exercise during the day will help with getting a good night’s sleep, and that sounds like a win-win!

It’s amazing how a good sleep helps you every day

Taking the steps to a healthier lifestyle can be easy with a little planning and motivation. Let’s make 2023 the year to follow through on those fitness goals.

Make time for “Me Time” this year