6EasySteps ToPut YouOnThePathToA Happier, Healthier, MoreActiveYou!
It’s that time of year again, the beginning of a new year when many of us feel compelled to make New Year’s Resolutions. What will be your resolutions towards taking care of your health? Will you set a goal to lose weight, exercise more, eat better and increase your activity level? Unfortunately, suchdeclarationsoften fail after a month or two. This can often be attributed to twothings:a lackofreadinesstoactuallychange bad habits and a pattern of setting unrealistic expectations. So what types of resolutions can we make that we’ll actually stick to? If you want to improve your health and increase your energy, here are some simple ways to change your lifestyle for the better. 1. Begin the day with protein. Eating protein for breakfast helps curb your appetitethroughoutthedayandtendsto improve your overall diet as well. While you may wind up consuming the same number of calories over a day’s time, you’ll be less tempted by high-fat snacks around dinner time. Keep in mind that thereareplentyofplant-basedproteinsavailable, including hemp seeds, black beans, almonds, edamame, and pumpkin seeds among them. 2. Limit your drinks. By this, we aren’t only referring to alcohol. Instead, try to cut back on the calorie-laden drinks popular this time of year. Concoctions such as sweetened coffee drinks, sodas, diet sodas and energy drinks can be detrimental to a healthy diet. Focus on a higher consumption ofwaterduring thedayand tomake iteasyhave a glass by your desk or carry a bottle around with you. 3. Try wearable technology. Research shows that people who use wearable technology,gadgetssuchasFitbits,Garmin,and Withings, tend to stick to their exercise routine
morefaithfully than thosewhodon’t.Withmany of them, you can trackyour heart rate, stepsper minute, sleep cycles, and more. 4. Increase Your Range Of Motion. Avoid shortcuts when it comes to exercising. Striveforusingthegreatestrangeofmotion.This may include making longer lunges, stretching arms more while jumping rope, or leaning over furtherduringyoga.Whatever thecase,doingso helpsyourmusclesdomoreworkper rep,which results inbreakingdownmore tissueby theend ofyourworkout. Ifyouhavedifficulty reachinga full rangeofmotion,orhavediscomfort,consult your physical therapist. 5. Reduce fatigue. Asanyonewhohastriedandfailedatestablishing a regular exercise routine can agree, fatigue is the number one enemy. To help combat this, drinkbeet juice.Studiesshowthat itcan increase staminabyup to16percent.Furthermore, listen to music that keeps you motivated. Listening to the right music can actually expand your bloodvesselsby26percent.Workonaschedule routine that ensures you get enough rest, exercise, and activity. 6. Switch it up. Ifyou’vebeenplugging through thesamefitness routinedayafterday,youmaynoticeareduction in strength gain. To avoid this, try different exercises, workingout at different timesof day, using different repetitions, or lifting different weights. As 2018 begins to unfold, consider ways to add healthy decision-making to your lifestyle. Remember that putting things off doesn’t get you to where you want to be. We are here to help you reach your goals and achieve a healthy, pain-free lifestyle. Talk to your physical therapist at our practice today, or schedule a consultation to make your 2018 the healthiest yet.
Patient Spotlights:
“They are wonderful.” “There is very, very little pain.They did a great job of showing me the right kind of exercises to do with hip pain. I will highly recommend them to anyone that needs therapy. They are wonderful. Thank you very much.” Mary B.
“I’m very satisfied with my results.” “80% better. Prompt service, I was never kept waiting. The staff is very courteous, professional and I’m very satisfied with my results.” Phyllis M. www.innovativeptsolutions.com
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