Summer is officially here. We have brighter mornings, lighter evenings, the warmer weather and luckily some exciting sporting events to watch this year. So why is this a great time to think about your fitness and health? With the extra light and opportunity to be outdoors, there are a lot more opportunities for you, which is easier to start now to get into routine. This is the time to maybe re-address the health goals or new year resolutions you set at the start of the year. Getting into gear now will help with your adherence when autumn kicks in.
At Ad-Lib Training we work with community activators to encourage local communities to get more active and to consider all elements of their health, whether that is physical or mental. To help you this summer we have come up with five health tips to get you back into physical activity this year. After the last 18 months, let’s find our mojo again.
1. We have some fabulous green spaces in the UK. There are physical and mental benefits to being with nature. Utilise what is around you. If you live in a hilly area, power walk the incline and get your breath back on the decline. If you have trees around you, change your speed of your walk when you get to each tree, some fun speed intervals. If there are roads to cross or traffic lights, squat when you are waiting at the side of the road.
2. Consider your sleep hygiene. Make the environment best for you and spend 5 minutes before bed focusing on slow breathes. Have all lights off, lay on your back and focus on deep breathing slowly, allowing thoughts to pass through the mind. Balance the inhale and exhale.
3. Drink more water. Stay hydrated this summer. As well as drinking more, introduce more watery foods like melon and cucumber to get more bonus points.
4. Get an average amount of time or steps you currently walk and add extra on. You can approach this in different ways. You can always park further away. You could change a drive into a walk or cycle. Is it possible to get your average time you walk or number of steps and add 20% extra on? For example, if you dog walk for 20 minutes, could you make it 24 minutes. If your daily steps are 8,000, try 9,600.
5. Did you know house tasks count as physical activity? Put your favourite dance track on whilst you dust around the house, your energy will pick up. Hoovering and gardening counts… These all add up to your moderate movement over the week.
Let us know how you get on or share your health tips with us. We would love to hear them.