Healthy tidbits to live by: part 1

Whether it's winter, summer, spring or fall, there is always something you can do to make your routine a bit better than the day before.

Let's start with a couple of ideas:

PopSugar Fitness provides great 10-minute workouts that whip you into
 shape quick.
photo: Screenshot

1. Make exercise part of your daily routine.
• Morning, noon or night, whatever works best for you, get that workout in. Don't push yourself so hard because then you'll end up doing more harm than good. If it's been a while since you've last worked out, start off easy. Lower the amount of weights you lift, lessen the amount of time you do cardio. Gently work up to it. When you start feeling like your workout is getting too easy and you can breath regularly without huffing and puffing, it's time to kick it up a notch. 
• Plus, if you're eating healthy and working out, you'll hop back in shape pretty dark quickly.
2. Eating healthy, for your body.
• I don't like saying "diet," because most think that it's eating less, but that isn't always the case. Sometimes it's just changing the way you eat. Cut out sugars, soda and fast food.  Eating sometimes can feel like a science, especially when you start reading what is actually in the foods you consume. 
• Don't freak, it's easy to do that, just take it easy. Don't beat yourself up if you slip up and have a cupcake or two, just accept it and move on. Add 10 more minutes on to your next days workout if it'll help ease your mind.

Don't over expose

My favorite sunscreen, organic, smells
 great and doesn't leave a weird residue on skin either.

 It's that time of year, the sun is hot, the grass is green, the beach and pool are calling your name.
Whether you decide to spend some quality time outside, or just travelling to and from work, don't fry your skin.

Lathering up on sunscreen daily is ultra important to your skin and body health. Protect yourself from getting melanoma, skin cancer. I've been reading more and more, in magazines, newspapers and online news articles, that people are being diagnosed with skin cancer at younger ages.

SPF & insect repellant = Summer perfection.

Soak in these tips before you head outside. 

1. Skip the tanning beds: Time in a tanning bed significantly increases your risk of developing skin cancer. Just don't do it. Embrace your lighter skin tone, and take care of yours if it's naturally darker.
2. Sunscreen and acne: Sometimes there are sunscreens that are so oily and greasy it's cringe-worthy slathering it on your skin, but there are tons and tons of different kinds that aren't so goopy feeling. Though spending a day in the sun dries out your acne, and it seems to be nice and smooth the next few days, the results of this dryness don't show up until a week or two later. Your skin might breakout even more, and the sun damage makes it harder for the pimples and dark spots to heal. 
• TRY: Elemis Aromapure, Vital Face Sun Screen (SPF 15)
  
3. Tan skin doesn't mean you can skip sun protection: The darker the skin, the more melanin you have, but that does NOT make you immune to sun burns. If you're concerned about not getting tan, try a self tanner, or find a place you can get a spray tan you'll like. And, it IS possible to find a self tanner that doesn't leave streaks.
4. Waterproof means waterproof: Of course! It means it will protect you while you're sweating and swimming, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have to reapply. Always reapply. Sometimes in highly populated areas you see  gloss of an oil like substance on the water's surface, there you have it, that's sunscreen. It will wash off. Apply at least 30 minutes before you get full on sun-exposure, and after you've been swimming reapply. What works best for me is, if I plan on being in the sun for four or more hours, I reapply every hour, depending on how much time I spend in the water.

Make measurable goals

It's after the holidays and we all may be just getting out of that holiday stupor. Feeling a little sluggish and getting back into that weekly or daily workout routine is harder.

Feeling that in-shape self you were before the grand holidays my be buried somewhere in there.

Well, let's see here, it's still there! Instead of setting a goal of, "I want to be in better shape by summer" set something more measurable. what I'm trying to say is to start with a short-term goal to help get you to the "I want to be in better shape by summer."

1.) Make your goal specific - "I want to run two miles in 20 minutes by March 5" - that's a 10 minute mile, totally do-able. You can do it.

2.) Make a plan of how you'll achieve this goal - "Go to the gym three to four times a week and run on the treadmill."

3.) Look outside the box - if you want to be able to run two miles in 20 minutes, look at what may be slowing you down. Time? Diet? Too many commitments? Narrow down your focus and find out where you can squeeze in some time.

4.) Write it down - write down your goal and post it somewhere visible. keep checking back on your status and motivating yourself in whichever ways you can!

Just be positive, it can be difficult at times, but keep your head up high.

Breathing in some good

Sometimes it's hard to think of breathing as something that can calm you stress levels down significantly. It's strange...But when you really think about it, breathing properly in a stressful situation can bring you a feeling of peace and put your body at ease.

Again, faithfully the Ellie Krieger articles have saved my stress levels and reminded me to breath properly.

After all, Ellie mentions that it's important to breath properly so that all of your cells get oxygen, and don't forget your brain too.

I don't know how to illustrate this post, so I hope it's not too wordy, but challenge yourself to a five minute breathing session. Be aware of your breathing and see what happens.

HYDRATION!

A while ago I wrote about how important it is to stay hydrated.
Again I'll stress it's importance. Especially when living in hot places, well anywhere it's important to drink water. Sometimes is hard and kind of a drag to carry around a water bottle, but you'll be thankful.

those of you athletes out there, peak performance is achieved also through being properly hydrated. I'm sure you know that, but Like me sometimes, it's hard to carry bottles on a long and strenuous hike, but that dry mouth feeling isn't fun, and getting light headed isn't safe either. Becoming dehydrated while working out decreases the body's ability to cool off and leads to heat exhaustion.

We also lose water through out the day, going to the bathroom, sweating and breathing, according to livestrong.com

OK even with losing weight. Drinking water and staying hydrated keeps the good ol' appetite in control. Water in your stomach makes you fuller.

For certain health conditions, it's important to stay hydrated. Kidney infections require a lot of water drinking and going to the bathroom, so do bladder infections or kidney stones. Kind of intense conditions, but it's good to know. I mean for other health conditions and just to stay healthy in general.