Improve Your Health Habits: 10 Simple Ideas for a Healthier You

With the arrival of September comes change – warm summer days turn to crisp fall ones, the kids go back to school and we find ourselves getting back into a regular routine. Over the summer months we often get caught up in the “lazy” days of summer – letting go of our weightloss and nutrition goals, morning routines and health habits. Whether you decide to change your exercise routine, rework your diet or just give yourself some more “me” time, September is the perfect time to do it. To help you get back on the road to wellness, we’ve created this checklist of daily health tips. These ideas are simple, cost little to no money and will help you get the most out of life!

Change Your Life: 10 Awesome Daily Health Tips for Wellness

1. Start your day off right with a 10 minute morning ritual

Spending a little quiet time on your own in the morning can do wonders for your mind and body. If you can, try working out in the morning. If this doesn’t work with your schedule, then just make sure you get at least 10 minutes to yourself every morning, whether it’s quiet time with a coffee and the newspaper, a short walk in the neighborhood or time spent writing in a journal – do what works best for you and makes you feel good. Doing so can help reduce the stress hormone cortisol in your body, which is at its peak first thing in the morning.

Take some time out of your day and just get creative! Take on a fall DIY project like pumpkin pie inspired potpourri. Not only will you feel more relaxed, but your home will smell great too! Fall and pumpkins go hand in hand so it’s only fitting that you create a potpourri inspired by the smell of pumpkin spice. Try creating this mix to freshen up your room and brighten up your fall table:

• Dried apple slices
• Dried orange slices
• Whole nuts (with shells)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Whole cloves
• Juniper berries
• Dried rose hips
• Laurel (bay) leaves
• Pine cones
• Essential oils: 2 drops of cardamon, 2 drops of orange, 5 drops cinnamon, 1 drop clove, 1 drop nutmeg

Directions:

Place everything (except the essential oils) into a big mason jar. Sprinkle with the essential oils and gently mix. Place in small bowls to display or wrap it with a bow as a gift.

3. Escape from your comfort zone

We all get into a routine and often have a hard time getting out. It’s easy to get into a rut and do the same thing, day in and day out. Not trying something new every once in a while can make us unhappy, bored and unmotivated. To make sure you don’t lose that zest for life, make a point of trying a new activity when you can, maybe even as often as once a month. This can be as easy as trying a new way of cooking, taking up a new hobby or attempting a new form of exercise. Trying something new will help you feel more confident and ensure you stay out of that rut!


4. Moresleep please!

Sleep is super important for so many reasons – a lack of sleep can cause depression, weight gain and stress. Try getting a minimum of 8 hours, or enough to the point where you are waking up at the same time each day without the use of an alarm clock. With enough sleep, you’ll be more than ready to tackle the day ahead.

5. Stretch that body!

You don’t have to become ayoga enthusiast to reap the benefits of a good stretch. Try incorporating a few dynamic stretches or yoga poses into your daily morning routine. Doing so will help reduce cortisol levels in your body so you can start your day off right. If you can, try taking a yoga class. Don’t be intimidated by the various poses – anyone can do it and the benefits of taking a class are great for both body and mind.  

RELATED:How to Do Yoga: A Routine for Beginners

6. Power down for 24 hours

As hard as it may sound, turning off all electronics and doing a digital detox (where you turn off all smartphones, tablets, laptops and computers) can do wonders for your mind and spirit. Try completing a digital detox for a minimum of 24 hours for up to 72 hours (or more if you can do it)! This will help you recharge, rest and allow you to spend more time doing the things you love with the people you love.

Even getting up 30 minutes earlier each day can help you get some exercise in before your day gets too busy. Try going for a quick jog orrun, complete a short circuitworkout with weights at home or do a yoga or pilates routine. By getting up and getting active first thing in the morning, you’re boosting your serotonin levels which provides energy to your body and helps you focus on the day ahead. It can also give your metabolism a much needed boost to help you manage your weight. For a quick breakfast or snack after your workout, try these deliciousgluten-free raspberry rhubarb muffins that are low in calories!

Any good workout requires a good sports bra so make sure you have one that supports you and the girls.Shefit's Ultimate Sports Bra for big busts gives you a customized, adjustable fit for maximum comfort and support.

RELATED:How to Increase Your Core Flexibility: Pilates for Beginners at Home

Consider doing a full sugar detox, for at least 1 month or more if possible. Eating too much sugar can do serious damage to your health, leading to weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and can put you at risk for diabetes. In some ways, eating too much sugar is just as bad as smoking cigarettes. Instead, try this simple3 Day Juice Detox Diet to get you started and help you with your weight loss plan.

9. Give Forest Bathing a Try

This might sound like a bizarre tip but hear us out – this practice has been going on for decades in Japan and has become a cornerstone of preventive health care and healing in Japanese medicine. And no, it doesn’t involve actually taking a bath (with soap and water) in the forest. Rather the practice is used as a way to harness the health benefits of being outdoors. The idea is simple – visit a natural area, walk around, take deep breaths and take in all that nature has to offer. Spending some time in a natural environment like the forest has been linked to lower stress levels, improved working memory, improved mood and increased energy levels.

That before bed snack you love so much is actually doing more harm than good. Eating more calories at night can lead to obesity, increased inflammation and put you at greater risk for heart disease and diabetes. That doesn’t mean you have to give up your after dinner snack for good (especially if you eat dinner early or have a light dinner), just make sure it’s a healthy snack and that you don’t eat it too close to bedtime.

RELATED:10 Easy Ways to Stop Late Night Snacking For Good!

Thebenefits ofsmall,simple, healthy changes to your lifestyle are endless. You’ll notice lower stress levels, increased energy and an increased sense of self and well-being. And who doesn’t want that? Putting more effort into your ownwellness can create lifelonghealth habitsthat are sure to increase your zest forlife! And what’s more theseideas don’t have to cost a lot of money, take up a lot of time or even require a lot of skill – that’s because wellness, just likeexercise, is something we all have access to if we choose. So iflosing weight, betternutrition and increase overallwellness are what you’re after, try thesedaily health tipsforwomen – and make the choice to take care of you!