If you have been following my writing, you have seen by now that I am quite committed to regular exercising, which is the result of improving my health steadily since my childhood and working at Olympic Games.
Because I believe in giving our best at different areas of our lives: career, relationships, physical fitness and community I have realized that when heart, brain and body are balanced, our energy level is less likely to oscillate; our focus is clearer and we are more content about small things that make life so beautiful.
Below I share with you precious strategies that helped me go miles from not exercising at all to becoming content with my body and life most of the time.
Just decide.
No matter what your current health challenge is: removing extra lbs, improving your posture, building your muscles, calming your mind, in order to achieve your ultimate goal, you should take the first step.
And the first step, in case you have not been exercising at all is to set a plan where you will exercise the realistic number of times per week.
It may be just two times, or three or a bit more. But remember, as a complete novice, you will spare yourself of disappointment if you are not cruel to yourself, saying things like, ''It's over...No more cake for me... and now I will eat only salads and go to the gym five times a week.'' Because if you are too strict to yourself, your will-power will get knocked down at the very first attempt to change something and it will be very difficult to get up from the floor.
That is why you should do what is possible to accomplish - build the habit of exercising and cultivate the spirit of eating healthy gradually, day after day. Also, allow yourself to have small guilty pleasures. A piece of cake once in a while or sleeping longer in bed is completely ok when you have been maintaining schedule 80% of the time or even more.
Consult with best professionals you can find.
At every stage of our lives we get to meet different teachers who help us benefit from some life lessons. Some people come and go. Some people stay with us for a lifetime. Some people remain until we learn exactly what we were supposed to. For that very reason we tend to bump into the same kinds of relationships, same career situations, or family scenarios.
But when we expand our consciousness and engrave new habits into our daily routines, we become masters of previously difficult situations. Then we are ready to move on to the next level of the game called life.
Let me ask you one question, what would happen if you choose several professionals to become your coaches for the areas you need in particular?
I made friends with a fascinating female trainer whose energy and thinking strongly resonate with me. In order to improve my physical fitness even more, I took a bioimpedance test which results are recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
She measured my height, weight, waist, hips, pulse, as well as the ratio of muscles and fats (both visceral and bad ones) in my body. Then I actually did a short training for different body parts so that she can calculate the muscle strength of my upper and lower part of the body; as well as stomach, shoulders and arms.
Another parameter: the elasticity can be best improved if I take yoga classes more frequently, while my basal metabolism is faster than average, which allows me to eat more frequently, but I should stick to smaller portions.
It is possible that my pulse was a bit higher because I did several errands before arriving rapidly at the fitness centre, but we can always track it ourselves with some of the finest pulse oximeters.
My performance in the test is a guideline to my trainer and myself to create the program of exercises I will undertake every week. It makes me at ease and excited to know that my body is healthy as it is, but with slight adjustments in fitness routine and nutrition the results will be even better. We will see improvement when I re-take the test in 3 months.
Thanks to the positive aspirations of people willing to protect their health, the medical profession becomes more and more sought after. Those who are inclined to build their career around catering to the needs of other people should look at the pros of the medical profession and, why not, even become a registered nurse.
There can be numerous reasons for making such a choice. The future medical staff will engage in more analytical tasks such as monitoring patients and their vital signs, analyzing their test results and medical records; as well as showcasing a more nurturing side of their behavior such as educating patients about treatments and administering medication for them.
Treat your body as a temple.
I know it may sound strange, but I am curious to ask you a question. How often do you say, ''Thank you!'' to your spine or other body parts?
Several months ago, inspired by motivation and meditation techniques of Tony Robbins, as well as my yoga and tango teachers, I started to pay more attention to my body parts and to refocus my energy when I noticed that some area is locked with tension or tingling sensation.
As simple as that, I believe that relaxation and alpha state are natural conditions for humans instead of constant stress.
I also believe that in a daily grind it is impossible to spend a lot of time taking care of ourselves because we juggle multiple roles, as we build our careers and meet people with various energy levels.
One of two strategies that gave me a quantum leap, but requires less than ten minutes is doing exercises for my back first thing in the morning and meditating. I set my intention for one major goal that I want to achieve, put blessings on all the situations and people I will encounter throughout the day, as I screen with gratitude all my organs and body parts from the tip of my toes to my hair.
Be gentle to your spine.
I would also advise you to invest in massage at least once a month. We all sit too long in front of our computer screens, forget to take a walk for several minutes or we do not invest in comfortable chairs that put our spine in the adequate position.
Going to a relax massage and also a chiropractor once a month will give you a huge boost of energy; it will teach you to love yourself as somebody else takes care of you and helps you make a transition from back and neck pain to life pleasures.
Think about your posture every second and improve it if it is not the very best version of you. What stops you from walking like a supermodel?
Just the habits that need to be changed and in the first section of this text we learned how. In case your state is a bit more acute, consult with the medics you trust and try out some posture correctors.
Right now to increase my level of mindfulness I research more about The Alexander Technique and encourage you to do the same.
"The Alexander process shines a light on inefficient habits of movement and patterns of accumulated tension, which interferes with our innate ability to move easily and according to how we are designed. It's a simple yet powerful approach that offers the opportunity to take charge of one's own learning and healing process, because it's not a series of passive treatments but an active exploration that changes the way one thinks and responds in activity. It produces a skill set that can be applied in every situation. Lessons leave one feeling lighter, freer, and more grounded."
Here is one more thing which I learned at the unexpected place, during my nail polish beauty treatment. The lady next to me was telling us how she invested in a premium Italian mattress and pillows which completely rejuvenate her during the night. With a bit of thinking about your quality of sleep and shrewd budgeting, you may choose the best mattresses for back pain.
Make a feast of your eating habits.
We are what we eat and the good news in the 21st century is that this is the era with endless nutrition options to pursue.
Anna Almendrala, Huffington Post Senior Healthy Living editor, has identified in an incredibly viral text what the healthiest diets in the world have in common. She has compared and contrasted Mediterranean, New Nordic Diet, Traditional Okinawa and Traditional Asian Diet, as well as French Paradox Diet and her text available here is definitely worth your time.
You expand your comfort zone on ongoing basis when you embark on a journey of eating new kinds of food, as well as optimizing the size of your portions or the ratio between carbs and proteins.
Just think about it: What would have happened if you had decided to make a small effort and every week you tried one new piece of food you have not tried before? To which extent you will become more creative and healthier because of this simple habit?
And what would happen if you prepare the healthy meal for an upcoming day as one of the first things in the morning? In order to avoid the decision fatigue that comes with the question, ''What am I supposed to eat today?'' you can actually mix up different kinds of food that you store in bowls, jars and on the plates.
If you are into squeezing out freshness out of fruits you like, kitchen juicers on this list are the perfect choice for you. In addition to this, maybe you prefer making smoothies both as a breakfast option or a healthy potion after a rigorous fitness regime.
There are numerous smoothie makers you can opt for and in the end the ingredients you put inside of it matter most as you want to achieve the effect of wellness and deliciousness.
Several days ago after a very competitive training I decided to treat myself with a protein-rich hand-made sandwich where they combine many vegetables, several kinds of cheese and tasty meat. This situation reminded me of my practice: I tend to prepare meals in advance as much as I can.
I carefully package the food while I ensure that the quality is well-preserved. One of the tools which can help tremendously in this kind of household activities is the vacuum sealer. These kinds of sealers are used to save the quality food for extended periods of time and make it more secure for shipping.
Protect yourself from allergies.
Now that you are closer to mastering your body physique and your nutrition, it is important to pay attention to the nuances around you such as allergens which may influence you in a negative way.
According to The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology around 50 million people in the United States, i.e. about one in five have allergies and they are identified as the main cause of illness in the US. What we eat, what we wear and what we are exposed to in our homes makes us more susceptible to allergies.
This summer I consulted with a dermatologist due to slight changes on my skin upon eating certain food. I got valuable advice about the kind of cotton and natural textiles I should wear, as well as, about the body lotions and other personal care items that may suit me better as they were prepared by medics and pharmacists, not the experts in beauty industry and marketers.
Yet these are just some of the factors we need to tackle: the clothes we put on ourselves and the food and beverages we consume. Then what happens when we want to decrease the likelihood of allergy by cleaning and adapting our home additionally?
It may be the case that we are not satisfied with the quality of air and ventilation around us, especially when a lot of cooking and smoking takes place on a regular basis. If this is the case, the probability of allergies increases unfavourably and one of the best solutions are air purifiers for allergies.
Then there is vacuum cleaning of the house, which may be perceived as a regular fitness routine, but not surprisingly, most of the time it is frowned upon and delegated from one family member, roommate or spouse to another one.
Although we all spend significantly more time on household chores, including cleaning, instead on pursuing our hobbies, there are more strategies than ever before to make such activities pleasant. For instance, a website like this which lists all outstanding vacuum cleaners is an excellent starting point for those of us who want to win the war over allergies and other situations that do not bring joy in your household.
Now that you have seen on what a journey we embark each time we decide to bring a positive habit into our lives, you hopefully feel more compelled to move from the earlier version of you into more exciting future. The good news is that once you forget being judgmental, you get to enjoy the ride called life to the fullest.