Reduce alcohol consumption, exercise, practice meditation, stay hydrated, take more steps, eat less meat and more vegetables, make conscious use of technology, eat less sugar, exercise stretches, go to bed earlier for a good night’s sleep, laugh often …
These are some of the habits that most medical, wellness, and psychology professionals recommend incorporating into our lifestyle to enjoy better physical and mental health, as well as some of the goals that are often part of the classic list of resolutions which we consider when a year is up to put it into practice the following year.
They are also the foundational axes of the “ plan to be happier, healthier and fitter, ” proposing a single challenge each month as described by the physician Jennifer Ashton, gynecologist and midwife, health representative of the American television network ABC News, in his ‘Book of Self-care’.
Whether you view these changes as healthy New Year’s resolutions, or if you decide to implement Ashton’s 12-month plan in 2021, it is in your best interest to follow the recommendations of this renowned American physician and popularizer to turn those health and wellness problems into habits for life.
Ashton (https://jenniferashtonmd.com) invites you to consider each month as a personal experiment and give yourself the opportunity to discover every day how to be the best version of yourself, with these tips to get, like him says, “easy to change and natural”:
1.- USE A WALL CALENDAR.
“Visualizing our progress will motivate us to successfully address our annual health and wellness challenges and help us turn them into lifelong habits,” said Ashton.
Explain that this little trick works like this: “Place a large wall calendar, the traditional one, in the most visible place on your floor (in the kitchen) and write down the drinks you drink each week, the number of steps you take, the days of meditation or the type and length of your ‘cardio’ gym sessions ”.
‘For example, you can quickly calculate how much alcohol you drank, how many days you exercised and what kind of training and how many days you did not meditate,’ he says.
“By recording our behavior in a visible place, we take responsibility for each of these practices every day,” he says.
2.- YOUR HEALTHY HABITS ARE PRIORITIES.
This doctor recommends viewing exercise as a non-negotiable part of the day, something that you simply “must do for your basic health and wellbeing, as necessary in your day as brushing your teeth.”
He also recommends applying the same mindset to habits like hydration, sleep and eating more vegetables, “everyday practices that should be just as essential as showering or getting dressed.”
“You never go to work without taking a shower and putting on the right clothes. According to the same ‘rule of three’, you shouldn’t let a day go by without trying to exercise, drink enough water, get enough sleep and eat more vegetables, ”emphasizes the Englewood-based physician (New Jersey, USA).
THINK YOU WILL ONLY WORKOUT FOR A FEW MINUTES.
“Whether we don’t have the time or don’t feel like it, trying to work out just five minutes on the treadmill or on the bike can have major benefits and change our mood and mind and encourage us to exercise longer,” said Ashton.
“For example, if you don’t feel like doing push-ups, convince yourself to do just one repetition. That’s better than doing nothing and you may want to do something else once you’ve started to take advantage of the fact that you’re already on the ground, ”he adds.
“The same goes for walking or physical activity: setting low expectations when you have little time or little motivation is one of the easiest and most effective ways to get started,” he emphasizes.
4.- FIND DELICIOUS ALTERNATIVES.
“If our challenge is to eat less meat and more vegetables, or to eat less sugar, it is vital to discover delicious and healthy alternatives so that we don’t become obsessed with what we can’t eat,” the report said. Doctor from Englewood.
Ashton notes that when he stopped eating red meat, he didn’t miss it after discovering smoked salmon with cream cheese, and acknowledges that he would have been much more successful in his low-sugar mission if he had some vinegar strawberries on hand. had had. balsamic vinegar when tempted by mouthwatering French pastry biscuits.
“The process of finding new foods that you may like as much as the foods you are trying to avoid is fun. You just need to focus on alternatives that are available every day, fit your budget and enjoy them, ”he recommends.
5.- USE VISUAL AID TO HELP YOU.
Dr. Ashton has a closet full of clothes and accessories, many of which change seasonally or as styles, but the only accessory that’s always there is her bright orange foam roller, which she keeps there. don’t forget to stretch, he says.
“Every time I see that roller, I remember how good stretching feels for me, and that’s why I take it off regularly. Each person can find their own visual cues that motivate them to maintain healthy habits, ”he adds.
6.- AND KEEP SMILING, ALWAYS AND FOREVER.
Ashton invites us to seek the joy of life and realize the ‘miracle that is our body’ everywhere, every day and in everything we do.
“One of the best promises and soothing to health in general is the happiness that is created from within, not external factors such as money or the success of your professional career,” he emphasizes.
“Recognizing what the incredible machine your body is doing one day after the other and thanking you for having it in that state, even if you want to strive for more, is cause for joy,” suggests this expert.
“There is always joy around you and in you. Take the time to find and celebrate them every day. This is my prescription for well-being, echoing the saying ‘Doctor, heal yourself’ ”, he concludes.