Tag: physical

Ways to improve your physical health

As we approach the new year, and with it , New Years Resolutions, it’s time to think about how you can improve your physical health. I’m a firm believer that you have to think of the body holistically, and to be the healthiest version of you mentally, emotionally, etc, that you need to be the healthiest version physically as well. But where do you start? Here are a few thoughts…

Start with natural movement. What do you do in everyday life? Squat (like when you’re going to sit in a chair or on the toilet), deadlift (like when you’re picking up groceries), do farmers carries (like when you’re carrying those groceries inside), overhead press (like when you’re picking your kids up over your head), do sit-ups and Turkish getups (like when you’re getting up off the floor), etc.

Change the variety, volume, and frequency of your movements. Sometimes do light weight (or body weight) for high reps. Sometimes do heavy weight for low reps. Change how often you’re working – whether that’s changing rest periods in between sets or occasionally throwing in a second workout for the day. Keep your body guessing – but don’t do things on a whim. It should still be structured/be according to a plan.

Change your movement types. Jump, crawl, run, hang, push, pull, twist, walk, run, climb, carry, improve your combat/self-defense skills, and practice swimming or being in the pool.

Be barefoot outside. Get dirty. Workout in cold weather and warm weather. Work out for functionality, not just for aesthetics. Work out for utility and longevity.

Strengthen your ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and neck.

Do yoga (isometric holds, stretching, balance).

Do an obstacle course or make your own version…practice on the balance beam, monkey bars, and agility ladder. Use 5-gallon buckets for carries, go over short walls to hurdle or flip over, tall walls to climb, have a sprint zone, a bear crawl/crab walk zone, 5-cone agility, pull-ups, squats, pushups, handstand holds/pushups. Go ruck in the woods.

Lastly, to make sure your body has enough energy to do all of this, get enough quality sleep, drink enough water, and focus on eating a good/clean diet.

How to stay healthy: 10 things to focus on everyday for your healthiest life.

How do you stay healthy?

1. Stay adequately hydrated. This will help you feel more alert and awake, it will help your body feel better (and more your joints lubricated), and it will help your kidneys.

2. Eat a healthy diet (varied color and type of fruits and vegetables each day; different protein sources each day). The cleaner you eat, the better you feel. Aim for a good variety so you aren’t missing any key nutrients. Take a multivitamin as a true supplement (it’s meant to add to your dietary success, not to be your dietary success).

3. Live a healthy lifestyle (minimize sitting; do meaningful exercise at least 30-minutes per day…do something physically and mentally challenging every day). Be outside – get some sunshine (vitamin D).

4. Maximize quality sleep. A high quantity of sleep can be helpful, but why sleep more than you need to? At that point you’re literally sleeping away time in your day, and time is the most important and scarce non-renewable resource we have. Focus on getting just the right amount of good sleep.

5. Interact with someone you care about each day AND treat them well. Be generous. It will help you mentally and make others feel good too.

6. Forgive yourself and don’t sweat the small stuff. In the grand scheme of life, it probably doesn’t really matter.

7. Be interested/learn something new every day. When you stop growing or getting excited to learn, you slowly start dying and becoming less interested.

8. Be involved with a good church (or other positive community). See, talk with, and interact with positive people in a positive environment often.

9. Spend less than you earn. Automatically set aside money to “pay yourself first” and invest. This will help you feel less financial stress and allow for you to spend on things you actually care about.

10. Have long-term goals. You should always be striving to improve yourself.

Increasing your capacity

Work on increasing your different types of capacities…

⁃ Physical: Build a strong, healthy body so that you have the energy and strength to tackle projects and obstacles

⁃ Mental: Build a strong mind by reading books/articles, listening to books/podcasts, attending seminars, and surrounding yourself with others who are smarter/have more experience than you. Prepare your mind to become great at problem solving. Make sure you always remain teachable.

⁃ Emotional: Get used to “failing” and being told “no.” Learn from those mistakes to get better. Strengthen your resolve and do not be discouraged when things don’t go your way.

⁃ Time: Everyone has 24 hours in a day. Automate tasks which need to be done, eliminate tasks which don’t, and delegate tasks which cannot be automated, but aren’t the best/most productive use of your time. If you try to do everything, you will always be stuck doing everything. Learn to delegate tasks that are not necessary for you to do. These can be things that you’re good at, but don’t enjoy doing OR things that you’re not good at and don’t enjoy doing. Teach/train others how to do those tasks well and they will be an extension of yourself! Then when they outgrow that task/position, have them teach/train others to become extensions of themselves! The growth compounds exponentially AND it frees up your time to focus on more impactful activities that only you can do.

The easiest way to become healthier

If you want to be healthier, reduce the barriers that you have in front of improving your health. Don’t keep junk food in the house. Cool your meals instead of going out to eat. Keep your workout clothes close to your bed and work out early in the day. Start off each day by eating healthy food for your first meal. Gain momentum by doing the right thing early and often…then you’ll be less likely to want to squander what you’ve already done as the day goes on.

Another way to think of this is that most of the time, we try to go the path of the least resistance. If there is an easier, more convenient option, we go with it. So make the healthier way the easier way and you will take that option/make that choice more often.