Want to maximize your health and fitness, right now? Try these 5 tips for radiant health:
Tip # 1: Silence
Sitting in silence, otherwise known as meditation, is an excellent way to relax, quiet the mind and reduce your stress level. Even taking one minute several times a day to sit quietly and follow your breath can do wonders for your overall health. Meditation interrupts the addiction to busyness and opens more space in your mind – so you have room for new ideas and creative inspiration.
Experiment with 15 minutes of silence, especially first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Close your eyes and just BE. If a thought comes to you, just observe it like a cloud passing by. Whenever you find yourself returning to thinking mode, gently bring your attention back to your breathing. Take slow inhalations and exhalations. Enjoy the silence.
Tip # 2: Stretch
Your body is designed to move in all directions throughout the day. Stretching helps to increase energy, improve flexibility and range of motion, reduce pain and relieve stress. Despite the overwhelming benefits of stretching for our bodies and minds, most of us stretch very little on our own. Let’s change that!
The best way to add a bit of stretching to your day is to start and end with it. If you try the 15 minutes of silence I mentioned earlier – first thing in the morning and last thing at night – you might as well combine it with some stretching. You can even do a bit of stretching while still in bed! Even just a minute or two offers massive health benefits for a flexible body and a flexible mind.
Tip # 3: Sweat
Sweating is critical for daily detox and radiant health. It’s estimated that an entire pound of waste is eliminated by the skin each day. Get your sweat on with some easy cardio moves such as a brisk walk around the neighborhood or jumping in place to one of your favorite songs. You can also get the juices flowing with an Epsom salt bath or an infrared sauna. Aim to get sweaty at least once a day.
Tip # 4: Superfoods
Maximize your nutrition by adding superfoods to your diet. Superfoods are nutrient-dense and give you more nutritional bang for your buck. Goji berries, cacao, aloe vera, noni, maca, spirulina and royal jelly are some of the most powerful, nutritious, mineral-rich superfoods on Earth. Consider how you might add one of more of them to your diet today.
Tip # 5: Silliness
By silliness I mean playful. How often do you jump up and down, skip all around or throw your arms up in the air like you just don’t care? Ever wonder why kids like to spin around and around until they practically fall over? Because it’s fun! What have you done this week that was purely for fun?
It’s time we stop taking things (and ourselves) so seriously. I dare you to suddenly start skipping. Or to laugh for no reason. Mix things up. Alter your routine. Tap into that childlike sense of wonder that is still inside you – even if it’s currently buried under your daily to-dos and obligations. Consider how you might incorporate some newness, fun and adventure into your day.
Want more tips for a lighter and brighter you? Check out my bestselling book Lighten Your Load: 35 Surprisingly Simple Ways to Free Yourself from Stress, Toxins and Clutter, available on Amazon here
