We all want to be our best, healthiest selves. However, with so much advice floating around, it can be difficult to choose which healthy living tips to try.
To make your life easier, we've put together our nutrition and fitness strategies to help you reach your goals.
Stay Hydrated
Whether you're headed to a spin class, boot camp, or another exercise class, it's always important to hydrate to stay motivated and have your best workout. But you don't want to grab anything for hydration purposes.
Electrolyte-loaded athletic drinks, for example, can be a source of unnecessary calories.1 So "drinking water is usually fine until you exercise for more than one hour," Jackie Newgent, RD, author of "The Big Green Cookbook," says Mpilo.
But if you are doing intense exercise for a long time, feel free to go for regular sports drinks. They can provide you with beneficial restorative energy—especially since they often include minerals, electrolytes, and sometimes vitamins.2
If you don't want the calories but want some flavor, there are low-calorie sports drinks available, adds Newgent, that you can find at the grocery store.
Find a Workout Buddy
A work buddy is great for keeping you motivated, but it's important to find someone who will encourage you—not discourage you. So make a list of all your friends who like to exercise, and see who fits the schedule, Andrew Kastor, ASICS running coach, told health professionals:
Can your friend meet for regular exercise?
Do they support (not discredit) your goals?
Will your bud be able to keep up with you or will it reach your limits in critical performance?
If you have someone who fits all three, call to start finding fitness programs together. But if you don't have someone close to you who can be your workout buddy, you may be able to find other ways to exercise with others.
You can check out a local gym or recreation center for more information about group exercise classes, personal training sessions, or fitness groups. You could ask your family members or friends if they know people who are looking for a workout buddy.
Stock Your Fridge With Healthy Food
Foods like fruits, vegetables, and lean meats can go a long way in your fitness journey.
There are also healthy snack options that you can use, such as hummus, grapes and walnuts, and apple slices with cheese.
Additionally, some key ingredients can make it much easier to meet your weight loss goals. During your next grocery run, you might also consider putting Newgent's top three ready-to-eat items in your cart:
Balsamic vinegar (adds a pop of low-cal flavor to vegetables and salads)
Nuts in the shell (their protein and fiber keep you full)
Fat-free yogurt (creamy, comforting protein source)
Plus, Greek yogurt also works wonders as a natural low-calorie base for dressings and dips—or as an alternative to sour cream," says Newgent.
How to Build a Great Grocery List for Weight Loss
Relax Those Achy Muscles
After a strenuous workout, you are more likely to experience sore thighs and tight calves.
Fortunately, you may find relief from post-exercise pain by using cold water immersion in the form of an ice bath. This involves submerging your lower body in cold shower water (50 to 59 degrees Fahrenheit; you may need to throw in ice cubes to get it cold enough) for 10 to 15 minutes.34
"Many elite athletes use this technique to help reduce pain after training," said Kastor. "An athlete training for an important race should consider one to two massages a month to aid in training and recovery."
Importantly, when a person immerses their body in cold water, doing so can lead to an increase in respiration, heart rate and blood pressure. The body can lose heat faster in cold water than in air.5
In other words, cold water can cause the body to work harder, which may not be good for certain health conditions. People should not use ice baths if they have the following conditions:
Cryoglobulinemia (a condition where the antibodies in the blood clot in the cold)6
Heart conditions
Incorrect circulation
Open the wounds
Raynaud's disease (a condition where blood vessels become narrow due to cold or stress)7
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
Cold temperatures may also worsen symptoms of dysesthesia (where normal stimuli, such as touch, are painful or uncomfortable)8 or lead to urticaria, or hives.9
To make sure ice baths are safe for you, talk to your healthcare provider if you're interested in trying this type of treatment.
Curb Your Sweet Tooth
Reducing sugar can help you lose weight—people who eat less sugar end up with less weight. 10
How Can Some Sugar Reduction Be Beneficial?
Reducing sugar, especially added sugar, can also help in the following conditions: 1112
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Tooth decay
Heart disease
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