So many of us want to find ways to boost our physical and mental health. One way to do this is to incorporate more self-care and wellness practices into our everyday routines. Focusing on more than just our bodies, can be truly transformative and absolutely step up your fitness journey when done right.
But where do you start with self-care and wellness? And how do you incorporate more healthy activities into your day? With a topic as big and as broad as wellness it can be pretty confusing. We’ve picked out 5 easy and straightforward self-care activities we think will boost your fitness journey.
And the best part: they’re so easy you can get started today 👇🏼
#1 Go for a walk in nature
Walking is great for both your metal and physical health. It boosts your daily step count and energy burn, it helps digest food you've eaten and it clears your mind before or after a busy day. Now I’m not saying you need to find yourself in rolling hills and sprawling forests. Pick a local spot that’s easily accessible to start off with. Set a timer, pop your headphones in and enjoy the fresh air.
⭐️ Some of the benefits of walking include:
You boost your daily calorie burn. No need to get out of breath or sweating through your joggers – walking at your own pace still adds up. Research suggests that even adding 2000-3000 steps extra a day is a big boost to overall health.
It’s a change of scenery. Tired of looking at the same four walls of the gym? Shaking up surroundings is mentally stimulating as well as physically, encouraging you to keep up your training.
It gets you outdoors. We all know nature + fresh air can really enhance our mood and help clear our head after a busy or stressful day.
You can make it social. Instead of meeting at a coffee shop, try going for a walk and catching up with a friend. Exercising with others can really help motivate you.
It’s a great way to stay active on a rest day. Even though your muscles need rest between workouts, it can still be nice to get some movement and exercise in. This is where a brisk walk is good, while not overstimulating your muscles.
#2 Follow a daily stretch routine
As tempting as it may be to skip your stretches – don’t! Just like walking, stretching is a great way to clear your head and move your body without straining it or building up a sweat. A consistent routine not only boosts your wellness but also helps you perform better in your workouts with better flexibility and mobility.
⭐️ Let’s look at a few reasons why it pays off to stretch regularly:
It improves your flexibility. This helps protect from strains and injuries when working out. Simply put, the more flexible you are, the better you perform your reps.
It increases circulation. helps keep your body finetuned and can even kick some of those post-workout pains with better blood flow.
Stretching is a great way to de-stress courtesy of an endorphin rush, while also loosening tightly contracted muscles. In other words, whether you’re tensed up in any sense of the word, the perfect antidote.
Did you know: the trainn app is packed with easy follow-along stretch routines you can get stuck into right away. Download the app here and give it a go yourself!
#3 Prepare yourself for each week
Fail to plan, plan to fail.
It’s so easy to go weeks without having a proper plan, and suddenly realising months have gone by with no actual progress. Tracking your progress, reflecting over the past week, planning your next week and, most importantly, celebrating our success is something we really recommend, and a practice any good Personal Trainer will suggest.
⭐️ Here’s why planning ahead is amazing:
There’s no better way to encourage yourself than to see your progress. Tangible results remind you exactly why you started training.
You hold yourself accountable. You can tell what works and what doesn’t in your fitness regime, and if it might be time to shake things up.
It sets you up for a good week ahead. Reflecting over what might have gone wrong in the last week lets you correct any mistakes and overcome any obstacles. Planning the week ahead also helps set you up for a great week where you know what you’re going to do.
#4 Get enough sleep
We know… we’re repeating advice you’ve probably been given your whole life. And despite being the very opposite of working up a sweat, a solid sleep routine has to underpin fitness progress. Try to get 7-9 hours consistently each night – and avoid screen time immediately before bed, the blue light hinders you falling asleep.
⭐️ The top 2 benefits of getting enough sleep:
Sleep helps your body build muscle by releasing the hormones which grow and repair them post-workout. This is just as crucial as having recovery days for your muscle groups.
You passively burn calories by being asleep. And interestingly, your body also produces the hunger-suppressing hormone called Leptin when you’re sleeping. Not getting enough sleep however creates more Ghrelin, which means we feel more hungry the next day.
#5 Try to cook more from scratch
We’ll admit it – often it is easier to grab something quick and easy from the fridge, which might not be the most healthy or protein rich isn’t the healthiest choice. Even if it’s just 2-3 times a week, planning out and cooking a homemade meal from scratch is immensely rewarding, especially for your fitness journey.
⭐️ 4 reasons cooking from scratch is incredible:
No hidden ingredients: you know what’s in the food you eat, no added artificial ingredients, salt or sugar.
It makes it easier to track your nutritional intake if you’re in control of the recipe, such as adding up protein intake per portion. Gaining a stronger understanding of nutrition also makes it easier to make better meal choices.
Whole foods keep you energised and feeling full for longer. This is because of their high fibre content. It really pays off if you want to cut down on afternoon snacks and sugar cravings. on training days when you may feel a little demotivated and more likely to resort to snacking.
Balanced meals packed full of nutrition – not just protein – are essential to your body staying healthy and building lean muscle.
#6 Bonus tip: get a structured workout routine
Building a healthy routine and sticking to it long term is key to obtaining a healthy mind and strong body. It’s not just about what you do in the gym, but also outside the gym.
One of our favourite ways to gain structure with our healthy habits is to use the trainn app. It helps you generate a perfectly personalised workout plan and Wellness practices are at the heart of trainn, that’s why we encourages you to pick healthy habits each week with your Personal Trainer. Becoming your best self doesn’t start and end with picking up a weight or stepping on a treadmill.
Trainn’s personalised approach makes you feel in control of your fitness journey with the support of a personal trainer. With weekly check-ins you gain an overview of your progress and get held accountable with your results.
Click below to download and start your personalised fitness journey:
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