Last updated on March 25th, 2013 at 02:51 pm
You know that feeling of satisfaction when you know you have taken care of yourself? Me neither. It doesn’t happen very often for me, and I’m guessing it doesn’t happen too often for you either.
Valentine’s Day is a perfect time to start a healthy habit. Getting started on a new habit can happen anytime, and no matter what your relationship status this Valentine’s Day, taking care of yourself is always a great idea.
8 healthy habits to start your day
1. Wake Up Early
Stressful mornings can lead to stressful days. Getting to your morning, even if it’s only 20-30 minutes earlier than you do now, can allow a smoother morning routine. That snooze button is very tempting, but you know starting your day calm and collected thanks to the extra time you’re giving yourself is worth it!
Anyway, each time you hit that snooze button, those spurts of sleep you do get only leave you felling more tired.
2. Breakfast. Take time to eat it.
All that great sleep you got isn’t enough to keep you going for your day. Your body needs to fuel up in order to get your metabolism going and help you get through your morning. It’s also a great way to prevent you from overeating through the day. If your routine includes a morning meal, you are more likely to manage your weight easier.
Choose something easy that is a combination of protein, whole grain and healthy fats. Greek yogurt (one of my favorites) with cereal and fruit, or a quick whole-grain toast with peanut butter and banana.
3. Just Veg Out
You’ve got breakfast down, now add some vegetables in there too! Getting your veggies are easy to sneak in. Add a few mushrooms and tomatoes to your morning egg scramble, or toss a handful of spinach in with your fruit smoothie. Trust me, you won’t even know it was in there.
If you start getting your vegetables in early in your day, meeting your quota of 5 per day gets a lot easier.
4. Take a Multivitamin
Your healthy eating choices get you closer to all the nutrients you need, and taking a multivitamin fills in the gaps just in case your food doesn’t cover all the bases. Taking your multivitamin with breakfast can help you avoid an upset stomach.
In my opinion, gummy vitamins do count!
5. Drink water
Taking that vitamin makes it easy to grab a glass of water first thing in the morning. Drink up a big glass of water and you can boost your metabolism for the day. Your fuel is depleted and you’re also mildly dehydrated.
Add this to your morning meal and you might start to notice your energy levels are higher in the morning.
6. Exercise. No really.
Yes, we are not all born loving the early morning hours. If you work out in the morning you get your day on track. You don’t have to worry about your schedule potentially interfering with an evening workout plan, and you’ll feel great about doing something good for your body while most people are still asleep! Your morning that starts with exercise will make it easier to make healthier decisions all day long.
After burning off all those calories, it’s really easy to bypass those office doughnuts.
7. Stretch out
No, stretching out back in bed doesn’t count, but if a workout doesn’t fit in your morning, try a simple stretching routine. It will get your endorphins and blood flowing, while centering your mind for the day. Stretching can act as your cup of coffee with no potentially jittery side effects.
8. Write it out
Your morning can be very hectic and scattered, and a great way to clear it up is by taking a few minutes to write down your morning thoughts. Need a boost to your self-esteem? Journaling has been shown to give you that boost, and is a dynamic way to work through issues or worries you are having. Jot down anything that pops in your head, and leave it there on paper.
Even if you just write your to-do list for the day, the process will help organize your thoughts before the day’s craziness takes over.
Give yourself some Valentine’s Day love
Have you tried any of these healthy habits yourself? Let us know how that’s going for you and share some of your favorites.
Go get your fit on – Heather
Heather Montgomery is a fitness writer, triathlete, and blogger who is devoted to sharing what she has learned about becoming a triathlete after age 40. She uses her Metabolic Training Certification to help other women struggling to get fit in mid-life. She lives and trains in Santa Rosa, California, the new home of the Ironman triathlon. You can find her biking the Sonoma County wine trails.
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