Do your New Year’s health-related resolutions need a kick start? Implementing major life changes can oftentimes be difficult in the midst of the cold, bitter months of the year. Although, as the saying goes, spring is the season of new beginnings!
This season can be a great time to reevaluate where you are with your health-related goals or maybe give yourself the refresh that you may need. Spring into health this season by rethinking your diet, physical activity, sleep routine, and so much more! Here are a few tips to get you started:
1. Get outside and get moving. There’s no debating the health benefits of physical fitness and being outdoors. So why not combine the two? By exercising outdoors, you are getting numerous benefits in return. For example, you’ll get a harder workout as your body encounters a constantly changing environment, you’re exposed to cleaner air, you’ll get your daily dose of vitamin D, and you’ll also be exercising your mind as you have to be aware of the constantly changing terrain.
2. Stay hydrated. When it’s warmer outside, your body can lose more moisture through sweating, even if you don’t feel it. Dehydration can pose serious health risks if severe — and even if you’re just mildly dehydrated, it can cause fatigue, low energy, and headaches. To help prevent dehydration, it’s important to take proactive steps to drink enough water throughout the day. You can start now by keeping a water bottle handy at all times.
3. Fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables. Spring and summer are a great time to incorporate more fresh, in-season fruits and vegetables into the diet. Warmer weather produce, like mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, and berries, are all packed with micronutrients the body needs and thrives on.
4. Reset your sleep schedule. If dark, cold winter days have thrown your sleep schedule off track, use spring as a reset. Get rid of the gadgets right before bad, as they trick your brain into thinking it’s time to wake up. Also, shy away from exercising or eating large meals within two hours before bedtime, avoid alcohol for at least four hours before bed, and try to rid your afternoon of any caffeine.
5. Be mindful of opportunities to overindulge. Warmer weather often brings outdoor gatherings like picnics and barbeques, which can come with unhealthy foods like grilled and processed meats and fatty snacks. You don’t have to forgo these foods altogether, but look for leaner meat and poultry options and avoid fried snacks and fatty dips, so you can help reduce your intake of artery-clogging unhealthy fats.
6. Watch for allergens (both indoors and outdoors). Springtime brings a spike in outdoor allergens like pollen, but it’s also a good time to minimize your exposure to allergens indoors, where most of us spend a lot of our time. Try spring cleaning your home by vacuuming your rugs and carpets, deep cleaning of any dust, and wiping down any surfaces. If you experience outdoor allergies, it could be a good idea to reduce your effective exposure level by using a nasal saline solution or pay extra close attention to the air quality in your area (you can check alerts from the National Weather Service).
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