It’s time…

With summer months fast approaching, it’s time to get ready to get into that red special k swimsuit or for men swim shorts!! Lol!!  Yes it’s getting to be the time for beach weather soon, and so important to look your best!! You’ll probably agree, it’s been on your mind especially if you feel those extra pounds from winter hibernation!! So here are some helpful suggestions for you!!

Exercise- Walking

How many times have you said, “I have to join the gym” yup!! Or you have a membership and you feel guilty every time you go by!! If you have a membership and the gym works, That is great!! Keep up the great work!!

Here in Maine it is the best time to get out and enjoy nature!! Back home in Washington, not so much, its super dry hot and most people use their cars to get places.  California is another great state that encourages outdoor activity!! With Parks and walking paths in many locations!! I especially love the ones along the beach!! But nomatter where you live, it’s a wonderful thing to get yourself and your family outside even in the lower valley!!

Walking is such a wonderful activity!! There are so many good reasons to walk!! It’s not extremely hard to do..actually its easy and most importantly it is free!! You can just step outside and go no matter where you are.

For me I love the outdoors, hiking, walking and love love running!! Unfortunately I’m recooperating from a plantar plate tear so i have to walk for exercise these days!!! Also With a family walking is fun and healthy for everyone too!! we all enjoy it!!We are blessed to live in a town where we can hear the birds singing as we walk along the streets, we even have some wooded areas, a lake and rivers in our city!! The other day we heard a woodpecker on our walk!! It was Pretty cool!! I’m sure wherever you live you can find a nice place to walk too!

Walking Outside

I think its great to go out walk  10-20 mins is a doable goal. If your like me and like a point to walk to, one mile is a good start… to Find a mile near your house or work, we want to find a 1/2 mile. 1/2 mile over and 1/2 mile back.  I drive the 1/2 mile in my car checking the speedometer to tell me where that would be. If you want to venture on foot there are apps available to calculate steps and distances. Also my suggestion is to start with 1/2 mile but as you walks become regular you Can Increase the amount of time and miles you want to walk for.  Before my injury i was walking/jogging two miles!! Oh well things happen!! It is not hard to accomplish a higher goal. It is recommended that if you have health limitations or concerns please talk to your doctor before starting a new exercise program.

How often should you walk is up to you. If your new to exercising, once a week is a good start until your ready for more. You can gradually increase to every other day.. a good rule is if your breathing is ok and nothing hurts, you should be fine. If your walking with a friend, you should be able to hold a conversation easily.  But give walking for exercise a shot and I think you’ll find that you will love it!! Keep walking!! There are several ways to add alittle more exercise to your day; You can use the stairs instead of an elevator or even park your car further than you normally do to, these are just some examples of being proactive to move your body!!  walking intentionally is the best way to attain the most benefits, find a schedule that works best for you, Make sure of course you have proper shoes…Go For it!!  Good luck!!

Before and after pictures!

Im sure you’ve seen the fabulous transformations people attain from a change in their diet and excersise!! People take a picture of the before and after!! Well you can do The same!! Go ahead, nobody but you will have to see it!! It’s amazing how even small changes can create a big difference!!

Water

It’s So important to drink water! 8-10 cups a day is the recommended amount.  So fill those water bottles and drink up!! I find that people that carry thier water are more conscious of drinking. Also if you think in terms of how often you eat, make sure to drink to! I prefer drinking first thing in the morning and when I get home in the afternoon! It’s good to drink water for a variety of reasons!

Some important reasons to drink up!! Our bodies is made up of 60% water!! Our brain is actually made up of a large percentage of water, 70-80%  so in order for it to work properly we need to take care of it!! Also it’s the way our body excretes toxin, as well. These are just some of the reasons to drink water..

Also a lot of times we over eat because we are really just thirsty.  Our body is trying to make up for the need to drink water by taking it from our food!! Interesting right!! These are just a few reasons to drink water!! But most importantly it is good for our health And will help us drop some pounds!!

Cut down on sugar

Cutting down on junk food and sugar is another  important thing to do to be at a healthy weight!! Notice I said cut down!! If you can avoid it the results are better. I have seen friends who stay away and deprive themselves later to overdo it and overindulge. That can be so discouraging so It’s better if you could wean yourself off! Really anything good takes time. One thing that can help is to replace your sweets with something heathy like a fruit instead!! There are so many yummy fruit out there and low sugar dessert recipes 🙂 give it a try, you will start looking and feeling better!!

Add whole grains

adding whole grains to your diet is a wonderful thing!! When you prepare a meal especially pasta I recommend mixing half white and half wheat pasta, doing so  adds more grains to your diet!! The amazing thing is you’ll eat less and feel full!! It’s also good for your cholesterol levels as well!! There are so many yummy recipes out there.. I recently encountered brown basmati rice!! It’s faster to cook than regular brown rice and I love the Delicious flavor!!

So I believe anyone can live a more active, healthier lifestyle if you just give it a try!  Some practical things you can do is write out a walking schedule, plan to drink lots of water and eat healthier! You will be looking and feeling good in that red swimsuit or swim shorts in no time!!

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Hope you’ve liked this post!!  Like, comment and share away!! I’d love to hear your feedback and let me know how things are going for you!!  gisel