With only a couple of weeks left of our 'Winter Body' season, it seems appropriate that we discuss the three components that need to be considered in your quest for a 'Winter Body'. The first of the three components is exercise.
Exercise
Towards the end of last year there seemed to be a worrying trend in articles about exercise being pointless, because the amount of calories you burn, in say 30 minutes on a treadmill, does not greatly exceed the amount you burn in the same period when going about your everyday activities. It didn't make for good reading and just seemed irresponsible for writers to be portraying exercise in anything but a positive light. Since when was exercise only intended as a method of burning calories anyway?
Exercise can take so many different forms and must become a part of your daily routine in order for a 'Winter Body' to be achieved. The benefits of regular exercise stretch way beyond simply burning calories. Team sports can help build friendships, reinforce working relationships, and help to boost confidence and self esteem in individuals. Exercise also releases chemicals in your brain that fight stress and make you feel happier. It can even help to restore your longevity genes, that will keep you looking younger and potentially extend your lifespan.
Remember, exercise isn't something that takes place exclusively at the gym. Here are a few ideas for making exercise seem less daunting, that can easily slot into you daily routine!
Cycle and walk more
When you are only making short journeys, try leaving your car at home and walking or using a bicycle instead. One brisk walk or trip out on the bike everyday is enough to increase your heart rate, warm up your muscles, and release chemicals in your brain that will improve your mood.
New sport or activity?
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| There are so many fun activities to try |
Why not take up a new sport? It could be an individual one, or a team sport. Think about a sport you may of always wanted to try, or perhaps one that you used to play and regret giving up. There is no time like the present!
Stretch more!
Have a stretch at every opportunity you get. You don't need to always get psyched up and change into tracksuit bottoms or shorts to do a bit of exercise. Many off us spend the majority of the day sat behind a computer, quite often in unnatural positions that create stress on our bodies, and cause negative changes in our posture that can lead to serious muscular and skeletal conditions. Whenever you get the chance; stand up, take some deep breaths, and stretch your muscles out.
Nutrition
This is probably the most important of the three 'Winter Body' components. Nutrition is not only essential for life: nutrition is life. We really are what we eat! We are also what we drink, what we supplement, and of course what we allow to diminish through are lifestyle choices. From the building blocks of protein and fat, right through to the micronutrients, nutrition determines so much of our lives. How heavy we are, how much energy we have, and how well our brains are working. Even our sex lives are influenced by nutrition!
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| Some Good Lingonberry Powder, cucumber and lemon water |
Drink lots and lots of water
Yes, you've heard this before ... But it really is the most important thing you can do for your overall health. Drink as much as you can everyday, but try and consume the bulk of it in the morning.
If you want to add some colour, a bit off flavour, plus some serious power to you water, why not add a couple of slices of lemon, cucumber, and a spoonful of Lingonberry Powder to it. The lemon will enhance your enzyme function, stimulating your liver and helping it flush out your toxins, whilst the super high levels of antioxidants in the Lingonberry Powder oxidise the free radicals in your body which stops them damaging cells.
Supplement
Make sure you get the amount of minerals that you need, not that someone somewhere suggests you need. We are all different, and while some people may only need a certain amount of something to feel and function well, other people might need more. Try different supplements for a month at a time and see how they make you feel. You might get a big surprise. Be careful of the amount of Vitamin A you take (you can get enough for a day in one carrot, and too much isn't great for our bones), but apart from that, you can usually tell if you have had too much of a certain vitamin or mineral.
Listen to your body
This is relevant to all of the 'Winter Body' components. Your body is amazing! It does extraordinary stuff that keeps you alive every minute of the day. Your body will tell you if you've done too much, not slept enough, ate too much or not enough. You just need to trust in it!
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| Raw Spiced Fig Tarts by Ellie Bedford |
Eat Raw
Try and have a few raw meals a week, whether that be in the form of a juice or a full solid meal. Here are four steps to help you introduce raw food into your life, courtesy of author, Tanya Maher, writer of 'The Uncook Book'.
Go meat free once a week
This is often something that carnivores don't like hearing, and although we are not in the habit of preaching veganism or vegetarianism to anyone; we like arming people with facts so sensible dietary decisions can be made: for us that means reducing meat intake, not necessarily cutting it out altogether. Give it a go one day a week. It's good for the environment, will reduce your cancer risk, and you might even find you have a lot more energy.
Relaxation
Relaxation is the final component of a 'Winter Body', and no less important the other two. Without the ability to relax; happiness, or at least contentment is not easy to achieve. The stresses of modern life takes its tole on our bodies and minds, and the vast majority of us never really take a break from it. We sit in front of a computer all day looking at a screen, only to return home and look at another one until we go to bed. Some us spend the day working outdoors in the cold, occasionally lifting weight not much lighter than our own bodies. When work ends, instead of trying to rest the mind and body, we buy a pack of beer and switch on the Playstation, or go to the pub and drink a bottle or two of wine. There is of course nothing wrong with any of these things; but if we never switch off, we are never properly rested, therefore we never experience true relaxation.
Shut down your screen 30 minutes before bed
Most of us use our mobile phones and watch the television right up to the point when we decide it is time to go to sleep. Many of us also complain of waking up in the night, or not being well rested ... coincidence? Even if you consider yourself somebody who sleeps well and never complains of tiredness, just try it. You might find out you feel a whole lot better. At worst you've given your eyes a slightly longer rest.
Yoga
Not only is it great for relaxation; it is fantastic for maintaining flexibility. Hollywood stars, Julia Roberts, Charlize Theron and Demi Moore all appreciate the value of yoga, and there is no doubt that the secret to Ryan Giggs' 23 season, pretty much injury free career in top flight football was aided by regular yoga practice. There are many different styles of yoga, but it is likely that you will be able to find a class to suit you somewhere fairly close to your home, as there are classes for every level of ability dotted about in towns and cities all over the World.
Take a deep breath
Focusing
on the way that you breath is the key to relaxation. Deep abdominal
breathing encourages full oxygen exchange, which slows the heart rate
and lowers blood pressure. Try focusing on your breathing a few times a
week and see how it makes you feel. Meditation techniques don't have to
be done on a yoga mat in a candlelit room, or under the stars on a
clear night. Next time you feel tense and stressed at work, try taking
10 deep breathes, relax your shoulders and try and clear you mind; even
if just for a minute. These little techniques are seriously powerful!
Add them to your daily routine and you will feel better.
For
more information on relaxation and the secrets to happiness, check out
this inspiring book written by The Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, titled 'The Art of Happiness'.
We hope you have enjoyed reading some of the posts in our 'Winter Body' season, and now have a greater understanding of what we mean by the term, 'Winter Body'.
If
you want any more information on nutrition or any of the subjects we
have discussed in this series, please feel free to get in contact with
us at www.some-good.com
Keep
your ear to the ground for some fantastic new natural health solutions
we are getting ready to launch later this year. Thanks for reading.
