Here are 10 I've been doing for healthy results during the January 2023 Fitness Challenge (100 crunches for St. Jude), and they are widely applicable to maintaining wellness:
Hydration
Hydration
I've been increasing my water intake and making sure that I'm hydrated before, during and after any workout. This also includes consuming hydrating foods like aloe, coconut water and fruits. Limit dehydrating activities.
Reduce Sugar, including alcohol.
Inflammation in the body manifests as bloating and swelling. Limiting excessive sugar helps maintain your body’s natural regulation of blood sugars.
I'm using natural sources of energy like Moringa and freshly juiced vegetables and fruit instead of sugary drinks.
Eating and Sleep
I am mindful of eating times throughout the evening and making sure that I'm getting all my meals finished well before sleep. I don't want my food sitting in my stomach or having my body partially digest food while I’m going to sleep. Having a consistent sleep routine - actually going to bed, and going to bed at the same time every night helps with metabolism and maintaining results.
Nutrition
Increased intake of a wider range of whole unprocessed fruits and vegetables, protein, and combinations of spices to help with absorption.
Smoothies and Juices help alot with digesting nutrients. Explore what compounds help your body absorb nutrients, build muscle and process protein.
Cardio
I’ve been supplementing my crunches with bodyweight exercises like jumping jacks, cycling or running in place and stretching. Finishing a workout with an ab workout is also nice. It's been said that you can't spot train muscles in the abdominal area, but I like my waist trainer because it keeps the temperature of my body in that area very warm, and that helps with the likelihood of having some fat loss happen in that area. In combination with the other exercise and dietary habits and nutrition, good results may follow.
Vitamins
It’s been a little hard to perform exercise at the end of the day, so I make sure that my energy levels are sustained by taking vitamins like B12, B6 vitamin d, multivitamins and some of the herbs that I drink in the form of tea including moringa. When reducing caffeine intake, a nap during the day might not be feasible----set a cap on when your last cup of coffee will be. A good time to stop is before 3pm.
Detoxification
Detoxification of all organs including the digestive tract keeps the body healthy. I drink antioxidant and anti-inflammatory teas. I like herbs that help reduce stress or help with energy. I also like any juices, fruits and spices that work to remove waste from the colon and mucus from the body. Vegans and vegetarian nutrition specialists know best when it comes to detoxing naturally, which should be done with care and proper guidance.
Protein
There are hundreds of different proteins which all have different functions in the body. Healthy sources of protein from food is the key to maintaining these processes. Protein from protein powders have a lot of minerals and vitamins that I can digest very quickly. Juicing raw fruits and vegetables helps with that. Protein shakes help me get as many calories as I can. I also like to explore different types of protein in their various forms/sources from sources like fish, poultry and limited types of red meat. Protein also helps with recovery.
Rest and Recovery
Rest is the elusive unicorn in adult life. Getting enough space between workouts can be hard. Even lightweight exercise, done with intensity, can be exhausting. The stronger you get the more you can do, but the space between workouts is just as important as the workout itself. Give your body and mind time to heal up, or else your body and mind will take your life from you.
Mentality on Fortitude.
Listen to as much motivational inspirational content as possible, at all times of the day---especially before and during workout, and especially before bed. listening to something during the workout can help sustain you.
Build up that fortitude in your mind so that whether things are dead silent around you, or full of chaos, you can still find a way to be rooted, focused, and self-motivating.