Baby Steps for Optimal Health

By Donna Stark

Are you looking to get fit and improve your health over the next couple of months? Don't overwhelm yourself! The best way to start your fitness journey is to make your health a priority and to start off slow and steady. Small changes are usually the habits that end up sticking and can be the ones that make the biggest impact on your overall wellness. So begin this journey with baby steps, because in no time at all, you may end up feeling as if you have taken leaps and bounds toward optimal health and wellness.

Baby Steps for Optimal Health

To make significant and longstanding changes to your overall health and wellness, it's important to be realistic when it comes time to choose the habits that need to be implemented. Pick them one at a time, and when they become a part of your daily lifestyle, go on to the next. Keep building until you are happy with the lifestyle you created for yourself. Here are some suggestions for healthy habits that will get you on the right path!

• Don't rely on the scale - We put a lot of weight on those numbers when we step on the scale, don't we? Well, there are plenty of reasons why they may do the opposite of what you want, so don't let the scale distract you from reaching your goals or diminish your motivation. Instead, measure your progress through other factors, such as monthly pictures or how you feel.
• Keep goals visible - It's easy to forget your goals when that bag of chips is calling your name, so keep them written down and visible at all times. Hang them on a mirror, the pantry door, or the refrigerator. They will help you fight those moments of weakness!
• Schedule exercise - People who know how to maintain their health and fitness are typically the ones that don't skip their workouts! If you have trouble with the discipline of getting your daily exercise in, try scheduling it in your planner. Treat it as a business meeting or a doctor appointment. You certainly wouldn't skip those!
• Consume a healthy diet - The key to getting fit isn't only about how many workouts you can fit in a week, it's also about consuming a healthy diet. So add those extra greens to your plate, skip the desserts, and most importantly, drink plenty of water!

Reaching Your Goals

It's easy to set goals. The difficult part of this journey is to actually follow through and hold yourself accountable. So start small, be reasonable with the habits you want to establish, and above all, be kind to yourself.

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Pooler, Ga.