Tools for healthy living (physical)
Today's blog will focus on a few tools that you can use to help you live a healthier life. As always, there are a range of tools out there, but the best ones are the ones that work for you. I have used all of the ones listed below, but there are plenty more out there.
I'll start by saying I am not a health nut, but as I've grown older, I've begun to pay more attention to health and fitness. I believe it's important to find a regime that works for you!
Health Tracking
I've used MyFitnessPal on and off for a number of years. It offers a wide range of resources, allowing you to track your exercise, calorie intake, weight, BMI and measurements to see how you are doing. There is a community and a Blog for support, along with a range of apps to help you achieve your fitness goals. It's available as a website or a free phone app. It is a good, reliable resource, and of course, is free!
I'm a big fan of Samsung Android products (why I choose Android is a subject for another blog!) I have the Samsung Health App on my phone. It allows me to track a range of health information, and includes a pedometer. It allows me to track sleep, encourages me to keep a regular bed time, weight, stress levels, water intake, blood pressure. I find it easy to use, and of course, it's on my phone, so it goes with me. You can download it for free from Google Play.
healthy Eating
I enjoy food and cooking, and the word 'diet' is enough to make me feel hungry! But, there are some really good recipes out there that are also healthy. I like recipes from these sites, and am slowling building a repetoire of recipes that I like, that are also healthy.
Joe Wicks is a fitness guru. I have one of his recipe books, and love his recipes.
Food suplements: I sell Aloe Vera Products for Forever Living, and they have a great range of vitamins, slimming products and health products that include Aloe Vera. Aloe Vera has significant health benefits, particularly for boosting your immune system. Their products are well researched, and good quality. One of my clients lost a significant amount of weight with their slimming pack.
Dieting
If you do decide to diet, then avoid fad diets, and go to reputable groups such as Slimming World, Weight Watchers or the NHS weight loss plan which is free.
Health Information
There is a plethora of health information out there, stacks of fad diets, and lots of mis-information when it comes to health, some of which can be dangerous. If you are looking for good information, use sites that are written by health professionals, such as these:
Exercise
I am not really into the outdoors, and I've found that to do exercise regularly, I have had to find something I like doing. Youtube is a great resource for a range of workouts. I like my treadmill, and often watch Youtube while I'm walking.
Yoga
I enjoy doing Yoga, and have done it for years, firstly in classes, but more recently through videos. People are sometimes afraid to try yoga because they are not 'bendy' but regular practise improves flexibility and builds strength and concentration. There are many types of Yoga. I like either Iyengar or Hatha, as they are slow and gentle.
I recently discovered Adrienne. I love her workouts on Youtube. She is a great teacher, and does an annual month of Yoga, as well as specific sessions. If you're new to Yoga, make sure you do the beginners workouts, and take it slow. Make sure you have a good non slip yoga mat!
If you want far more intense workouts, then you might want to try Joe Wicks. He does hi intensity workouts for short periods of time. They're way out of my league, but fun to watch!
Whether you like aerobics, pilates, running etc - there is a wealth of workouts and info on Youtube.
I hope these offer tools you will find helpful. In the next blog, I'll look at tools for mental health.