6 Ways to Health Hack Your Current Habits
Everyday you have many opportunities to fix bad habits. Try one of these 6 habits to start your journey to better health. Share with your friends or parents so they can also start this process. It takes time to get healthy but you have to start somewhere. Remember to download the free posters, workbooks and schedules in the Real Recess shop.
CURRENT DAILY HABIT HEALTHIER ADD ON TO HABIT
Wake Up. Before getting out of bed: say your Life Mantra (your personal motivation and direction for success), take a deeeeep breath in then out 5 times, perform your morning metabolic priming (can use any of the Real Recess Staple Movements or create your own 2 minute circuit).
Bathroom. Each time going to the bathroom (sitting or standing) try these dexterity exercises to maintain coordination and reboot your brain: Finger or toe patterns while reaching across your body’s centerline (one example is simply taping them in a specific order), or there is also Face Movements where your exaggerate different expressions with your face muscles (eyes, mouth and forehead are happy, sad, excited, scared, etc).
Eat and Drink. You are literally what you eat. Seriously. Food breaks down into carbs, fats and proteins and your body rebuilds that energy to make new cells. So, while you are eating or drinking, do some research as to what’s in it, what’s not in it that should be in it and away to make it better for you.
Sitting. Practice Posture. Start with your head by tilting it side to side, twisting it left and right, then nodding up and down, finally chicken heading forward and back. Next try your shoulders by raising them up and down, then pushing them forward and backward and finally reaching one arm at a time overhead. Move on to your hips by rocking side to side as well as thrusting forward and backward. Finally, whether you are sitting or standing, try a full body twist with your arms out and looking at the back hand.
Walking. Observe your environment. Notice new things. Look around and try to find one thing happening from each sense. What new do you see, smell, taste, hear and feel? If this is tough or you run out of items, play new music (not something you listen to all of the time). Try a new genre or new release that will really make you think about the pattern, pitch and or lyrics.
Go to Bed. Write one thing in your journal that you are thankful for today before getting into bed. Once you get into bed, visualize each part of your body relaxing and rocking to sleep. Start with your feet, move up to your knees, then your hips, up to your torso, out to your hands, and finally up to your head. When you are actually concentrating on it, you’ll be amazed the muscles you are squeezing without knowing it.
*All Recess Breaks should be at least 30 seconds.
4 Ways to Motivate Yourself Right Now
Follow these four steps for success and you will jump out of bed each morning ready to move forward. It all comes from goals. If you can visualize it, you can achieve it.
STEP 1
Think Big - Like Real Big! 10 years from now, where do your wildest dreams have you living, what are you doing, who are you with? Consider career, relationships, family, education, schedule, everything.
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.
STEP 2
Zero in on a target. In order to get to that place in 10 years, what do you have to accomplish in this first year? Be specific. Start to imagine yourself as this new person. What does your schedule look like? Begin doing the small things to put your mind in the place that says, “I can do this”.
You are what you repeatedly do.
STEP 3
Always move forward. Progress gets you closer to your goal no matter the size. Not doing anything might be innocent but your momentum dies. Set daily projects to work on, even just a subject where you are going to focus. Keep track of what you have done so you can watch it grow!
Slow progress is better than no progress.
STEP 4
Reward yourself. Make accomplishments feel good so you crave more of them. Maybe it is spending money on yourself, possibly it is visiting a location, or your reward could be taking a break. These rewards need to be predetermined and periodic. Failing is not bad, simply a learning experience.
People work for money but go the extra mile for praise.
Age Slower and Live Better
The goal behind becoming healthier is to live a better life which entails slowing the aging process. We dig into this statement deeper with each Recess Break that customers take.
What does health mean to you?
Perhaps a better question is, What is the goal of being healthy?
As a Certified Health Coach that has worked with thousands of clients, most goals are to live a higher quality of life.
With that goal, everyone’s pathway is going to be different.
And to put it into perspective, I remind my clients that we need to slow the aging process to get there.
What does this Aging Process consist of?
It is sort of a Use it Or Lose it Philosophy.
If you are not stimulating your muscles, they atrophy. If you are not stimulating your heart, it weakens. If you are not stimulating your senses, they diminish. Use them or lose them.
More is not better, we need to use balance in our health journey.
In order to slow our own aging process, we should use our bodies near their ability (not too much over and not too much under). The conversation continues with high level athletes breaking barriers. What are the consequences of taking your body to that limit? It makes for entertainment to others but how many 100 year old former professional athletes can you name? That leads to another conversation (for another time) about quality versus quantity.
Back to our original question, how do we maximize the results of Aging Slower and Living Better?
We align our minds with the intention of knowing the benefits of the process.
For example, each time you consume a meal, understand that you are fueling your body to perform mandatory functions. Those nutrients are turning into the building blocks of your cells. Do you want the cells of our body to be built of fresh vegetables or stale potato chips?
A second example of this visualization is exercise. During a brisk walk, imagine your body functioning optimally. Your heart is a strong motor pumping rich blood through smooth arteries. Our minds are so powerful that some studies have shown physical benefit by just thinking about exercise (not enough to get healthy however it was a significant discovery to show the importance of mental power.)
To tie all of this information together, if you have a mental image of what health looks like, your pathway to getting there will simplify.
Start aging slower today with this one step:
Take a slow and deep breath in, filling every available space in your lungs. Pause and know that oxygen is energizing each cell in your body. As you exhale through tight lips, blow out negative energy that may be stored in your body. This is an example of mental imagery and connecting your mind to your health.
Follow Real Recess on social media for more free tips about wellness.
Easiest Way to Get In Shape
An outline as to how Real Recess works. Just like reading a book page by page, you can become healthier break by break. It doesn’t happen over night but by setting alarms for videos, follow 60-second routines to become healthier day by day.
A Recess Break is a short time period during your day where you focus on your own wellbeing.
Similar to when we were in elementary school and had recess time, Real Recess is simply that for real life.
To make this philosophy simple, set your Cool Alarm App to follow these steps everyday.
Morning Wake Up Routine
Mid-Day Meditation Routine
Evening Wind Down Routine
Rotating Wave Movement
Bouncing Numbers Movement
Alphabet Joints Movement
Break by Break, your health will improve.
The part of all, it’s completely FREE!
7 Ways to Slumber Like a Cucumber
The importance of sleep has been proven in countless studies. Here, I will tell you how to maximize the benefits of sleep. Follow these seven step to wake up energized and ready to conquer the day!
Why would you want that?
Cucumbers are cool right? Like chill. Meaning relaxed.
Here are 7 things to consider when preparing your sleeping quarters:
Stop consuming caffeine 5 hours before bedtime.
Dim the lights (including screens) 1 hour prior to bedtime.
Monitor the bedroom temp between 65-75*F (depending on the season).
Invest in comfortable bedding for you (mattress and sheets)
Prepare a quiet atmosphere with earplugs if needed.
Keep pets and kids in their own separate rooms during sleep.
Set your alarm for 6-8 hours after you intend to fall asleep with a gradually increasing volume.
This will help create quality sleep for you and is directly related to ALL bodily functions.
Most recently, studies are showing the importance of waste removal from the brain during sleep (something that does not happen when you are awake).
When the brain waste is not removed, it leaves a plaque like substance on the neural synapses of the brain. This may be related to dementia.
Imagine your brain after 20 years of sleep deprivation!
Let's agree right know to put a priority on sleep.
Office Designed for Wellness Success
Quick stations you can create in the office (home or work) to keep you active. It’s really not all about breaking a sweat in 30 seconds. Your goal is to get out of the same position and reboot the brain! These short breaks will lead to more productivity meaning happier and healthier employees.
Sitting isn’t the problem.
It’s actually being in ANY position for an extended period of time that we are fighting.
When you complete a task, get up and move around.
We have the 3 Staple Recess Movements that you can perform without any equipment.
However, what if it could be more fun!?!?
Check out this idea for an Active Office:
My man is just hitting some golf balls? How does that make him “well”?
The simple act of getting away from your desk for 30-60 seconds stimulates your brain in new ways and increases circulation.
Both of these benefits lead to increased productivity as well as potentially happier employees.
Let’s take a look at another Recess Break…
Starting to wish this was your office yet?
Share this blog post with a co-worker and get their opinion.
Would they like ways to stay active around the office?
Of course there would need to be rules.
The obvious rule is a time limit!
But in offices that have successfully started these Recess programs, employees do not want to loose their privileges. It is for that reason that they respect the rules and become happier and more productive.
I’ll leave you with this final sample of an active office station…