With the warm, sunny months on the way, there’s never been a better time to review where you’re at in terms of your current health and level of fitness. The nicer weather can provide the ideal opportunity to get out in the open air and top up your exercise routine and to do some sports. If you’re looking to improve your all-around well-being, both mentally and physically, then you should also be looking at your diet and booking yourself in for some medical checks. Below are some handy ways to keep on top of your health this summer.
Get active
With the blue skies and sunshine, what more do you need to pull you out of bed in the morning and get you outside to do some exercise? With the longer days, you could go for a run or fast walk before breakfast, or in the evening when the sun is going down. Pick some interesting routes to keep your motivation levels up, taking in some stunning landscapes. If you live near the coast, you may want to run along the shoreline, mixing in some sand-running to make it all the more challenging!
Downloading some of your favorite tracks onto your smartphone or mobile music device can be a great way to keep you entertained on your run too. Make sure you charge up your batteries and take your earphones with you, but ensure you can listen out for any potential hazards like busy roads!
As well as running, the summer also opens-up lots of other sporting opportunities. Why not book a tennis court to play with your friends or family? Or head to the open-air swimming pool to do some lengths? You could even head to the coast to catch some beach volleyball action. If you’re feeling a bit more adventurous, then why not take to the water to do some wind or kitesurfing?
All these types of activities can help you get healthier, while also enjoying the summer sunshine. Have a look at what’s on offer near you and maybe book yourself some lessons or a summer school to make sure you get the best teaching for your new pursuit.
Review your diet
Summer is a time to enjoy some great meals out in the open air, with your friends and family. But, if you’ve been tipping the scales in the wrong direction recently, maybe it’s time for you to take your diet more seriously – before you start to cause yourself some nasty health problems.
You could start by making a list of all your food and drink consumption over a week, including calorie intake. You can even feed this all into an app that does the calculations for you. Then have a look at what recommended intake levels are for a person of your characteristics. If what you’re eating and drinking is too high or too low, then you need to think about taking some advice on what you should do to balance things out.
It can be tough when you’re working to work out meals, to plan ahead with your food, but this is the key to maintaining a healthy diet. You need to be avoiding all those donuts and fast foods you may be tempted to throw down your neck because they’re easy and go for some more nutritious options instead. Try to sit down at the beginning of each week and come up with a schedule of meals for the days ahead. They don’t have to be restaurant quality, but they should be healthy. If you’re stuck for ideas, then head online and get some inspiration from food websites, blogs, and vlogs. You never know, you may even start to enjoy cooking at home!
Book a health check
Yes, you can make changes in your life to improve your health and wellbeing, but if you’re serious about getting everything in line, then book a health check with your doctor. They can measure your blood pressure, weigh you accurately and provide some expert advice on what kind of things you need to be doing, to set you on a realistic and sustainable path to a healthier future.
If you’ve had any niggling conditions for a while, or you’ve just not been feeling your best, then now is the time to raise them with your doctor. They may be able to find you the right treatment and put your mind at rest. Take the time to learn about Menieres disease, for example, if you’ve received this diagnosis to help achieve peace of mind.
You may also want to consider drug-free solutions for any ailments, which are widely available on the market. However, ensure you do your research on these so they don’t interact with any prescribed medications or allergies you may have.
Don’t feel alone
Of course, your health and fitness goals will be personal to you and what you want to achieve, but you shouldn’t feel like you’re all alone when it comes to addressing your wellbeing. If you have a family around you, you should be trying to get them involved too! Not to only boost their health, but also to motivate the household.
When it comes to your diet and the changes you are making with your meals, then you don’t want to find yourself having to prepare different foods for your family. The whole family should share what you’re eating. So, plan the healthier meal options together, prepare them together and enjoy them together.
Your family can also get involved in your new-found sporting activities this summer. Why not take your partner or one of your teenage children along for a run with you sometimes? Or you could all head out for a family walk at the weekend or take your bikes for a long ride. This can all turn what is a daunting prospect into a sociable activity that you all look forward to taking part in.
With the increased fitness, if you’re family aren’t interested, then you could always turn to your co-workers to see if they want to join you! Why not set up a weekly sports club and go for a meal after? It could be a great incentive to get people involved. You could even plan a longer, adventure activity break for your office once a year to get you fit, and bond as a team.
