10 Intuitive Ways To Be Your Healthiest Self in 2022
Resolutions are garbage, be 1% better everyday instead
I caught Covid (again).
I had a nasty feeling I’d caught the bug, but didn’t want to believe it until the test results came in. Well, I feel better than last time…
but I know better than to try and write with the virus fogging my brain.
The last time I caught Covid, I tried my darndest to keep up with my writing habit, I simply couldn’t write my thoughts down. It was incredibly frustrating, but I realized it was out of my control.
This isn’t a common cold. It messes with your mind. So while I’m feeling much better against this variant, I still decided to rest my mind and muscles for the week. Writing isn’t losing my mind over, but I still wanted to reach out to you today with this story.
I think it’s fitting that it’s a health and wellness piece.
Ah yes, it’s that time of the year again.
It’s the new year, where you can’t use the holidays as a work performance excuse, you procrastinate taking down the Christmas lights, and resolutions are broken after one bourbon on the rocks.
Instead of making resolutions last year, I made a list of 21 things I would or wouldn’t do in 2021. The secret to success was not caring whether I actually accomplished a goal.
Because while I made quite a few promises to myself, I didn’t do them all, but one thing was for sure: I kept fitness a priority. It stacks higher than a silly side hustle or a read-two-books-a-month habit.
We only get one body; you might as well take care of it.
So, unless you have a marble statue of a body already, you probably want to be more fit. Let’s dive into some ways you can have the healthiest year of your life so far.
1. Realize fitness isn’t a one-size-fits-all baseball cap
Personal goals are a pair of jeans.
Everyone’s got different waistlines and pant lengths, in a figurative sense. Some people want to lose weight, while others want to build muscle. Others are physically fit but feel like sh!t on the inside.
So what gives? Well, a personal approach is the best course of action. I find a healthy mix of weightlifting and cardio stimulates my mind and muscles, and a balanced macronutrient diet works best.
Factors like metabolism and natural height and weight make everyone different. Your fitness plan will look other than your friend’s or your neighbor’s.
Not all of the following suggestions may tickle your fancy. Think of this as a pick-and-choose candy shop.
2. Switch coffee for black tea
Before you wrap me in chains and toss me into the Pacific Ocean, hear me out.
Coffee makes you crash hard. You need a second cup of coffee by 1 PM every day because caffeine inhibits adenosine absorption in your body. Adenosine is a calming hormone that helps you sleep.
So when you drink your morning cup of coffee, you feel alert in the short run but feel tired shortly after.
Now, I don’t need to lecture you on how you might feel after coffee. Everyone’s different. Cortisol spikes might be stressing you out, or the mid-afternoon fatigue affects your job performance.
I love coffee, but I mostly drink black tea now. While it’s still highly caffeinated, it’s not as strong as coffee. Therefore, I can drink a couple of cups of tea throughout the day while maintaining a light buzz.
So, instead of crashing, I prefer to maintain—just some tea for thought.
3. Replace alcohol with…
I love a good drink or two (or four)with the boys.
But I don’t drink alone anymore. I don’t drink on weeknights either unless it’s a special occasion. Here’s the main reason why:
Drinking calories takes away many of life’s pleasures. I’d rather eat food and feel full instead of drinking soda and wonder why I’m still hungry.
If you’re on a calorie deficit because you want to lose weight, you need to fill every calorie you can with real food to feel satiated, not empty calories from beer or whiskey.
Now, I like sipping on a beverage or two at night, so I’ve replaced it with sparkling, flavored waters. You could chew gum, so at least you’re getting something in your system, or simply go to sleep earlier.
4. Focus on high protein diets
The food we eat consists of these three macronutrients:
Fats
Carbohydrates
Proteins
Each one plays a specific role in our bodies. You might think fats make you fat; you’re mistaken. Carbs are the devil, right?
Wrong.
Fats are important. They actually slow down our digestion, making us feel more satiated. They provide essential fatty acids and carry fat-soluble nutrients that are important for day-to-day bodily functions.
Carbs are energy stores. Without them, you may feel more sluggish than usual. They’re like gasoline for our bodies.
Basically, if you’re trying to build muscle but don't eat enough carbohydrates, your glycogen stores will deplete, and your body will be forced to pull from your protein stores for energy.
This means if you’re trying to build muscle but don’t eat your carbs, you’ll end up losing it.
Here’s the thing: energy balance is essential when following any diet. Sure, some people like going keto, and some prefer a low-fat diet so they can eat more carbs.
That’s on them. All I’m saying is that for each gram of fat you eat, you consume nine calories, while protein and carbs are just four.
Protein is a muscle-building macronutrient.
Funny enough, the more muscle you have, the more energy you burn throughout the day. Let’s say I never lifted a weight. I’d be quite a bit skinnier, and my daily energy expenditure would be much lower.
Focus on a high protein diet by adding protein to every single meal.
Make it a priority whether you get it from meat or plants. This way, you naturally build more muscle, which helps you feel satiated, while also having a body that naturally burns more calories.
5. Hit the Peloton
Regardless of everything going on with the company, biking freaking slaps.
I like running, but it’s hard on my joints, and it takes me a full hour to mentally prepare for a three-mile slog up and down some hills.
Stationary biking changed the game for me and my knees. Since I lift weights, I want my body to feel fresh for the heavy sessions, but I don’t want to skimp on the cardio. Biking lets me do that, and it keeps my muscles happy.
Pelotons are freakin expensive though there's no doubt about that. I’m lucky enough that my apartment complex has a designated peloton room in the gym.
Yes, it’s a luxury for sure.
If you can’t afford one or frankly aren’t about the hype, find a gym nearby you that has one, or take a spin class! I was skeptical too, but I’m a full-blown spin convert now.
6. Ditch the apple cider vinegar
It’s excellent in orange chicken recipes, but apple cider vinegar won’t magically help you burn calories.
However, adding apple cider vinegar to a healthy orange chicken sauce is excellent for shedding some pounds. No law says you can’t have a little flavor in your food without it being good for you.
There is only one thing that will help you lose weight, and it’s a calorie deficit. That means you consume fewer calories than you expend.
Other to-good-to-be-true concoctions like detox tea and fat burner supplements don’t work either. They don’t have to for companies to claim they do.
Everyone’s looking for the easy route. If getting in the best shape of your life was supposed to be easy, then everyone would be doing it. Don’t believe the hype that anyone supplement will answer all your problems.
7. Lift some weights, bro
I don’t have to be a gym rat to tell you that weights change lives.
Weightlifting is the catalyst to body recomposition. It takes frames of all sizes and chisels them into something substantial.
Now, weights can be intimidating. The cool thing is most people at the gym are really friendly. If you're new to the gym, everyone was once unique at some point. I’d personally have words for anyone who scoffs at anyone trying their best
Lifting weights is a confidence builder. It sends a message to other people that you’re healthy and care about yourself.
There’s something about lifting weights that always makes me feel better too.
It’s the feeling you get after accomplishing a really tough task. Even on my worst days, a trip to the gym, even though sometimes I have to drag myself, always turns it around.
8. Wear blue light glasses before bedtime
Your phone is killing your sleep schedule.
I have a problem with my phone. I get in bed and get lost watching random Youtube videos instead of sleeping. I scroll Twitter aimlessly too.
The blue light from our phones tells our bodies that it’s still daytime, which prevents us from hitting the hay. I bought a $25 pair of blue light glasses, and I don’t feel the strain on my eyes I once did.
These glasses mixed with low-dose melatonin always do the trick for me.
Pro tip: if something is on your mind before bed, journal it. I use an app on my phone since I’m on it anyway to clear my thoughts to sleep peacefully.
Another pro sleep tip: Relax your eyebrows and jaw when you’re trying to sleep. It works wonders.
9. Make the workout easier for you
Convincing yourself to work out is challenging enough.
It’s a matter of confidence in yourself to show up and get the job done. Often, we don’t feel like getting a workout in because we’re too tired or there are too many inconveniences.
I get it, I often don’t finish cleaning dinner until 8 PM, and it bugs the hell out of me. I want to be on the couch by 7:30 PM watching basketball or reading a book. But, it doesn't always happen.
I haven’t thought about this in a while, but wired headphones and shirts that didn’t look good on me deterred me from the gym. Now Airpods and pricier but well-made shorts make me think otherwise
Put systems in place to make the workout effortless:
Ditch wired headphones
Buy joggers that fit
Meal-prep your food
Bring a reusable water bottle to the gym
Replace your 5-year-old running shoes
Put your clothes out the night before
Life is full of excuses.
Here’s the kicker: your excuses are like kitchen sinks that haven’t been cleaned in a long time: everyone's got one, and they all stink.
Life gets in the way, but when it seems to keep getting in your way, there’s probably something you can do about it. Make a habit of picking yourself up and heading out to do whatever kind of exercise pleases you.
No one is going to pick you up and carry you to the end of the rainbow. You go to want to make a change.
10. Be 1% better every day
I tend to get down on myself when I’m not productive.
I can do my day job, get groceries, and hit the gym, but I feel like I’m stuck in time and space. The thing is, not every day can be momentous. That’s why I try to improve just one percent every day.
Maybe that means writing a blog post, reading ten pages of a self-help book, or even adding more weight to a tricep workout at the gym.
Little bits of effort will compound over time. You’re the person today you once wanted to be. Write that down and don’t forget it.
The key to 1% better every day can be as simple as setting clear, achievable priorities for the week and day versus time management alone which is a sub-set of that if you want to get results in any walk of life.
If you want a healthier and fit life the most important change is the simplest path that can lead to sustained results and actions that last a life time. Over years at a local public gym watching the numbers swell every January, I got pretty good at who'd stay and who'd join the list of "goners" by early February. Those who stayed were not those who weighed themselves constantly or checked themselves in the mirrors to see if they're ripped yet. The "stayers" were two types including mostly older women who either had a personal trainer and a program that fit their situation or younger women with a friend or partner. Males who stayed were typically younger and usually had work out friends who showed them what to do and kept their expectations in check. Women also were in the exercise classes next door catering to moms with young kids in the days and others at night who did these sessions.
It's not about major life style changes that never got done but people who just start to eat healthier and start exercising. It can be as simple was getting off a bus stop or two earlier or walking every day. Get a cheap monitoring tool and hit a minimum of 7500 steps per day.