Lulu Lemon top (USA), Cotton On Body tights, Nike running shoes
Today is the first day of Stroke Awareness Week in South Africa. While nothing could have prevented my stroke, the fact that I lead a healthy lifestyle has been one of the reasons that I have recovered so well. Keeping fit and taking care of your nutrition is so important for everyone to do, not only stroke patients. Many religions state that your body is a temple and I believe this to be true. It is worth looking after. Your health is an investment in your future.
I know that health and fitness is something that not everyone is crazy about and that's okay. The aim of this post is simply to encourage you to incorporate some small change into your daily life for the purpose of looking after yourself. I, personally, think that diets are a horrible idea. I'm also pretty much certain that I will never run a marathon. If anything, I just hope that after reading this post you are more inclined to make sure that you take interest in whether you and those closest to you have had a good daily dose of fruits and vegetables, water and perhaps a little amount of exercise today. I hope that today slowly becomes twice a week, gradually three times a week and, if we can be extremely hopeful, every day. I have come up with a few tips for keeping you motivated to stay healthy because we can all be lazy creatures sometimes and, when health is an issue, laziness simply isn't good enough.
Let's Do It:
1. Grab a friend:
Start with a walk in the evenings with your mom, sister or a friend. You will naturally end up chatting for the duration of the walk and it will feel like its over before it even began. It's such a lovely way to catch up with loved ones and also to encourage them to lead a healthier lifestyle too.
2. Sound the alarm:
If you know that you don't drink enough water during the day, set yourself alarms on your phone for every 3 hours. Have a glass of water at every alarm. This way you won't forget to drink water. There are also many water-drinking apps that you can download that will do exactly the same thing for you.
3. Dress to impress:
I have always worn such ugly gym gear. This past year, though, I decided to treat myself to some fun, vibrant workout wear and it has completely changed my mind set. Having bright sports bras, printed tights and bold coloured tops has had me feeling excited for a great workout and make me feeling instantly motivated. It's so incredible to find what a difference this makes.
4. Smoothies anyone?
Ensuring that you have the right amount of fruits and vegetables in a day can be quite a daunting task but a smoothie in the morning is an easy solution to the problem. Throw in 2 bananas, strawberries and mixed berries into a blender in the mornings along with some coconut milk and you've already had a huge amount of vitamins into a single quick drink... and it's delicious which is an added bonus.
These are just four simple tips to encourage you to lead a healthier lifestyle. I know that there are many of us that are constantly juggling a family life with appointments, studies and careers and as a result we are dealing with a tremendous amount of stress. All the more reason why you should treat your body as a temple and look after yourself. Make time for that yoga class/spinning session/ glass of water. No one can look after your health other than you.
To learn more about Stroke Awareness Week you can visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation by clicking here.