General Wellness

We all want to be healthy, right? Nobody wants to be sick, or down, or lacking something in their life. But often times, in our hectic and fast-paced society, we look for things with instant results, rather than long-term effects. In terms of our body, overall health and fitness, and general wellness, there is no magic cure-all. These things are aspects of our lives that we must strive to maintain and improve, even with small steps, so we can have a healthier future. You've got to really decide that you want to make a change for the better, plan ways to make that a reality, and then stick with it. Again, as nice as it would be, there is no magic pill that you can take once, or a workout you can do for only a day, that will give you the lasting effects of a gradual, lifestyle change. 

There are a few simple things you can gradually incorporate into your life that can have a big impact on your health and wellness over time. 

• Get active! If you've been living a pretty sedentary life and generally spend most of your time sitting down, adding some activity to your days can greatly increase your health over time. Even if you just start with a daily walk or stretching, building up to a few short workouts a week, to maybe even daily workouts or runs, you can begin to see the increased energy and improved mood in yourself in no time. J  
• Eat healthier! Even if you don't think you eat unhealthy as it is, you can just start by monitoring what you eat for a week - keep a food journal or list on your phone, or use one of the many health apps that lets you log in food and drink as you consume them and monitors calories and nutritional value. After doing this for a little while, you may become more conscious when putting things that really aren't the best for you into your system. You can also try simple things like decreasing your sugar intake, or trying to eat more fruits and vegetables (and fewer desserts). 
• Drink more water! I really can't stress enough how important it is that we all drink more water. A lot of us don't really feel dehydrated because we consume liquids in other forms, such as soda or coffee, but these have negative components as well and sometimes do more harm than good. Your body needs adequate supplies of water to maintain a healthy metabolism and keep all of your organs functioning their best. 
• Be aware of your emotional health! Being stressed or angry for long periods of time can have a very negative impact on your ability to keep your fitness goals, and your overall physical health and immune system. Trying to be more aware of the things that cause you stress and anger, and finding healthy ways of releasing these feelings can help your overall feeling of well-being immensely. It's also equally as important to realize when you are depressed or sad, and strive to find ways to not feed into those feelings, but to battle them and discover ways to find happiness in the day and yourself (even if it's only a tiny amount J ). Always remember that your mental and emotional health are just as important as your physical health!