We all know that feeling when we don’t feel quite like ourselves. It can be very annoying when you don’t have the same energy or feel positive about yourself. It can, at times, even affect what you’re doing on that day. So, in order to avoid this feeling, here are four tips that’ll get you on the road to feeling healthier.
Drink More Water
Drinking more water is so simple to do and in turn, impacts your energy level and how healthy you feel. As our bodies are made up of 60 percent water, it clearly shows in our performance during the day if we don’t drink enough of it. The same goes for the appearance of our skin. Our skin cells contain a lot of water, and as a result, keeps us hydrated and looking healthy. Without water, our skin appears dull and lifeless and that can certainly have an effect on how we feel and look. Aim to drink more water every day by keeping a water bottle on your desk at work or at home to encourage drinking.
Additional benefits of drinking water throughout the day include an increase in metabolic rate for about an hour. Research from The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism showed drinking 500 ml of water (about 17 oz.) increased metabolic rate by 30 percent in men and women.
Focus More on Self-Care
Self-care is certainly important to your mental wellbeing, and mental health goes hand in hand with our physical health too. We’re often busy people with a hectic work and/or social life, and therefore we have very little time for those moments to focus on yourself. Self-care could be something as simple as meditating, or eating healthier, getting a massage or doing more exercise.
According to the Mayo Clinic, having a one-hour massage can decrease cortisol (a stress hormone) by 30 percent. As cortisol goes down, serotonin, a chemical in the brain involved in enhancing mood, has been shown to increase by 28 percent.
Regular Exercise
Regular exercise can be a rewarding activity causing a release of hormones into the body that improves mood. Getting into an exercise routine can be difficult at times, especially if you’ve not done it for a while or you’ve got a busy lifestyle. Even if that is the case, it is still important that you fit in regular exercise, particularly as you get older. Even short bouts of exercise can help.
One study, published in the American Journal of Health Promotion, found that even brief episodes of physical activity, using higher levels of intensity, were just as effective in helping people control their weight as current recommendation of longer bouts of exercise.
Get Plenty of Rest
A lack of sleep will eventually impact your health. It can also contribute to both physical and mental health problems throughout your life. Our mood can be instantly uplifted when we get a good night’s sleep. Make it a habit to get to bed early or at least have the same amount of rest each night to get your body into a healthy routine.
Sleep loss can cause the body to release too little human growth hormone. Growth hormone plays an important role in building and maintaining lean muscle mass.
Reference
Boschmann M, Steiniger J, Hille U, Tank J, Adams F, Sharma AM, et al. Water induced thermogenesis. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003;88(12):6015–09.
Stay Stronger Together
Jefit, named best strength app by Sports Illustrated, Esquire, GQ, Men’s Health, Greatest, Forbes Health, and many others. It offers a community responsible for 92,000,000 workouts! The app, which recently passed 10 million downloads, comes equipped with a customizable workout planner and training log. The app has ability to track data, offer audio coaching cues, and can share strength and HIIT workouts with friends. Visit our members-only Facebook group. Connect with like-minded people, share tips, and advice to help get closer to reaching your fitness goals.
