Planning Ahead Helps Your Heart And Your Wallet

No matter what area of your life you focus on, planning ahead can help you be more successful. If it’s financial, creating a budget helps. If it’s your social life, planning get-togethers also helps. The same is true for staying healthy and getting fit. It might seem like some people magically stay fit and avoid heart or other health issues, but it’s years of habit that does it. They may not have planned because their habits came from the people that surrounded them as a child. You may not be that lucky, but you can change your luck with planning.

Identify your goals and plan around them.

Will losing weight or increasing your endurance improve your heart health? Identify what you want to change and plan around it. Your goal needs to be realistic. You can’t expect to go from a couch potato to a marathon runner in a month. If you want to lose weight, state the exact amount you want to lose. Keep it realistic. Plan to lose one to two pounds a week and give yourself a deadline to reach your goal as you create mini, weekly goals for your plan.

You need to plan if you want to eat healthier.

Giving up food with added sugar can go a long way to having a healthier heart, but you need a plan if you want more dietary nutrients. Meal planning may be the help you need. You plan healthy meals one day and create a grocery list. You shop on another day and cook for the entire week on your day off. Include snacks in your planning. When you get home from work, all you have to do is heat and eat. Meal planning saves time and makes eating heart-healthy meals easier.

Creating a workout plan and sticking with it helps your whole body.

Just like losing weight or eating healthy, an exercise program requires planning. Endurance exercises can help your heart the most. Include exercises for all types of fitness in your workout, including endurance, balance, strength, and flexibility. Create a plan that includes exercises for each one. Write your workout time on your schedule as you would any appointment and keep that same time consistently. It creates a habit that’s hard to break.

• Getting adequate sleep is important for your heart. It also can help you be more productive. Create a consistent sleep schedule, even on the weekends. Adequate sleep can also regulate your hunger-satiety hormones so you eat less.
• Plan activities you enjoy that get you moving. They’re another way to exercise. If you love riding bikes, go riding with your family or friends. Plan for a good social life. Studies show people with an active social life live longer.
• Plan for a half hour to an hour for yourself to de-stress. Learn deep breathing techniques, meditation, or other relaxation therapy. You can divide your time into several smaller sessions if you like.
• If you’re making changes in your life, like changing your diet or activity level, always check with your healthcare professional first. Our personal trainers can help if you aren’t sure where to start.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness Studio