15 no-big-deal hacks to improve your health
Try these simple strategies to feel strong, happy and energised!
From getting crafty to sitting on the floor more, these smart strategies will have you feeling stronger and more energised in no time.
No matter where you are on the health spectrum, you don’t have to change everything at once to feel results. Here you’ll find little expert-backed moves that’ll have a major impact on your overall wellbeing. Start adding these to your routine today and you’ll be moving, feeling and thinking better in no time!
1 Have fun HYDRATING
We’re all on a mission to drink more water. Need help remembering to sip? Download a free app, such as Hydro Coach or Aqualert, that’ll send you ‘Drink up!’ alerts. Or, turn consuming H20 into a daily challenge: Invest in a cool ‘smart’ water bottle, such as Botell or Hidrate, which tracks your drinking on their app and shows how you’re doing versus your daily target and lets you compare today’s effort with the week so far.
2 Sit on the floor
Watching TV might sound like a lazy thing to do, but when you do it on the floor, you can realign your body, says personal trainer
Kelly Starrett. “Sitting on the floor makes the hips stay open, and the spine protects itself and resets,” he explains. “Plus, it engages muscles you don’t use when sitting in a chair.” There’s no need to be in perfect lotus position – you can squat, kneel or sit with legs stretched out. Each targets different muscles. For extra credit, regularly getting up from the floor without leaning on anything improves your balance.
3 MAKE THE MOST OF THE MORNING
You already know to exercise, but creating and maintaining a morning movement ritual can be particularly helpful in making you feel energised and ready to take on the day, says health coach and PT Jen Bruno. So take your morning coffee on a walk, try sunrise yoga or go on a quick bike ride. The action doesn’t matter – as long as you’re moving. If you’re counting it as your workout for the day, aim for about 30 minutes. Another plus: Exercising in the morning jump-starts your metabolism and makes you more likely to be active throughout the day.
4 Write a thank-you note Showing a simple gesture of appreciation can give you an instant boost in happiness, found a study in Psychological Science, likely because it inspires you to feel grateful and reflect on positve people or experience. Get creative with your delivery with a pretty note card or send an email or text taking full advantage of some cheerful emojis!
5 Eat more KIWI FRUIT
Research shows that antioxidant-rich kiwi fruit may improve sleep, boost immunity, reduce blood pressure and maintain bowel health. In a study, people who ate two kiwi fruit before bedtime found that they fell asleep faster, slept more and had better-quality shut-eye. The kiwi fruit’s highfibre content makes it good for your bowels and also your heart. Plus, it’s high in vitamin C, which is not only good for immunity but important for building skin-strengthening collagen, too.
6 GET CRAFTY
Repetitive motions, such as knitting and other crafts, can be soothing and elicit the body’s relaxation response – the same calm, meditative feeling some people get from formal mindfulness practice or yoga. In a survey of more than 3500 knitters, 81 per cent who suffered from depression described feeling happier and calmer after clicking their needles. Other studies have shown that knitting can help curb negative thoughts.
7
CHALK UP YOUR DAILY WINS
Research has found that people who spend a few minutes each night writing about what has gone well that day feel measurably happier. “Most of us focus on our weaknesses and what we don’t have,” says psychologist and life coach Dr Carol Kauffman. “By listing good things, you’re training yourself to reverse your focus from what you did wrong to what you did right. You’re emphasising your strengths.”
Take cold showers
Rinsing in cold water for
15 to 30 seconds may help improve circulation and give you a burst of energy in the morning, says immunologist and wellness expert Dr Tania Elliott. When the cold water hits your skin, it gives a quick shock to your nervous and circulatory systems, dilating blood vessels, increasing blood flow to your extremities and causing your heart
to beat faster.