Don’t let wellness stress you out

Personal trainer and best-selling author Alice Liveing shares her advice on how to approach wellness healthily, in collaboration with Yakult

WHEN I FIRST got into wellness a few years ago, I realised I had quite a disordered approach to it. I’d rely on exercise as a coping mechanism and obsess over step counts or what I ate. Eventually, I took a step back and relearned what health meant to me. Now I know it’s multi-faceted and shouldn’t be so metric-driven that it ends up doing more harm than good. So, I’ve teamed up with Yakult to give you my top tips to help you live your best life.

GUT HEALTH IS KEY

Try to have a diverse diet that incorporates lots of different colours on your plate. Break the habit of having the same thing every day. Slow down and sit down when you eat and try to keep mealtimes uninterrupted; focus on your food and take your time.

BREATHE

Stress affects our gut, so taking care of yourself includes deep breathing, which has a calming effect. You’ll be amazed how a few deep breaths can make you feel better.

FIND EXERCISE THAT YOU REALLY ENJOY

A long-term relationship is what you’re after, something that’s sustainable and realistic. That means committing to walking every day might be a better idea than trying to do three high-intensity sessions a week that you can’t maintain.

MOVEMENT IS VITAL

As well as exercise, try to incorporate movement into every day, be that cycling to the shops, cleaning the house or mowing the lawn.

GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP

Develop a healthy bedtime routine. I read 10 pages of my book before I go to sleep to disassociate myself from my day and keep me away from my phone.

DON’T LET BEING HEALTHY STRESS YOU OUT

Make changes that make you feel good and fit around your lifestyle.