Happy New Year Signature Fitness! May it bring feelings of comfort, peace, and joy. May we be inspired to share our peace and joy with one and all. As we gently transition into the winter months, our lifestyle is most prevalent to protect ourselves from the elements. Luckily, most of us, if not all, have a warm place to rest our head and this is not to be taken for granted. We have much to be grateful for and a place to call home is a blessing indeed with so many people around the world displaced. If you’re reading this, perhaps take a moment to close your eyes and mentally say ‘thank you’ to the people and the energy that has come into your life to provide the security that you have at this moment.
Gratitude is the key to abundance and to share some of the knowledge, here are some lifestyle tips to help you ring in the new year with good health in the forefront of your mind, for we all know – good health is true wealth.
1. Warm baths – this is the time of the year to indulge in a warm epsom salt bath, not too hot but just enough to indulge in the evening before you go to bed. This will help you sleep deeply and peacefully throughout the night.
2. Sleep in – I know, what!? But it’s true, you may find yourself wanting to sleep a bit past 5:30 am or your typical wake up time. This is expected in the Winter months. The body is telling you it’s time to rest. If you have the luxury of sleeping in until 6:30 am or 7 am, do it. Now is the time to rest. As a side note, sleeping too far into the morning until 9 or 10 am can be too indulgent and result in grogginess throughout the day. It can also affect your sleep come nighttime.
3. Connect with nature – when you go outside, notice the elements of the earth. Right now, it’s cold, dry, windy on some days and when raining or snowing, wet. Notice how these elements make you feel. What do they remind you of? How can you appreciate and move with these elements?
4. Eat wholesome, delicious foods – now is the time to enjoy the heavier dishes of the year, a lentil soup, beef bourguignon, baked potatoes with olive oil and lemon juice, sweet potatoes, collard greens, kale, and most bitter greens with sweet grains. Use warming spices such as cumin, salt, black pepper, ginger, lime, and chilies. It’s also a great time to enjoy the heavier fruits like bananas, dates, papayas, mangoes, and figs. Foods that can be reduced are the foods that share the same qualities as the elements that are dry, hard and processed – like raw foods, chips and crackers, and cold foods like ice cream and dairy products.
5. Dress Warmly – I know it’s tempting to run out of the gym with your shorts on and without a hat, but cold loves to reside in the ears. This can result in ear infections, ear aches, and as we age it can speed up hearing loss. Keep your neck and ears covered, put on a pair of pants and a coat. Keep your body warm.
6. Exercise Daily – this is the season to move the body for at least 20 minutes a day. Go for a run, join a dance class, or any group fitness class and move your body. If you can breathe in and out of the nose easily, this is a good measure of a good cardiovascular zone.
7. Socialize – enjoy the social aspect of being together. Whether it’s at the supermarket or at the gym, say hi to the people next to you. Greet the people who are in a group fitness class with you, greet a member on the stationary bike or treadmill. It doesn’t have to mean that you’re flirting. Perhaps just smiling and sharing a common experience is enough to impress upon our being that we are not alone. Shared experiences are underrated when normalized that it has to be done with a partner. Just being in a common place with others and having a shared experience can enhance feelings of belonging and community.
I hope this New Year brings you good health, an unprecedented joy, and profound peace. May you reach new heights and realize the great love that not only surrounds you but is within you.
Happy New Year Signature Fitness!
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