February is American Heart Month. So, what better way to celebrate than to show your heart and body some love with a bit of self-care. That doesn’t necessarily mean to pour yourself a glass of wine, light a candle, paint on a face mask, and recline – although you should do that too. Instead, the XPRO team for Xponential+ will touch on various ways to practice self-love, from moving around, eating wholesomely, and so much more!
Incorporate Daily Movement
Dr. Nancy Lin, YogaSix XPRO for XPLUS, says, “one of the best indicators of your health is how well you can move your body with strength, agility, mobility, and flexibility without experiencing discomforts.”
If you’re feeling sluggish, achy, or short of breath after a light walk, Lin suggests you get moving. Whether that’s practicing yoga before you go to bed, kicking off your day with a walk around the block, or performing body-weight strength training exercises, small daily movements like these are the self-love your body’s craving. They’ll help you get stronger, become agile, and feel energized.
Eat Healthier
Nutrition is the ultimate key to health and happiness. So, how do you make it a priority? It comes down to making simple changes:
As a result of eating healthier, you’ll boost your immunity, improve your digestive health, and, best of all – lower your risk of heart disease. With that said, you can, of course, include sweet treats in your diet.
Lin says to “consume dark chocolate, with 70% or higher cocoa, as a rare treat” since it’s been known to demonstrate a positive correlation with decreasing appetite and boosting a positive mood.
Get Quality Sleep
“Perhaps one of my top suggested habits for better sleep is to make sure your circadian rhythm is optimized, meaning you are exposing yourself to the appropriate morning light and minimizing artificial afternoon and evening light,” says Lin.
Exposure to morning light colors – natural or artificial – signal the brain to be productive. If you’re struggling to fall asleep at night, don’t allow yourself any screen time in the last hour leading up to your bedtime. Doing so will not only help you fall asleep but sleep better, and better sleep leads to improved physical and cognitive function since you can recover and recharge for the next day. You will feel much, much better!
Listen to a Podcast
Listening to a podcast might sound like extra work or, for some, a bore, but podcasts are an effortless way to unwind your mind! Whether you like diving into deep conversations about philosophy or psychology, hearing two comedians go back-and-forth, losing yourself in a new murder mystery, or catching up on sports, the topics are endless and, if you choose correctly, mindless. So, make sure you give your mind and soul some love and listen to a podcast. And if you want to experience some physical health benefits along with it, you can always go for a walk or do an activity while listening!
Learn a New Skill
You might be thinking, “this sounds like the opposite of how to practice self-love,” but learning a new skill is packed with benefits. Learning something new, whether that’s cooking, playing a sport or playing an instrument, can help build confidence, a sense of self-efficacy and induce positive emotions. Of course mastering a new skill is not going to happen overnight, but if you have passion for the activity and patience, it will be a great outlet for your mental and cognitive health, and depending on what skill you’re focusing on, physical health. A little research on the Internet or checking out some YouTube tutorials can be good ways to start figuring out what interests you and what is realistic to learn with your time and resources.