Exercise

We’ve all heard that warm-up stretching before a workout is important, but do you know why, or how to do it properly?

Warming up is like turning the ignition on in your car and letting it sit for a minute before taking it out for a drive. It gets the muscles ‘warm’ (blood flow) and agile before increasing the exercise intensity, thus reducing the risk of injury or over-exertion.

Warm-up stretches, therefore, should be dynamic (moving) rather than static (still) because you’re wanting to increase blood & oxygen flow.

Here’s 4 dynamic stretches you can do before your next workout, or you can join me for a 10-minute dynamic stretch routine here: https://youtu.be/tXB2T4H5rQg

Nutrition

Hacks for increasing your water intake

How’s your water intake? As you know our bodies are made up of over 70% water, so to say “it’s important to drink water daily” is an understatement!

It’s common, however, to experience dehydration because we are so used to sweet, tasty drinks that don’t quench our thirst like water does.

If you’re struggling to drink enough water, try these

1. Get a reusable water bottle that goes everywhere with you
2. As soon as you wake up and before you eat, aim to drink 500ml of water
3. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime juice
4. Add ice blocks to make it more refreshing, especially in summer (or keep chilled water in the fridge)
5. Infuse your water with fresh fruit & herbs to make it tasty while keeping it healthy: try mint & cucumber, or pineapple, watermelon & mint, or basil & strawberry, or orange & thyme.

Mindset

When we are under the pump with work or study or a combination of the two, one area of our wellbeing that easily suffers is our relationships with loved ones.

It’s important to take a step back, look at the bigger picture and remember that at the end of the day, whatever we accomplish in this life is worthless if we have no one to share life with along the way. This week’s wellbeing challenge is to schedule a walk or catch up with a friend or loved one within the next 24 hrs. Even if it’s short, make it happen. You never know when your last breath will be, so make time for those who matter, even when it’s busy.

Copyright © 2021 Alisha Christie