We are excited to announce our guest blogger for the day, SpinningChick. She shares the benefits to stepping outside your comfort zone, one step at a time.
Gain Something New Every Day
I know what you’re thinking – wait, isn’t the challenge to maintain NOT gain something? But hear me out… Here is your second challenge during the next few weeks. Each day add a new healthy step.
By doing this I hope it adds mindfulness to your everyday habits so you think about each choice you make. Each choice we make can either keep us on track or get us off track. I hope you find something new that you incorporate into your lifestyle going forward. I honestly believe there is value in venturing outside of your comfort zone on a regular basis. For me, I think it keeps me on my toes, helps me try new experiences and meet new people, improve on skills I don’t use that often and gives me a chance to reflect on all that life offers to us. Every time I am jumping into something new and I think about being nervous, I just remind myself that if I never try anything new then life will be the same, day in and day out. No thanks!! Apply this thought process to your healthy lifestyle journey. Yes, it is a journey, every single day!
I hope you rise to the challenge of trying some new healthy strategies over the new few weeks. Start small if you have to, or be adventurous! Below are some ideas to get you started on adding healthy steps to your life.
Below are a few simple strategies to get you started:
- Purposely park your car farther away to walk into your office, grocery store, doctor office etc.
- Make steel cut oats for breakfast and sweeten it yourself.
- Stretch for 5-10 minutes when you wake up.
- Try a new fitness class, for example hot yoga, TRX, Zumba, indoor cycling etc.
- Substitute beans for meat in a recipe, for example bean enchiladas, black bean burgers, 3 bean chili etc.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Round up coworkers to go on a walk during lunch – I think you’ll be surprised at how many people take you up on it!
- Go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
- Eat breakfast, if you normally don’t.
- Drink green tea instead of coffee.
- Try a new winter activity like snow shoeing, cross country skiing, hiking in the snow, ice skating etc. – they all burn calories!
But don’t stop here! In today’s world there are so many resources on the Internet to get ideas too – Pinterest boards, Twitter, fitness and recipe blogs etc. There is a large supportive community out there cheering you on and giving you all kinds of tips. I teach indoor cycling classes at a local YMCA and not only do members inspire me but I have a wide online network of other cycling instructors/cyclists/fitness enthusiasts who give me new ideas to help me improve work outs for me and my members. It’s awesome!
Good luck!
-SpinningChick