The spring is here and many of us are wondering where the last 3 months went and how can summer be around the corner already? Now is the perfect time to think about your health and how to get healthier!

Many people, especially parents, constantly say they don’t have time for themselves to focus on their health. How do you plan to take care of your kids or your career if you aren’t healthy enough to be a part of it though?

Our coaches at GET Fit have put together a list the 10 best ways to get healthier this spring!

1. Move!

Get up and move! Coach Sara says, “Even if it’s as simple as taking the dog for a walk, it counts”! Being sedentary and sitting at our computers all day is killing us, our eyes, our posture, our back and our metabolism. Try to dedicate 20-30 minutes a day of moment on the days you’re not in the gym to get up and move. Go for a bike ride, do some yard work, whatever it may be. But moving is better than sitting still. Get that heart rate up a bit and get the blood pumping.

2. Drink More Water

Water is key! Water is not only necessary for staying hydrated, but the digestion of food, recovery of muscles and most importantly is needed by every cell in our boy in order to function.

Coach Matt suggests getting a large water bottle like this one to help you keep track of your water throughout the day. About a gallon of water a day is ideal but might seem overwhelming at first. Start small and aim to drink a bit more each day.

3. Kick the “All or Nothing” Mentality

This one is a devil in disguise. Beating ourselves up when we had a bad day of eating or retaliating ourselves with more poor eating or going off the deep end is not the answer. 80% adherence to a healthy eating plan is SO much better than 100% and here is why: When we start something new and try to go 100%, the second we mess up or go off plan (and it’s bound to happen) we feel like we have failed. We haven’t failed though!

Our newest addition to the GET Fit team, Chris Lam, a recent Exercise Science graduate from BSU says this is where goal setting is key! “Make daily goals, weekly goals and monthly goals. These should all point to what you want to accomplish.” Perfection isn’t key. Setting goals and baby steps to get there is.

4. Build Routines

Building habits and healthy routines for ourselves is so important to our success. They grow stronger over time and become more automatic. So make sure you have the right ones! Habits are so powerful because they create neurological cravings.

Set yourself up for success by starting small and slowly adding to your daily routines over time. The best time to start a new routine is first thing in the morning before life gets in the way. Whether it be meditating, going to the gym, stretching or getting in a big glass of water – start and keep going! Coach Ericka loves using reminder and daily habit-setting apps for herself. They can prompt reminders on your phone to keep you motivated and keep building that habit!

5. Recruit a Buddy

Recruit a friend or family member or even the dog to accompany you on your journey. When we have a buddy to push us on our down days and someone to support on theirs, we start to find more motivation to stick to our new healthy habits.

Get on a schedule so you both are building a healthy habit for yourselves while motivating one another. You might even try something new together like hiking a new place or paddle boarding for the first time.

6. Meditate

Just as important as moving – a mind a rest. We need to heal and recover from our daily stressors, both physically and mentally. Coach Matt suggests meditating 5 minutes everyday in a sweet, quiet place. Whether it be outside somewhere, a quiet room in your house or even take a car ride to a scenic place to observe.

Take advantage of one of the great free meditating apps out there if you are a beginner and need some guidance. We like Calm. Try it our free for 7 days.

7. Include Fresh Fruits and Veggies

The more we include fresh fruits and veggies in our diet, the more we crave healthier food. The more we crave healthier food, the less room and desire for crap we have. See the trend?

Coach Ashley suggests planting a small garden in your yard to grow some of your favorites. Not a green thumb? Leave it to your local farmers and shop at a farm stand near you. “One of our favorite ways to get fresh fruits and veggies that we can’t grow on our own is Misfit Market. Pick from fresh, organic produce and tons of great pantry items in stock. Use this link to get $15 off your first order.

8. Try Something New

How do you know something isn’t for you if you’ve never tried it? We often stick to what we know and shy away from the unknown in fear of not being good at it.

Coach Ashley loves trying new sports and activities. “The best way for us to get stronger, improve our stamina and become overall healthier individuals is to use new muscle fibers and challenge our bodies in a new way. Dedicate one weekend or even one day a month to try some completely new activity. You might surprise yourself.”

9. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This is non-negotiable. Regular poor sleep puts you at risk of serious medical conditions, including obesity, heart disease and diabetes – and it shortens your life expectancy. A solid night’s sleep is essential for a long and healthy life!

Coach Sara suggests getting to bed early and setting a routine for yourself to make sure you are able to get a good 8 hours of sleep. Also, our internal clock plays an important role in regulating the production of numerous hormones including: Melatonin, which helps us sleep. Growth hormone, which supports bone and muscle development as well as improving our metabolism. Promote the generation of those hormones by exercising regularly and eating healthy!

10. Stretch

Much like the sleep, this one cannot be overlooked! You may think that a quick stretch before a workout is good enough to warm up and go! But that’s not the case. Consistent stretching keeps muscles flexible, strong, and healthy so we can maintain a range of motion in our joints. Without it, the muscles shorten and become tight, causing them to get weak and unable to extend all the way.

Coach Chris uses ROMWOD religiously. “I hate stretching. so I built myself the habit of making sure I do it on a daily basis so I can do what I love most in the gym.”

Coach Ericka loves to do her stretching routine before bed to help relax and unwind at the end of the day. 5 minutes of deep stretching and she’s good to go for the night.

Whether you already do some of these practices or they all seem new to you, there is always room for improvement to become healthier. The only thing better than working on our health, is teaching someone what we’d learned and passing it on. Follow us on Facebook and tag us in your healthy habits journey!