1. Change your mind

One of the biggest health battles takes place between your ears, in your mind. Understand the foundational role that your thought life plays in your ability to achieve health goals. The Mayo Clinic indicates, “having a positive outlook enables you to cope better with stressful situations, which reduces the harmful health effects of stress on your body.” Consider practical ways you can start feeding your mind healthy thought-food. Subscribe to podcasts that serve as encouragement. Have a workout buddy you enjoy spending time with that frames your workout in a positive light. If you are the kind of person that needs “tough love” during workouts seek out a personal trainer that will drive you in the way you need, pushing you towards realizing your dreams for excellent health.

2. Learn from the pros

Even though a wealth of information can be found on the internet, within fitness magazines, or in self-help books the real power comes in speaking with a person, face-to-face about your health and wellness routine. This is especially true related to body mechanics during weight lifting and also everyday posture. Lean into the professionals who have dedicated years to the pursuit of an education and experience related to anatomy and physiology. This could be consulting with a personal trainer about the proper posture for each weight lifting activity. It could also mean working with your chiropractor to discuss how adjustments can support great posture and body mechanics. Identifying stretches and exercises that can be done on your own time is also a great step towards taking ownership of your health and an excellent supplement to your work with the pros.

3. Banish your routine

Hear us out on this one. Yes, we agree that creating and sticking with a routine, like Sunday night meal prep, is a great way to ensure you stay on track. However, switching up healthy choices, within that routine, is a great way to keep yourself satisfied psychologically and also to keep your body on its toes. As one Mayo Clinic article highlights, “Trying new things leads to increased confidence and self-esteem. It reduces boredom and loneliness, and it’s a major driver in personal growth.” Perhaps swap your spinach salad for kale or find a fresh new smoothie recipe that maximizes on the fresh seasonal fruits of the summer. Here’s another practical example, if you run the same two-mile jogging course each day your muscles get used to that workout. With the help of a chiropractor or another health professional, you can identify a novel workout routine, which will exercise different muscle groups and add variety to your routine, which will stimulate you mentally. Look for ways to banish your routine even within the meals you eat. Satisfy yourself psychologically with new healthy choices within the structure of your existing wellness routine.

4. Seek support for change

While it may sound simple to make a resolve like, “I’m going to stop drinking soda,” that is a huge undertaking for the person attempting to eliminate a favorite beverage from their day. Health changes often start off easy, with tremendous resolve, and quickly get difficult when stress and life circumstances kick in. In order to shake up your health positively, you should seek support. Let your friends, family, and even health care practitioners know what you are endeavoring to do. Identifying a group that will hold you accountable, because they have your best interest in mind, is a great step towards positive change. In today’s digital climate you can even find groups on Facebook or other social media platforms where you are able to check in and report on progress with changes.
As Zig Ziglar once said, “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.” Figure out where to start, at this very moment, to ensure you are setting yourself up for great health changes. Choose which step is the right one to take and head in that direction with confidence. Remember, our team is here to offer chiropractic care to support your health goals and we are also cheering you on as you make choices in pursuit of wellness.