Spring Clean Your Health Habits

Most of us are quick to update our wardrobe but overlook our diets and workout routines, which is exactly why we stay stuck and stop getting results. Or worse, we start regaining the weight we lost. From now on, when you Spring clean your home to get rid of the dirt and clutter that accumulates in living spaces, don't forget to Spring clean your physical body and give your health habits an upgrade. This is extremely valuable, even if you're not trying to lose weight.

Don't limit your Spring cleaning to your house. Cleaning out our not-so-healthy habits makes more room for the good, and cleansing our body is one of the best ways to declutter our mind and refresh our spirit. It also helps lower blood sugar and blood pressure levels, as well as resetting hormone levels, which is why it's the best way to reduce hunger and kills cravings for sugar and carbs. But that's not all they can do.

Detoxing and cleansing, as well as cleaning up our unhealthy habits and environment, also helps reduce stress by giving us back a feeling of control and providing a fresh start and provide a physical and mental do-over. So, if you spent the winter months on the sofa, and even if you stayed active the whole time and continued doing your usual workouts or fitness routines, cleaning up your habits, and changing things up in your workout routines by cross-training (rotating your activities and workouts) can be just the spark your body and mind need to reboot your motivation. Trying new ways to work out or make your morning smoothies more metabolic has a magic way of making all things feel new again. Instantly, you'll look forward to your workouts, your metabolic meal plan, and smoothies again.

Regardless of where you've been working out, whether you've been working out at home or going to the gym, one of the best ways to spark change and start seeing results again is to confuse your body. The best way to do that is to DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT INSTEAD! Change is good.

How do you know if you've made enough changes to boost results? My momma says, “If it doesn't feel weird, you're not doing things differently." If you feel odd (like a fish out of water) and have to focus on your new plan, whether it be a workout or meal plan, you're on the right track! 

Confusion, whether it be muscle or metabolic,  is one of the best ways to spark change and make your body do what you ask it to. Muscle confusion is one of the oldest and successful tricks in the book and is the best way to busts through plateaus, shocking your muscles, both physically and spiritually, making them stronger, reminding us that we have more control over our habits than we think.

The confusion principle works wonders in our meal plans, workouts and even applies to our daily habits. It acts as an enforcement, like cleaning out a junk draw or cabinet and replacing its contents with tools of success instead.

I do this weekly as I seem to collect stuff, like a candy someone gave me or coupons. So I throw out the junk and replace it with Lean Bars or CBD gummies instead, and also positive notes like ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE (Phil 4:13) for encouragement.

I could go on and on about all of the benefits, but I'll jump right into these simple tips to get your workouts and weight loss routine back on track and help you regain control.

When it comes to changing up your workouts...

1. If you've been running, try spinning instead. This not only jumpstarts change, but it prevents respective stress injuries before they happen.
   
   
2. If you do CrossFit, switch to a Metabolic Workout instead. You'll lose more weight and reshape muscles. If you've been addicted to CrossFit, your muscles are most likely bulked up, which is usually NOT what we intend. You will have to override the voices in your head telling you more is better and harder, and more intense workouts yield better weight loss. NOT TRUE! In fact, in my 30 years, I've seen just as many weight loss goals sabotaged by overzealous workouts as I have not eating the right foods for our metabolism.  
   
   
3. Swap your weight workouts for recovery stretching instead. Stretching for recovery is the most overlooked type of workout, yet it's the type of workout we all should prioritize. If you normally only stretch when your body aches or you're injured, your body will thank you for changing your workouts up by making stretching the main event versus an afterthought.
   
   Not all stretches are functional or good for our bodies. In fact, many stretches like yoga are dysfunctional and can weaken muscles due to repetition and moving our bodies in ways it's not meant to move. That's also why physical therapists don't use yoga. We use Recovery Stretches that help improve our body's healing process, helping it to repair itself and quickly restore range of motion and strength.
   
   Try my Recovery Stretch three times a week, making sure to keep one day in-between for your body to repair. Pro athletes and dancers use this method of recovery because it works! It’s the same stretch pro ball teams like the New York Yankees do every day. That's why I call it the Yankee Stretch :)
   
   Loose muscles feel better, function better, and can prevent injuries before they begin!
   
   
4. Make time to warm up your body and also cool down to maximize recovery. The best way to feel better before, during, and after you work out is by taking the time to warm up and cool down. Five minutes of warming up before you start working out, and five minutes after to cool down by stretching works miracles, helping heal and repair sore, aching muscles, so they are better equipped for your next workout, or so you feel good and ache less.
   
   Just being consistent with your Recovery Stretching, and when needed, taking LynFit Nutrition® Recovery Agent really makes a difference. Over time as we age, we CAN stay active and don’t spend our time going to doctors, chiropractors, or on the couch due to our body being stiff and hurting due to the lack of nutrients required for healing. . 

Let's slide over to our environment and living spaces. THEY MATTER MORE THAN YOU THINK!

As a behavioral scientist for 30 plus years, I can confirm that humans WILL eat or drink what's in their environment. Don't test your willpower by allowing your favorite wine, coffee creamers, or cookies to stay anywhere in your house. At least not at first.

It took me decades to overcome and accept that we need to set ourselves up for success, starting with what we allow in our house and what we don't to be able to overcome these. I used to think that I was weak if I couldn't avoid certain foods, and that I needed to learn to become stronger to avoid them. But anyone who studies human behavior will tell you that it’s human to eat what's in our environment or what's around us. 

We do get stronger from avoiding things that aren't good for us. Each time we do, our self-esteem increases, making it easier the next time we have to look away. It takes years to arrive there if food is your drug of choice. In the beginning, it's best NOT to tempt yourself. You can't eat what you don’t have, and you'll eat what you do have around. Make sure you have plenty of Complete Protein Powder and Lean Bars instead.

It takes 21 days to create new, healthier habits, and that's just the start. Every day that you make better choices and practice your healthy habits you'll get better and eventually it WILL get easy. I remind myself that we are what we practice repeatedly. The best way to support your efforts is to make it easy to accomplish, which should include a nice conversation with your loved ones (family) and ask for help.

If you're a mom, ask your kids to provide you with a list of foods they like and want to eat that won't tempt or trigger you for a win-win. Use this list of foods to make a meal plan that is doable, sustainable, and makes everyone happy. This creates a supportive environment and not only improves your health and weight loss goals but also improves theirs's in the process as well.

I've never met a family that couldn't use a little healthy eating upgrade. I know mine sure does. You're not punishing them; you're helping them choose better. Most importantly, if momma ain't happy, no one's happy. And if momma isn't healthy, she can't be happy and everyone loses. It's our duty to do our best for ourselves and our families.

The whole family will be healthier, happier, and you'll save a ton of money. You'll notice that everyone has more energy, feels less anxious, less depressed, and has a renewed spirit. Learning new things gives our brain superpowers, and turbocharges our motivation; something we all could use more of, right?

So, start right now. Take baby steps if you have to. But, START! Don't put off starting until you can do things perfectly. Start and you can perfect as you go, but whatever you do, don't stay stuck. Taking small steps every day toward your health and fitness goals is crucial to your happiness and well-being. If you've felt stuck in a rut, start by clearing out the clutter that's all around you (including your desk, car, and car trunk). The Spring season is a great time to shake things up a bit, clean out the old, and make room for the good!

What small change will you make today to improve your health?

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