Northwest Georgia Health Summer 2022 | Page 15

Want to Get Healthy ? Think Small . Lifestyle goals such as losing weight , eating healthier and getting into shape can be daunting . But don ’ t let the size of these goals intimidate you into doing nothing to improve your levels of health and fitness . Becoming whole is the proverbial journey of a thousand miles that ' s best taken one small , achievable step at a time .
When it comes to increasing physical activity , there are myriad ways to get your body moving without necessarily committing to a hardcore workout regimen . A few easy options for getting started are taking the stairs instead of the elevator , parking farther away from the front door of your destination , walking or biking instead of driving to work and sitting on a fitness ball at your desk — a move that will engage your core muscles and enhance your stability .
Other tips include doing ab crunches during TV commercial breaks , playing outside with your kids , doing a few squats while you brush your teeth and dancing to music at home . With the help of online resources and a little creativity on your part , you can find plenty of ideas for easily making small but noticeable changes in your daily life .
In addition to increasing your physical activity , don ’ t overlook other components of a healthier lifestyle that can be taken on incrementally . For example , hydration is crucial to maintaining proper body functioning , so drink plenty of water . Even if you can ’ t realistically down eight glasses a day , at least aim for taking in more water than you currently are and then building from there .
Other strategies for gradually improving your health include learning to read nutritional labels on food products , getting more sleep and making small adjustments when preparing foods at home . The next time you cook , try substituting olive oil for butter or Greek yogurt for sour cream .
Even that rough finish was good enough for second place in the event , which lead Alston to seek out more challenges . Later that year , at a 30-story climb in Ft . Lauderdale , he came in first place and set a course record . “ From that point on , I was hooked ,” he said . These days , training for a towerrunning competition is both a mental and physical endeavor for Alston . Yes , his preparation involves running up stairs , but it also includes endurance runs that last as long as an hour as well as 200- and 600-meter repeats on the track , kickboxing at the gym five days a week and weight lifting .
“ The mindset I take into my training for stair climbing is to be able to run the last 10 floors like I ran the first 10 floors ,” he said .
And while most of us probably won ’ t find ourselves bounding up the staircase of a skyscraper anytime soon , we can still look to Alston as a role model when it comes to increasing activity levels in our day-to-day lives .
His advice : walk ; don ’ t run . At least not at first . Make small adjustments such as taking the stairs instead of an elevator . According to Alston , 10 minutes of moderate stair climbing is equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging , plus it ’ s easier on joints than running , it strengthens quad and glute muscles , and it enhances one ’ s aerobic capacity .
Another strategy , particularly for those with sedentary jobs , is to take short walk breaks around the workplace . He also recommends tracking progress with a device like a Fitbit or working with friends to hold each other accountable for meeting their fitness goals .
“ Your number-one competitor is yourself , the person you look at in the mirror every day ,” he said . “ If you walked five floors yesterday , aim for 10 today . The comparison is always with yourself . Don ’ t be afraid to do whatever you can , and use your own life as the benchmark .”
For more information about living a healthy lifestyle , visit CREATIONLife . com .
SUMMER 2022 | ADVENTHEALTH . COM | 15