Find Your Fit - Feel the Love
Health and fitness expert, Clare Stobart suggests some self-love steps everyone can benefit from
#1 - Love Yourself From Within
Fuel your body with hearty, wholesome foods such as blueberries, fish, broccoli, spinach and almonds. A great date night treat would be a garlic king prawn Buddha bowl from April’s Kitchen with tender stem broccoli, cherry tomatoes, beetroot and edamame, followed by some dark chocolate and a nice glass of your favourite organic red wine.
#2 - Get Your Glow On
Drink 8-10 glasses of water, every day. Your body and skin will thank you. Staying hydrating helps you look and feel great and is essential for your heart, which on average pumps 7600 litres every day. Water helps your heart do its job, and pump blood through the blood vessels to the muscles more efficiently. It is critical for your heart health and staying well hydrated throughout life could reduce the risk of developing heart failure, according to the research presented at ESC Congress 2021.
#3 - Open Your Heart
Standing straight and tall with your shoulders back, your head level and in line with your body, pull your abs in and move with confidence, it increases your sex appeal! To maintain a good posture I recommend doing wall angels - with your bum, back, shoulders, elbows, hands and head against the wall, and keeping contact with the wall at all times, slowly raise your arms up towards your head and back down to just below shoulder height, hold for a second and repeat 10 - 12 times.
#5 - Feel The Love
Show yourself love first. Some easy ways to help you achieve total self-love are simple, stop comparing yourself to others or worrying about their opinions. Allow yourself to make mistakes, we are all human. Once you learn to love yourself, you will be able to spread that love and happiness throughout the rest of your life. Simple actions like showing support to each other, telling a friend or loved one they look great or congratulating them on an achievement, big or small, can brighten someone’s day. Compliments, compassion and kindness are free, sprinkle them all like glitter. “There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved” George Sand.
#5 - Colour Me Happy
Red is the colour of passion, confidence and power, and actually gets the heart physically pumping. Research states that the colour you wear can affect your mood, behaviour and stress levels. Red releases dopamine, increases metabolism and raises blood pressure. It even operates at a subconscious level to make you look and feel sexy and attractive!
#6 - Heart Nourishing Workouts
Being physically active helps to protect your body and mind and is good for the soul. HIIT training is my “go-to” workout to get my heart pumping. Try my favourite workout - interval sprints: 2 x 400 metres (rest for 90 seconds between each set), 4 x 200 metres (rest for 45 seconds between each set) and 8 x 100 metres (rest for 30 seconds between each set) and finish with 50 burpees. Don’t be disheartened if you’d prefer not to run, you can always do 10 burpees on the minute to get your heart pumping.
#7 - Do What You Love
Find your happy place. Whether that is spending time in nature, getting lost in a good book or even playing rounders with your family, spend as much time as you can doing what you love. “Love doesn’t make the world go round, love is what makes the ride worthwhile” Franklin P. Jones.
#8 - Heart Centred Living
Live a life of love - “We seem to need healthy, raw emotion and honest human contact more than ever and we respect those who can bring it out in others” - inc.com. By sharing your feelings and expressing your passions honestly, you encourage those around you to do the same and reduce conflict throughout all areas of your life. Offering an enhanced experience of intimacy and genuineness in your relationships.
#9 - Laughter
A natural stress reliever, laughter stimulates many organs, enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air, stimulates your heart, lungs and muscles and increases endorphins that are released in your brain. It decreases your heart rate and blood pressure, encouraging a good, relaxed feeling. Soothing tension, it stimulates circulation and aids muscle relaxation. Both of which can help reduce the physical symptoms of stress. Long term effects of laughter improve your overall mood, self-esteem and general well-being. Laughter really is the best medicine.
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