One Snarky Chica with Issues

We all know that it’s great if you can work 30 minutes of gym time into your schedule a few times a week to keep yourself healthy. I don’t know about you, but this is something I struggle with due to my busy schedule. While you might not have enough time to put in 30 minutes at the gym each day, there are a few things that you can do to work towards bettering your health at home. By following and adhering to the seven tips below, you will be well on your way to being healthier with out even stepping foot into a gym! 

Tip one – Pale is healthy. Tanning, whether it is outside in the sun or inside in a tanning bed at a salon is bad, bad, bad for you skin. Not only does it eventually give your skin a leathery look that makes you look years older than you really are, but it can cause skin cancer. Having a darker complexion is not worth the risk of skin cancer. Either embrace being pale or invest in a good self-tanner cream. Just remember to make sure you do not end up with orange hands! 

Tip two – Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and do not skip it! By eating a good healthy breakfast, you are letting your body know that it does not have to store any more food, you are literally breaking the fast that your body was having while you are sleeping. If you miss breakfast, your body will store more food as fat and you will actually slow your metabolism down and end up feeling as if you have no energy.  

Tip three – Give up the bad habits that really are bad for you. Smoking and drinking too much alcohol really are not good for you health wise. And like tanning, both have an adverse affect on your appearance, smoking more so than drinking. In fact, smokers tend to have brittle, straw-like hair compared to those that do not smoke. You can also add wrinkles to the list of side effects of these bad habits. And let us not forget that you can also get cancer from smoking and liver problems from drinking in excess. 

Tip four – Mix in some strength training with your cardio and fat burning workout. Yes, you will gain a little muscle, but that is a good thing as muscles burn more calories. This means that the more muscles, the more calories you burn while sitting still. As an added bonus, it will be easier for you to open that pesky jar of pickles. 

Tip five – Visit the doctor and dentist regularly. Early prevention is not only good for your body but also your wallet. Detecting something too late usually means more problems and higher bills. Save yourself some cash and keep your health in check by having checkups regularly with your dentist and doctor. 

Tip six – Eight hours of sleep a night means you are functioning at your best. Not getting enough sleep has been linked to a slew of problems from depression to weight gain to heart disease. Sleeping a full eight hours will help to have enough energy to make it through the day’s tasks in the most efficient manner. 

Tip seven – Don’t drink away your calories. If you are counting your calories don’t forget to include the liquid ones. Everything from juice to alcohol to smoothies could be killing your diet and you might not even realize it. If you don’t know how many calories are in your favorite drink, you might be surprised, so look up the information on a site like Diet Facts.  

While these are not the only things you can do to be healthier, these are some very important steps in taking charge of your health and fitness levels.