Habit #1: Mark Your Wakeup Time to Determine Your Bedtime
All healthy adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. Do not kid yourself into believing you need less than 7 hours. I personally need 8.5 hours or I feel really crappy the next day. That doesn’t make me weak or less of a person. It just means I have to plan to get sufficient shut-eye in order to be productive, especially with a newborn in the house. If you’re getting less than 7 hours sleep now or you just feel tired all the time, here’s how you begin:
determine when you absolutely must wakeup. Count backwards 7 hours from that time and go to bed at that time. If you must, DVR your fav TV programs that you’ll miss in order to go to bed earlier. Trust me. You will enjoy them more binge-watching anyway. If you still feel tired, go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier each night until you feel refreshed. That’s the amount of sleep you need per night.
Habit #2: Coffee, Glorious Coffee – Okay to me, this is a no-brainer. I’ve been drinking coffee since I was 16 years-old. Thank God for all the recent research touting Coffee’s health benefits(since I plan to keep right on drinking it). Of course, green tea is even healthier if you happen to be so inclined. Me, I’ll stick with my beloved java.
Habit #3: A Breath of Fresh Air – Consider a short (3-5 minute) walk first thing in the morning while you coffee brews (or while that Keurig warms up). Enjoy your cup of coffee onto the porch, patio or balcony (or if you read ahead, you’ll see that taking a quick walk outside while your coffee brews is the best plan).
Habit #4: Get Some AM Physical Activity
Probably the best thing you can do in the morning is take a short walk outside. If you happen to have dogs, they will definitely appreciate a a quick AM stroll.
If at all possible, walk with another person, especially if it’s dark in the mornings where you live. Here are a few more tips to keep you walking safely: Safe Walking Tips
I find it’s easiest to squeeze in a few short bouts of exercise (especially strength training) spread throughout the day. There are a few things that are easily completed before breakfast or before that first cup of coffee. For me, the most effective strategy is to try to do 3 bursts before leaving the bathroom area in the morning (oh c’mon! I know your first out-of-bed pitstop in the morning is the bathroom).
Here are a few of my favorite quick strength bursts that can be accomplished standing in front of the bathroom sink:
– 50 Squats
– 10-25 Biceps Curls (stash some free weights under your sink or on a shelf in the linen closet)
– 10-25 Military Press or Clean-and-Press. Here’s a how-to video:
– 10-25 Overhead Triceps Extension with Free Weights. Video link:
Be sure to keep those elbows close to your head and tighten your core muscles to support your tummy and back!
– 25 Lunges per Leg
– 25 Reverse Lunges per Leg
– 10-50 Push-ups (if doing modified “knee” push-ups, be sure to put those knees on a bath mat or rug for support)
Habit #5: Eat Some Walnuts
Here are a few yummy recipes using walnuts:
Raw Date + Nut Balls (gluten-free, vegan, raw)
No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie Bars (vegan, gluten-free)
Crunchy Walnut-crusted Salmon (paleo, gluten-free)
Fresh Broccoli & Apple Salad with Walnuts (just plain yummy!)
