These Are a Few of My Favorite (Well-Being) Things!
As I mentioned in my New Years Resolution Blog, I'd love to share some of the tactical items + products I've found that make your success with well-being more probable.
1. If you are a paper person who likes to ‘see’ success’
Erin Condren’s items span journals, stationary and some of the best planners I have seen on the market. However, I found with habit trackers I needed something extremely simple and straightforward. I began using the habit tracker linked below in April 2020, around the time Covid was gaining momentum. I had just moved to 100% remote from home for work. This helped me to accumulate all of the little things I wanted to try and do daily in one place. As the sheet filled, my momentum grew. When I hit a day where I didn’t want to work for 10k steps, or drink more water, seeing how far I’d come got me through the slump. As a bonus if you have kiddos, they can log chores on these, too!
https://www.erincondren.com/habit-tracker-notepad
2. If you are stepping into the wearable device waters
When I speak from preference here it’s only after wearing/using 3 different devices in a market that is saturated with them. I tried the Apple Watch, Garmin Vivo Active, and FitBit Versa 2. I have no ‘knocks’ on the Apple Watch/Garmin. For me, the Apple Watch wasn’t a fit because I want to truly disconnect from my phone when I work out. While my Versa 2 can display incoming texts, I have that feature turned off. (Yes, you can turn these off with your Apple Watch as well, but I was seeking a fitness device over wearable tech that tracked fitness as one of a million things it could do). Some may enjoy the Apple Watch connection where in essence; you have your phone on your wrist during workouts. The Garmin was great as well, I just liked the interface of the FitBit app the best. The Versa 2 now integrates with Alexa. I consistently track my sleep now (more on that in product 3), and the personalized reminders to stay on par with my goals. I’ve been using a FitBit model for almost 6 years and have no significant pain points. The Versa 2 is currently $149.95, on sale from $179.95.
3. If you love techy experiences
I saw an ad for ‘Bloom’ in Feb, 2020. I decided to be a pre-order guinea pig and then boom, pandemic struck. Vessel Health acquired Bloom in late March 2020. Once they could get production up and going, test kits were sent out and I received my first round at the end of December.
Vessel is considered an in-home wellness tracker that can help guide you to what your body needs by identifying deficiencies. I went through about a 6 month period of extreme exhaustion and my Primary Care doctor ordered a more expansive blood test. Low and behold, I was very low in B7, B9 and B12; Iron, and Vitamin D. Specific vitamins have made a huge difference, but the Vessel test is now my way to keep tabs on where I’m at. What I learned from Vessel recently was my magnesium was low and that may impact sleep quality. I've started a supplement and will be tracking my sleep via the FitBit and re-test in a month.
The only downside is you have to be comfortable with a urine sample method of collection. The test processed in about 3 minutes and via their app you have results. The test is looking atB9, Magnesium, Cortisol, Ketones, PH balance, Hydration, B7 and Vitamin C. As you can imagine, they are still working through some kinks and some tests are in Beta. That said, I had two results unable to calculate on a strip and Vessel immediately linked me to a screen where I could have another shipped at no charge. Excellent service!
4. If you are adjusting to working out at home vs. a fitness center
This can be really difficult. We had a community rec membership and it was nice to just leave the house for exercise. I’ve since gone back to workout out at home and need to keep it engaging so I stick with it. If you can invest in a Peloton, or ‘The Mirror’, that is excellent! For a few low/no-cost ideas:
a. I have always found that my body responds to Jillian Michael’s DVD’s. I mix up full strength training workouts with HIIT workouts and so long as I keep my diet clean, I see results fairly quickly (20-25 days). You can find a lot of her DVD’s on Amazon for a reasonable price. All you need is dumbbells from about 5lb-15lb or so.
b. Kettle Bell Workouts – Tons of videos on YouTube or DVD and something about flinging kettle bells around feels amazing!
c. OpenFit App: I joined this over the summer in 2020 when we had to quarantine. Tons of access to classes and I was looking for a way to continue Barre workouts. We have a treadmill, so I’ve also tried some of their treadmill workouts.
d. Ankle Weights & Bands – there is no harm in sneaking in some lower body workouts between calls. If you work at a standing desk there are tons of leg exercises you could do at your workspace (though I still think separating them is smart).
Tips for once you have a houseful of equipment but need the motivation to use it?
* Put a hold on your calendar. This ensures you have exercise as a priority and won’t feel stressed about where you fit it in.
* As best you can, dress for your workout when you get ready for the day. Showing up in your sports bra to a Zoom call – not good. But I will put on workout tights and a work shirt so I’m “halfway” there.
* Start small. If you tell yourself you are going to get 5 workouts in a week as your starting point, you may lose steam when that goal isn’t met.
* If you can, workout away from your phone and silence notifications on your wearable. Let your focus get totally into your muscle groups working!
Hopefully you've picked up some new ideas. I'd love for you to leave comments on tips & products that have supported your well-being journey, especially as we all needed to adapt in 2020. Stay well!
Nicole
Health and Wellness Enthusiast
3 年Thanks for sharing