When I was in college, I thought wellness meant skipping the full sleeve of Oreo cookies as a second course to my box mac and cheese. Exercise was a foreign concept, and my body responded to its lack of movement plus the frigid temperatures of upstate New York by giving me a head cold at least once per semester. Thankfully, I eventually moved past my fitness-free funk and developed good exercise and eating habits. I realize that many of you may be steps ahead of young me, but I do think everyone can benefit from a few simple wellness tips to employ during the summer!
Get active by getting outside. Exercise doesn’t have to mean running a marathon, or even a 5k. Take a walk! Summer days have finally arrived, and if you go to school anywhere where it snows, you’ll want to make the most of them. Walk with friends, walk alone, walk your dog — just get outside and get your feet moving.
Try something new. Again, the summer weather is highly conducive to trying some sort of new physical activity. Have you ever tried water skiing? Many major cities offer outdoor fitness classes, like yoga and Pilates, in local parks. Often times recreational centers or churches will even offer these kinds of things for free. Now you really have no excuse!
Eat seasonal foods. It took me a while to catch on to the concept that certain foods grow better during different seasons. Summer is a great time to stock up on berries and fruits full of vitamins and antioxidants. Blend them into smoothies, eat them raw on top of frozen yogurt, or all by themselves. You’ll feel better after half a carton of strawberries than half a carton of Chips Ahoy — trust me. (I’m not saying to never eat half a carton of Chips Ahoy. Sometimes you need that.)
Do it for you. The best advice I can give you when it comes to exercise and healthy eating is to do it for yourself. External motivators are fleeting, and honestly, a lot less fun. Get active and eat healthy so that you can feel your best and tackle your goals head on. Find a routine that makes you happy and sticking with it will be a piece of cake. Also, eat cake. Seriously. It’s important to be healthy, but more important to find balance.
I’d love to hear what some of your wellness tips for summer days — throw them at me!
Written by Nicole Milano. Nicole is a writer and yoga instructor from Rochester, N.Y., as well as a freelance writer for NextStepU. Read more from her at The Everyday Yogi and tweet her @nicolemariemil.
