Being a personal trainer has taught me a lot, but one of the most important things I’ve learned is how to set myself up for success first thing in the morning. In this post, I’ll help you do the same with five simple yet powerful self-health hacks you can do every day. So let’s get started.
#1. Stay Hydrated
It may sound obvious, but most people fail to drink enough water every day. Make it your goal to drink two to three liters of clean, purified water per day. Use an alkalizing machine if you have one. If you don’t, you can alkalize your water quickly and naturally by simply squeezing some lemon juice into it.
You probably know that hydration is super important. But if you’re doing a detox, it’s even more important. Make sure to drink lots of fresh or filtered water to help flush your system. This is a necessity for all parts of your body to function properly and with the highest potential.
Hydration is also important for the colon as it contributes to healthy digestion and helps your body avoid other complications.
Drinking water with a meal will dilute the digestive enzymes and prevent the body from assimilating nutrients. So drink your water thirty minutes before eating, and allow for about one hour or more after eating before you drink water again.
#2. Use Probiotics
The use of probiotics is important for a healthy gut, which in turn is vital for a disease-free body. Each of us has more than a thousand different types of bacteria living in our digestive tract, helping us break down food and absorb nutrients. Even if you aren’t experiencing any problems with your gut health, probiotics can still help with your overall digestive management.
Surprisingly, one of the main functions of healthy bacteria is to stimulate an immune response. By eating probiotic-rich food and maintaining good intestinal flora, you can also help maintain a healthy immune system.
For example, recent research indicates that obese people have different gut bacteria than people with a normal weight. First and foremost, this indicates that a bad bacterial flora plays a role in body weight. This also shows that most (if not all) disease starts in the gut. If you don’t have a healthy gut environment, your body isn’t functioning in an optimal state of well being.
Finally, keeping your body healthy with probiotics can help you better manage your blood sugar and insulin.
#3. Go to Sleep and Wake Up at the Same Time
It may sound silly at first, but studies show that we humans sleep in ninety-minute cycles. That means that from the time we fall asleep, we go from a light sleep, then down into a deep sleep, and then back up again to a light sleep—all in ninety minutes.
Of course, we don’t notice this when we’re sleeping. But we feel fresher and better rested if we wake up in the light sleep than if we wake up closer to the deep sleep, or especially right in the middle of it.
That’s why it’s healthy to go to sleep every night at the same time and wake up in the morning at the same time. Eventually your body will sync up your awakening with the timing of your light sleep cycle.
On average, it takes us fifteen minutes to fall asleep. With that in mind, here’s what I do to sync my wake up time with my sleep cycles:
Go to sleep at 11:45 P.M.
Fall asleep at 12:00 A.M.
Wake up at 7:30 A.M. (after five cycles of sleep)
I also like to read fiction 15–20 minutes before going to bed. This calms me down and ensures I don’t have a high pulse when I go to sleep at 11:45. (I read fiction instead of nonfiction because novels stop you from thinking too hard, and I also just find them much more relaxing.)
#4. Start Your Day with Hot Water
Drinking a glass of hot water with lemon and ginger early in the morning cleanse and flushes out toxins. It also helps the digestive system, contributes to smoother bowel functions, and makes the elimination of waste products from your body much easier. This hot beverage is also just a nice way to wake up your body and help you get ready for the day ahead. Additionally, lemons are rich in phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and pectin fiber. While you might think it’s alkalizing for the body, lemon juice only alkalizes the urine, not the blood.
After this glass of hot water, I usually do my 30–60 minute workout to help me wake up and get my body started. I exercise from my home gym, so I don’t need to spend any time commuting. I do a variety of bodyweight exercises, but recently I started enjoying diamond push-ups (which are pretty difficult if you’re just getting started). Right after my workout, I have a breakfast of green juice. This gives the body a nutrient boost without overloading it too much.
Overall, this routine is a harmonious and pleasant start to my day. I recommend creating a morning routine that works just as well for you.
#5. Exercise Daily
Last but not least, it’s a good idea to exercise each day (or at least Monday to Friday) for at least thirty minutes. It helps your body detoxify through sweating, gives you more energy and oxygen, and elevates your mood. And, of course, it tones up your muscles and strengthens your joints and bones.
A less well-known fact about exercise is that it increases your brain power and helps balance your blood sugar throughout the day. Also, if you can do this physical activity in the morning, you’re laying a solid ground work for the rest of the day.
This is what I’ve experienced, and it really helps me get started in the morning. But don’t worry if you can’t do your workout in the morning. Just find thirty minutes in your day and make sure to get it done.
Over to You
That’s pretty much it. These five hacks might sound like general health stuff that everyone knows. But knowing isn’t the same as doing, is it? It only works when we actually apply and implement the things in our life that will help us. I challenge you to begin with at least one or two of the above tips and start living a better, healthier life right now.
Image from iStock/Choreograph (main image), dolgachov (water).
