Jolo Berueco
THE secret to becoming more fit and healthy?
Rest and recovery.
That’s right, paired with an active lifestyle or training program, getting enough rest and eating properly should be a top priority. Sleep allows your body to rest and is actually when your body begins to rebuild and create new muscle fibers. Getting an adequate amount of sleep also increases focus, wakefulness, and reduces stress. Eating healthy and appropriately for your lifestyle is equally as important. This is what fuels your body day to day, providing the building blocks and nutrients that your body needs.
Other methods of recovery can be quite useful as well, such as stretching, using a sauna, or a cold plunge. These are great ways to reduce muscle soreness and fatigue. If you’re unsure of where to start, I’ll be sharing simple strategies anyone can start using to improve their rest and recovery.
I want you to imagine your body as being a well-built house. A house needs a sturdy foundation to provide it stability, and quality sleep is exactly the same for your health. Meanwhile, proper nutrition and ample protein act as essential building materials, constantly repairing and maintaining your body’s structure. Prioritizing these elements is crucial in building a good base for your fitness and eating habits. Hopefully with these tips, getting fit and healthy is a little simpler.
Vastly improving your amount and quality of sleep could be as easy as simply limiting phone/tablet and TV use before bed. Sleeping in a colder and comfortable room also allows you to fall asleep quicker. This is because as your body prepares for sleep, its core temperature drops two hours before you actually fall asleep, hence why having a cold room gives the ideal environment for this process to occur. Sleep is not only crucial to recovering from exercise and building new muscle, but wakefulness and focus as well. According to the National Sleep Foundation, those who are chronically lacking adequate sleep often feel mood instability, reduced attention, judgment skills, and focus.
Sleep is a big piece of the fitness puzzle, and so are good eating habits. Special diets and obsessing over measuring each little thing that goes into your meals isn’t required to make progress in your fitness journey. You can keep it simple just by ensuring you eat whole foods and have a balanced diet with enough protein. This provides your body with a multitude of essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients it needs to perform and function properly.
If you exercise regularly and/or are trying to shed a few pounds of fat, getting enough protein daily is crucial. Consuming around 1g per lb of body weight is a good standard for men, and around 0.7g per lb for women. You don’t have to go ahead and start measuring your food, however. So, you can put the food scale down and measure cups away. A simple trick to getting enough protein is to just have a fistful of protein in each of your meals. Protein not only is what your body uses to restore and build muscle, but also keeps you fuller and more satiated compared to carbohydrates and fats. That isn’t to say that it’s more important than them. They are all equally important in making sure all the processes in the body happen smoothly. Simply making sure you eat whole foods, and keeping a balanced diet are two irreplaceable habits that anyone aiming to feel healthy, and fit should have.
Prioritizing your sleep and developing healthy eating habits aren’t just core components to a fitness routine, they are essential to a thriving lifestyle. Your journey to self-improvement doesn’t have to be complicated, it can be as simple as making small changes a little bit at a time. Embrace the power of rest and recovery and watch your health and fitness journey reach new heights. Get active and stay fit CNMI!
Jolo Berueco is an International Sports Sciences Association certified personal trainer of Latte Built Fitness.
