Live Your Healthiest Life With These Two Habits

Written by, Coach Chris Wessels

How was your sleep last night?

You might be thinking to yourself “Coach Chris, I know sleep is important to my health, what else do I need to know”? You are absolutely right, and I am going to break down the best ways to improve your quality of sleep in order for you to feel more restful and energized while supporting your gains (Greater Quality of Sleep = More Muscle Growth and Recovery). Over the course of our lives we have different sleeping patterns; in the earlier years we are told when to go to bed...by our BODIES. How many times do you see a baby or small child sleeping in public? I am sure we have all wanted to fall asleep in our adult years though the circumstance does not always permit us to do so. Our bodies work so hard to keep us functioning throughout the day...even more so when you are crushing a workout… so we MUST thank our bodies and minds by resting and recovering. Without an adequate amount of sleep we are missing out on muscle growth, increased energy, and fat loss. Instead, poor sleep can lead to decreased reaction time, alertness, and a slower metabolism.  

How many hours of sleep should you get per night? 

Ideally our bodies need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. I know what you are thinking…”How am I supposed to get that much sleep with my schedule?”, and that is a great question! Building healthy habits before bed is crucial to a successful night of rest. Limiting caffeine intake 6 hours before bed and avoiding screen time 30 minutes before bed are two habits you can implement to improve your sleep. If you have an iPhone, try utilizing the “Sleep” features under your settings. You can personalize your alarm for each day of the week depending on your schedule and select the “Wind-down” feature to enable “Sleep” mode before bed. This option is a gentle reminder to put your phone away and prioritize those Z’s by muting your notifications and offering a “Good Night” message. 

I understand it is not always easy to incorporate 7-9 hours of sleep every night. I challenge you to form a new healthy sleeping habit in order to get closer to this goal. If you are like myself and have to wake up at 4:00am some days of the week, do your best to get as many nights of restful sleep as you can. Maybe this is one night for you, maybe it is five nights...start with a goal that is feasible and continue to grow the habit from there. With conscious consistency, you will fall into a routine that becomes a lifestyle and you will notice more energy throughout the day, better results in the gym, and a clearer mind! 

Have you been drinking water today? How much?

Water Water Water….Water Water....Water!!! Water is the means of our existence, it has been circulating throughout our bodies before we were born, it makes up most of Earth’s surface. But how much does it make up your daily routine? A great place to start is half of your bodyweight in ounces. For example, if you are 150lbs then you should be drinking at least 75 ounces of water each day. Another great way to test your hydration levels is through your bathroom breaks. If your pee looks like water then you should be pretty hydrated. On the other hand, if your pee looks like a freshly squeezed glass of lemonade, try taking some more sips. It can be challenging to track your water intake throughout the day. 

One way that has helped me is a refillable water bottle. Look at the number of fluid ounces under the bottle and use this to measure your intake. If you are 200lbs and you have a 40oz bottle, try drinking 2 ½ a day. If this does not seem realistic, start small and keep progressing until you reach that point. Before you eat your avocado toast or drink your pumpkin spiced latte, take an internal shower with a large glass of water. This will cleanse your system while initiating healthy skin and a quicker metabolism  for the rest of the day. Sometimes I will make a game out of it, I might think to myself “I am going to finish the rest of this bottle before I leave for work” or “I will drink an extra bottle during my workout”. If you keep the refillable bottle near you throughout the day, you will be more likely to reach your daily goal. And be sure to give yourself a crisp pat on the back when you do. 

There are so many ways to live your HEALTHIEST life! I hope you found these two helpful and I look forward to hearing about your success. I will leave you with a question to ask yourself, What is one healthy habit you will implement today? Practice this habit everyday until it becomes a routine then a lifestyle. 

I hope you have a wonderful day. Stay happy, Stay healthy!