Easing Back Into a Healthier Lifestyle

As the days get warmer and we approach the end of Ramadan and dive into the beginning of summer, we’ll be needing a lot more energy to get our bodies back into shape and lead healthier lifestyles. During Ramadan where our days turn into nights and nights become days, it is difficult to maintain healthy sleeping and eating habits, unless you are one of those people that religiously train every day before Iftar. However, if you are like most people, you probably haven’t gotten a chance to do that. It’s not always easy to make huge lifestyle changes to help yourself get into shape, I always prefer small baby changes, one at a time, so that my healthy habits remain permanent and long lasting. Here are a few ways I’ve found that help me get back into shape when I’ve fallen off the health wagon:

Water
I like to start with the easiest, drinking enough water for my body. Water has an incredible amount of health benefits and most of us don’t drink nearly enough to replenish our body and give it everything it needs. And no, water in your coffee doesn’t count as water. If it’s during Ramadan, you want to continue sipping on water slowly from the time you break your fast to the time you have sohour. If it’s any other time of the year, I always like to take my own little glass bottle around with me and continue to fill it up, wherever I am, continuously sipping on it. I’ve found that many times when I think I’m hungry, I am actually thirsty and that my body is starving for water or is even severely dehydrated.

Sleep
Where do I begin with the endless ways we damage our bodies when we don’t sleep well. We’ve found that most people sleep about four to six hours every night and don’t get anywhere near enough sleep that their bodies need. Start by adding an extra 30 minutes to your sleep time every night, until you reach seven to nine hours of sleep at night. I love coming up with my own bedtime rituals to get my body ready and cozy enough so that it is relaxed and can sleep. I stop using my phone two hours before I sleep, and switch off the television as well. The lightwaves that come out of the TV make our minds alert, making it very difficult for us to go into deep sleep once we are ready to get underneath the covers. Come up with your own bedtime rituals to help you sleep better.

Eating Right
Now, I’m not going to tell you don’t ever eat your favorite food. What I am going to say is this, if there is something you are dying to eat, then eat a small piece of it. But, the key is that in general you should be eating the things your body needs to replenish itself. A lot of our mood swings, skin problems, and bloating come from eating the wrong things for our bodies. Our bodies need certain foods to help us bloom, but instead we’re feeding it food that slows us down and doesn’t help us keep going during the day. It’s all a matter of rewiring our brains and understanding that food is meant to help us feel good. But we need to get real about the types of foods that should be the constant and keep the fried, oily and sugary for only occasionally indulging moments. And yes, absolutely, we can all have those moments.

Movement
It doesn’t matter how you choose to move, just move. There isn’t one right or wrong way to do this, you just have to pick a movement that works for you. If yoga is what gets you excited, then do yoga. If it’s circuit training because you like the adrenaline rush, then go for it. Pick something that works for you, something that gets you excited and that you look forward to in your day, and do that. It doesn’t matter what is trending or what anyone thinks you need to be doing. You know your body better than anyone else, so listen to what your body needs and go for it. For me personally, I’ve fallen in love with a type of training called Animal Flow that I coach at Ignite, and on my own time, this is how I train because it gets me excited and I feel good. A lot of training options are booming in Egypt, so do your research, look around, find the right coach and training program for you, and dive right into it. Not only will your body feel good, but more importantly, your mind will completely transform.

Deana Shaaban is a Performance Training Specialist at Ignite Egypt. On Instagram @deanashaaban / @ignite.egypt