Let’s break through the noise and provide some clarity around what you should be focusing on and what is important when it comes to looking after yourself.

In this day and age, we are absolutely saturated with information around our health and fitness. Especially thanks to the endless source of knowledge at the tip of our fingertips at any given moment. Although this is a powerful and helpful tool in many ways, it can also be overwhelming, misleading and darn right confusing when it comes to sourcing knowledge around our health and wellness. Let this article give you some clear and simple advice on how to improve your wellbeing today.

Get in your 10k

This is by far the simplest thing you can do to improve your cardiovascular (heart) health. Most people generally aim to hit 10,000 steps per day. If you don’t have a smartwatch or pedometer, they are a great investment in your health and give you a really good guide around how active you are (or aren’t). There are so many cheap options now when it comes to fitness watches.

Of course, getting your steps in means you are being active, but it also usually means you have clocked up some steps outside (hopefully). Getting fresh air and some vitamin D is so good for your mental health and giving yourself a break from the stresses of work and family life. If you currently aren’t getting many steps in or not having much time outside your truck or office, make the effort to get outside for at least 30 minutes a day. This can be in small increments of five to 10 minutes several times a day if you struggle to find 30 minutes in one block.

Eat that protein

The basic guideline is that you need 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, if you weigh 85kg, you would be recommended to eat 68g of protein per day. So how does this equate to staple foods that we eat every day? Here are some basic foods to give you an idea: one egg has six grams of protein, a cup of milk has eight grams of protein and 100g of chicken has 25g of protein. If this is all sounding a bit much, there are apps that will calculate everything for you. You can even scan in barcodes if you’re eating packaged food – a very handy cheat! Getting enough protein in will ensure that you are fuller for longer and it also helps in muscle recovery and building lean muscle.

Lift some tin

Feeling strong and capable translates to all facets of life and it also helps with bone density as you get older. There are endless benefits to lifting weights. Whether your goal is to lose weight or build muscle, lifting weights will tick both those boxes for you and more! If you’re not a gym goer, that’s totally fine. The only thing I would be wary of if setting up a home gym is ensuring that the equipment is well maintained and safe, as well as being confident that your form and technique are correct. Too often, people new to weightlifting attempt risky movements with too much weight and end up hurting themselves. The benefit to working out at a gym is that you are given a programme and go through a thorough demonstration with a trained professional. Regardless of which option you choose, please make sure that the movements you are doing are safe, correct and suitable for your body and background – because everyone is so different!

Stack some Zs

Sometimes, our sleep routine is slightly out of our hands but, to the best of your ability, you need to ensure you are getting adequate rest and sleep. If you are sleep-deprived and your body has no chance to rest and repair, every element of your life will be affected – your work, relationships, friendships, health and fitness. You know the difference between waking up after a good night’s sleep versus waking up after a few hours of tossing and turning. It also affects our moods and the decisions we make towards our nutrition.

Your schedule may be unpredictable, which is tricky, but if you know ahead of time roughly when you’ll be finishing work one day and starting work the next, try to map out your schedule and time so you know that you will get a good amount of sleep in before you’re behind the wheel the next day.

Focusing on these four things over the coming months and years will have a dramatic change in your health and fitness. I know that is a dramatic claim, but I stand behind that 100%. If you’re not feeling or looking any different after implementing change in those four areas after six months, I will eat my hat.