Weekly Health Goals
Do you have health and fitness goals? What areas do you consider valuable when related to your health, energy levels, and general physical happiness? What is your threshold for hitting an appropriate level of self care on a weekly basis? Health and fitness fit under self care, and we should all have a standard. Everyone has a different level of work and personal life demands, and everyone has a different amount of privilege and resources. We still should have a goal when it comes to taking care of your minds and bodies.
If I were to break down weekly self care goals into categories, I would include sleep, fuel, hydration, cardio, neuromuscular training, and mobility. This is not about spiritual or inner self care, although there is a lot of research connecting movement to mental health. Let’s go through each category and talk discuss a few goals to help improve each category individually as well as minimums when it comes to goals.
When I think about sleep, I think about my time before bed actually serving my quality of sleep. I think about my experience on my bed, and my pillows/sheets and how this serves my sleep. I also think about the length of sleep, so that I ensure I am getting enough hours per night. Goals for sleep should be about 7 to 9 hours a night, and in some cases needing more for elite athletes. Consistency is key with selfcare and it is also true with sleep. If you start a pre-sleep habit of reducing lights, caffeine, sugar, and even temperature (around 18 celcius), you will find your sleep to be more successfully restorative. Your body will love winding down at the same time each day and will find it easier to fall fast asleep.
The next area that has a huge impact on selfcare is fuel and nutrition. Balance is key with fuel as well as variety. Make sure your meals and your snacks are packed with both protein, fibre, and nutrient dense food. You want to always be cognizant of exercise load and energy intake. If you are exercising more, you will need more food. If you are exercising less, eating your normal amount of food may make you feel sluggish. It is always best to eat smaller more frequent portions, so allow yourself the time to feel full before increasing your food intake. Try making one meal per week a completely veggie meal (but include high protein items like tofu, grains, seitan). Take advantage of seasonal items to give yourself variety and remember what you eat determines how you feel throughout your day.
Alongside food and nutrition comes hydration. On an average day, adults should be consuming 6-8 cups or 1.5-2 litres of water per day. This should increase with exercise or hot weather. For athlete, water intake should be spread out throughout the day. Ensure you are hydrated before starting activity. Concerned about electrolytes? Try coconut water, pedialyte, or even eating a pickle or a banana. Water and electrolytes support many functions in the body, just try not to drink too much water before bed as a way to make up for a lack of daily hydration! Carrying a water bottle around can really help keep you hydrated all day long.
Our next category relates to heart health; aerobic activity or cardio. The Canadian government recommends around 150 minutes of moderate (slight difficulty in chatting while working out) activity per week. This can be spread out but ideally you would get 30 min per day with extra activity on the weekend. Try to get more cardio in your day naturally by walking more often. Swing your arms, and push your speed to increase the demand on your heart. Try taking the stairs or biking around the city when you can as well. Signing up for a class or sport can also guarantee you a certain amount of cardio each week.
Strength and neuromuscular training should also be included in selfcare. Having regular resistance style training has a few benefits. Strength training 2-3 times per week will increase your bone density, your sitting metabolic rate, and allow you to stay strong for activities of daily living. Whether you use body weight, free weight, or resistance bands, your body responds to load. Unfortunately, the same goes for lack of load. Your body will start to atrophy and get rid of muscle that is unused. Weight training is not just for body builders, but truly is for anyone concerned about bone density and muscle mass.
Our last category for selfcare is mobility work. This is not as essential as other areas mentioned, but will prevent stiffness and maintain the range you have as you age. When stretching or doing mobility work, it is best to do warm, so tack on to your cardio or weight training schedule. Taking breaks during work is also a big part of mobility selfcare. I always recommend trying to get up and move every 50 minutes for 10 minutes. I also recommend changing your position while you are working every 20 minutes if possible. Learning how to roll your back or glutes can also come in handy during a long (and painful) workday of sitting for too long.
No matter what your selfcare looks like, use this blog as a template to maintain variety and consistency. You will notice the benefits on a daily basis and over the long term. Selfcare leads to happiness, independence, and of course health. If you are needing support, ideas, or a more concrete plan, get in touch with licensed healthcare providers like Chiropractors and Naturopaths to discuss strategies to improve your overall wellbeing with a few daily and weekly tactics.
To speak with Dr. Gray at Made To Move on the Danforth, book a virtual coaching appointment or an in-person Chiropractic appointment. Either way, you are not alone, and we are here to help!
