Reestablish Healthy Habits this Spring

Spring is the season of rejuvenation, renewal and rebooting (yes, there is a theme in this post that I’m sure you’ve recognized). I often consider spring to be similar to New Year’s Day in this regard. The snow and cold have retreated, for the most part, there’s more hours of daylight and you’ve started to, at least, reassess your spring wardrobe if not actually worn some spring fashions outside the house. Spring is the perfect time to reevaluate your current health status and then make the necessary changes. Below are a few suggestions to help you establish a healthy rebirth this spring.

• Rededicate yourself to moving more and sitting less. With the better weather and increased hours of daylight, you really have no excuse not to get outside and get moving. So, stop creating them. Look, you don’t have to start training for a marathon this spring, simply reintroduce yourself to nature and go for a walk in the woods. Locate the trails in your area and go check them out, preferably with friends and without phones. Or find some other form of movement that you enjoy whether it’s biking, kayaking, paddle boarding, jogging, outdoor yoga, gardening, golfing (without the cart), tennis, or paddle ball.
• Revamp your diet to include more things that grow from the ground. No, you don’t need to totally eliminate meat from your diet, but study after study has revealed that reducing the amount of red meat you consume is good for your overall health. Yes, I understand that spring is the precursor to the summer barbeque season, but there are plenty of things you can grill aside from red meat, such as white meat, seafood and, yes, vegetables.
• Rehydrate wisely. As the weather warms up, our sweet sweat glands swing into action. As a result, we need to replenish the water we lose as our bodies work harder to keep cool and the answer does not involve alcohol. In fact, alcohol exacerbates dehydration, so put the beer and wine down until you’ve fully rehydrated with cool, refreshing water.
• Relax with some “me time” every day. And no, relaxing does not necessarily involve social media. Light some candles, play some relaxing music, grab a trashy novel and soak in the tub for a while. Set up a bird feeder and spend 10 minutes every day watching nature. For some reason, bird watching tends to be very soothing. Treat yourself to a massage or spa treatment once-in-a-while. Find something that refloats your relaxation boat and use it on a regular basis.
• Reaffirm your vow to get enough sleep every night. With the extended hours of daylight, the urge to stay up later can be a bit overwhelming. Resist the urge, especially if your wakeup time remains unchanged. Lack of adequate sleep does more than make one tired the next day. When we fail to get enough sleep, our stress levels increase while out mental acuity decreases. The human brain requires sleep to refresh itself and get ready for the next day. Do not let an eight o’clock sunset keep you up past your bedtime.
• Reapply the sunscreen often. Remember, we come out of the winter months with little to no sun exposure. Do not wander outside this April on a warm, sunny day and forget the sunscreen. It’s still very possible to suffer from sunburn in April and May. Oh yeah, overexposure to the sun has been linked to skin cancer. So, there is that also.
• Reconnect with your long, lost summer friends. Especially since COVID restrictions have eased in most locations. It’s good for the heart, mind and soul to get back out there and begin socializing again after spending the winter months trapped in the house. Spring is the time to call, email, text, facetime, or Instagram your friends you haven’t seen since November.

Remember, the habits you recreate this spring will stay with you throughout the summer and fall. Now is the season to start being more active, eating better, drinking more water, getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night, locating the sunscreen (and using it) and getting the band back together…Blues Brothers reference for relocating old friends. Reawaken the healthy you this spring.