4 Holiday Health Hints to Keep Your Body Happy

Holidays are here… and too often, in all the busyness, we can forget to take care of our bodies! Here are 4 easy ways to keep your body happy this holiday season.

1.  House Hike:

If the weather is too cold to go outside for your normal walk and you feel stuck in your house, take a “house hike!”

Here’s how:

Walk the inside perimeter of every room in your house, including stairs to upper floors and basements. Complete a full route 5-10 times. Put on some good tunes or a podcast and take off! You can even stay in your PJs.

2.  Hydrate:

Be conscious of your water intake, especially in the winter months. The heat in our homes and businesses tend to dry us out. Our organs will take whatever hydration we put into our bodies first. Our muscles get the leftovers. That is why it is super important to keep our body hydrated in order for it to function highly.

Here’s how: 

A common rule is to drink ½ of your body weight in ounces daily. More if you are very active. Keep a tally on your phone or fitness device of your water intake. You can set up reminders on some devices to remind you to hydrate. 

Also add some of your favorite fruit to your water cup. This will add taste and vitamins. Drink up!

3.  Get Off The Couch and Get On The Floor:

Get your feet above your heart for at least 5 minutes every day!

This creates circulation and blood flow to your feet like crazy. It allows any body fluid that gets stuck in the lower legs to flow back down into the heart to recirculate. It also relieves and relaxes the spine, lower back, and pelvis.  

Here’s how:

Lay on the floor on your back and lift your legs to prop onto a chair, sofa, ottoman with knees bent. You can take the soles of your feet together and let your knees open out. You can also stretch your arms over your head, whatever is comfortable for you. Just relax and let the body restore itself. Give yourself this time each day and “get your feet up.” 

Your body will thank you for it!

4.  Happy Feet, Happy Life:

Pay attention to your feet, especially in the winter. When the weather is cold, we wear heavier socks and shoes for warmth. This causes our feet to sweat and dry out. They also restrict movement of our feet and toes which reduces blood flow to them.

This is the crazy thing, we need blood flow for warmth! It’s time to free your feet.

Here’s how:

Every morning before you put on your socks for the day, massage your feet with some good cocoa butter lotion. Go in between each toe and separate with your finger. This will keep them from drying out and cracking. Massage also brings much needed attention and blood flow to the feet.  

Our feet are the foundation of our body. Keep your foundation HAPPY!

Happy holidays — and stay STRETCHING!

Stretch from home

this holiday season

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