It’s normal to strive for a little bit more of something. After a long day at the office, a top by the local fast-food joint or order from Door Dash seems like the simple solution. Sitting on the couch and turning on the ball game while scrolling through text messages and social media sounds enticing. Little do we know that a burger from Jack in the Box will give us heartburn and make us feel like we swallowed a brick. Those “quick” texts and glances through Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok can turn into sixty minutes of staring at our phones like a zombie from Michael Jackson’s music video, Thriller. What if we could fit a healthy habit before we commit to these simple solutions after a long day’s work? If might seem like pouring a bucket of water into an ocean. However, finding a way to squeak in an extra healthy habit significantly impacts our everyday health and happiness.
Making your bed after you wake up is one of the easiest ways to prepare for a good night’s sleep. Regardless of the outcome of your day, you still have a warm bed welcoming your weary body for some much-needed rest. This could take an extra five to ten minutes in your morning to fortify your day’s positive outcome. In addition, looking into other simple habits can snowball into performing more healthy habits. For example, could making your bed one extra time per week help you lose weight, decrease pain, reduce the risk of falling, or create more happiness in your life?
This same concept of performing just a bit more work contributes to our lifetime fitness journey. Examples might include anything from a college athlete in the weight room putting on five more pounds to their one repetition max lift or a couple taking leisurely walks taking ten more steps before they turn around to go home. These examples demonstrate how a little more effort moves us past our comfort zone. The additional weight lifted by the college athlete may lead to lifting five more pounds on their next attempt or even ten pounds on their third attempt. The couple taking nightly strolls who took those extra ten steps support their ability to improve their walking performance and eventually walk an additional block or even another half mile to their routine walks. Devising methods to add a few more simple tactics can create a potent chain reaction to another healthy habit.
The extra steps we take on our walks, the one more set of squats, or the extra sheet that we flatten and place a pillow neatly on top puts us closer than we imagine to have the power to pave a stronger and healthier path in our lives.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
