The Basics of Physical Simplicity

There are a thousand blogs out there that will give you 27 Tips For Your Best Butt, 52 Steps To Your Healthiest You, or 105 Ways To Lose Weight Fast. I have never been a health expert, and I can’t give you a quantified list of tried-and-true tips to achieve whatever physical goal you’ve set for yourself, so if you’re looking for Quik Tipz, float on, dear reader, because you won’t find them here.

You'll find them here.

Keeping in mind my goal of simplicity, I’ve been paying close attention to my body, journaling what I eat and drink, how long and well I sleep, what I do, and how I feel. So this is a list of seven things that work for me – the simple basics, no fancy tricks.

Drink Water
So, so simple, and yet so easy to neglect. Drink water. It has dozens of benefits, which all add up to one big benefit: you feel better. Drinking water helps your body flush out toxins, improves your skin, and has been proven to improve weight loss and boost brain power. I have a 32 oz. Nalgene bottle that I try to fill up and drink twice every day. For me, 64 ounces (the classic goal) seems easier to tackle in two chunks rather than eight. I also use the MyFitnessPal app to keep track of how much water I drink every day.

Sleep
You know what they say – seven to eight hours of sleep a night makes a girl healthy, wealthy and wise. Or something. I find I can run okay on six to seven, but it doesn’t matter how much sleep I get if I go to bed after midnight. I don’t know what it is, but those pre-midnight hours are golden for me. If I’m asleep by nine thirty, I feel truly awesome the next morning. My great-grandfather used to say that the hours before midnight are the only ones that count!

Unplug
Put your phone in your underwear drawer and shut off the computer, TV, radio, whatever, for one hour every day. One hour. And as much as you can, keep screens out of your bedroom at night. I find that if I can shut down my electronics (and ask the Professor, I’m as addicted to my iPhone as the next 20-something) for an hour or so before bed, I sleep better and I feel more recharged. Spend that time reading, chatting, journaling, drinking wine, whatever. Your eyes (and relationships) will thank you.

Rest
This is different from sleep – although taking time to rest every day does help me sleep better at night. Remember that unplugged hour? That’s a good time to do something restful. I love to knit, and I’ve been spending an hour or so each day working on my latest project. I also love to read, do crossword puzzles (on paper, not online!), play with my cat, and write.

Get Fresh Air 
Go outside! Find some time – ten minutes at least – to get out and enjoy nature. I live in Colorado, where it’s easy to find fresh, clean air. I know it’s not that easy everywhere, but make a point to look up at the sky a couple of times a day, and check out the stars at night. We spend a lot of our time looking down – at our phones, at our feet, digging through a purse or bag, etc. Look up sometimes, and breathe deep. It’s amazing how refreshed I feel just by stepping outside for a few minutes a day. We’ve had a couple of bitter cold days lately where if you’re outside for very long at all you risk frostbite, and I can definitely feel the difference.

Cook
More on food in a later post, but an easy-enough way to feel good is to cook what you eat. Don’t let Stouffers do the cooking for you – buy the ingredients and put it together yourself. Limit your microwave use and get familiar with your stove and oven. Whether it’s a stir-fry, a baked potato, or pancakes and scrambled eggs, cooking from scratch will help you stay aware of portion sizes (because overeating never feels good) and is generally healthier than pre-made, processed foods. And plus, cooking something delicious feels like an accomplishment. And just remember, if you’re thinking “but I can’t cook!” – practice makes perfect.

Be Active
I don’t mean work out hard every day (although if you do, you have my respect). You just have to move. Get up, get out, do some stretching – including your face (do it, you’ll thank me) – go for a walk, a run, play catch with your dog. Whatever, so long as when you fall into bed at night your limbs don’t feel like they might atrophy from inactivity.

So there you have it – seven simple basics that help me feel healthy. I can’t promise that they’ll work for everyone, but I can promise that trying them won’t hurt!

So consider: what are your basics? What simple steps do you take each day to feel your best?