It’s getting just that bit warmer. Thoughts of getting out and about for beach days, or lazy days on the grass, reading in the sunshine are getting more vividly appealing. You can’t wait but, like everyone else, you have to. You’ve come out of winter hibernation and had all good intentions for some spring cleaning, but you just need a little bit of a kick along to get the body strong in time for summer. Here are some ways that can help.
- For the love of water
Are you drinking enough of this sky juice? This pure thirst quencher, H2O cocktail and ‘basis of all living things’ bevy? Keeping ourselves well hydrated is important to help maintain our bodily functions. Our body uses water for regulating the ‘who’s who’ of everything we do. Our bodies lose water when we breathe, sweat, digest what we’ve chowed down, as well as what comes out down below, our pee or poo.
It’s important to keep the process flowing and replace what we use and lose by drinking enough fluid. Just remember WATER IS BEST! A trusty water bottle can be a very handy accessory. There are so many styles and varieties out there. It can be a great visual reminder to keep you functioning well for the warmer weather that’s about to land on us. Make your hydration stakes high!
2. Eating well
Take care of YOU by eating well. Those winter layers may not just have been in the clothing department and little naughty delectable moments have been a few more lately especially around your exam or study cramming. That’s ok, but you all know you can make great choices when you need to.
Recipe creations can be a lot of fun. Get into the habit of having healthy meals prepared so that you do not have to grab a quick noodle packet on the run. Think about what you’re putting into your body like fuel, you want to put the best in there so it runs well. Check out these great recipes challenges for some ideas
There is ‘spring cleaning’ and there is even ‘body cleansing’. There are a lot of these types of diets out there. The main rule of thought here is that you’re trying to help your body, particularly your liver (your filter queen) get rid of things that don’t help it – namely toxins. You can simply and cheaply do this daily by incorporating foods that naturally do this!
Do you know that beetroot contains some fancy stuff that can act as a great blood purifier and liver cleanser? What about broccoli? It has some more fancy stuff too which helps the liver transform toxins into a form that we can get rid of.
You’ve heard all the latest on the go down with sugar, so not much more needs to be said other than cut down on what goes down otherwise it will take you down! Make healthy choices that will help you have a strong food game.
3. Moving and groovin’
Now girls, it is so much more than about fitting into your bikini or nice skirt this summer. The benefits of exercise I’m sure have been drilled into you. Increased energy, body strength, improved body weight/weight loss, and don’t forget the mind and mood benefits with all those released endolphins (the cute version of endorphins).
Some simple ways to get stronger and exercising more is to just move more. The classroom or study environment and even the office environment don’t help your butt mojo too well. Standing up for a stretch break and taking a little walk every 20 minutes appears to be a winner in today’s’ science buff research. Just moving more is the word. Working out at home is a great way of exercising regularly and it’s free. Not all of us have to be gym buffs, groupies or junkies. Exercising with friends can be great for your motivation. What better way to get stronger and healthier by exercising with your buddies, killing some social connection at the same time?
Whether you enjoy walking more than running, competitive sport or not, even a little move on the dance floor, keeping active every day will hold you well for now, this summer and beyond. Get moving.
4. Below The Belt
We here at GATF are all about empowering you to take control where you can and being all that you can be. One of the major things we try and do is make you more aware of you down below that belt. Statistics indicate that 1 in 8 teenage girls deal with incontinence or bladder leakage issues. Among these stats and maybe even with figures above these are teenagers that deal with pelvic floor problems. These statistics increase for women, particularly after having a baby or two or three. Your Pelvic Floor Muscles are important in holding all of what’s inside and above them up. They also have the important function of controlling what comes out of your bladder and bowel. Your pee and poo! If they have become too weak and stretchy, you can lose that control. If they become too tight and unable to relax, you can lose control.
There are exercises you can do to help strengthen these important muscles, so get onto our website have a little gander, get aware and take control down there for a stronger you!
5. Give yourself a brain boost
There are a lot of challenges in this here life. We will all have had, or are having and continue to have them. Despite these things, life is still good! Like the seasons of winter and spring, your season of exams, study or even the crappy mood you’re in is going to pass. With so much still to do, learn, discover and achieve, the ‘ahead’ is looking good baby! So even with some ups and downs at points, you can aim to make your headspace game strong.
Give yourself a brain boost! Speaking positives to yourself have been proven in research to affect your brain chemistry for the better. So if you haven’t already, start telling yourself you’re amazing. You actually are. So believe it. There is no one else in this world like you, because you are the only you – queen. There are no odds on that!
6. Listen to your body
Have you ever listened to your body? You do it every day. You drink when you’re thirsty. You eat when you’re hungry. You cover yourself with your favourite sequenced hemmed sleeve denim jacket when you are cold. For summer, yes, you are going to take it off when you are warm and bathe yourself in the airstream of that air-con. When you are tired at night, you go to bed. That’s the intention anyway, especially when there is some late night study crams involved or a friends party that’s still going.
To be mindful of how you feel physically is a good gauge to taking care of yourself well and doing something when it doesn’t feel right, like bladder leakage or pain ‘down there’.
When parameters are pushed say in exercise, it can be a good thing. When you’re trying to achieve new fitness levels or just bettering your personal best. When lines are pushed in forgetting to drink during your school or work hours because you’ve been so busy, your body is going to tell you with your cracked lips and headache!
Listen to your body for a stronger you this summer.
7. Sleep please
Get your sleep peoples. As mentioned before you go to bed when you feel tired. Life happens blah. But the benefits of a good night’s sleep remain the same and yell out loudly.
Resting your body is all about a bit if a recharge, recovery and energy restoration period, period. When we don’t get enough sleep our body misses out on the vital body processes that happen which affect our health and wellbeing for the next day and beyond if not fixed. We don’t want you to lose any of that. Don’t cramp your queen style!
Who would want to miss out on dreaming, which apparently is essential for our minds for processing and consolidating emotions, memories and stress? It is also thought to be vital for stimulating the brain in all things creative.
Ok, so let’s start dreaming more hey and be stronger for it!
8. Take time out for you
When life gets busy with exams, study, work and the ‘this’ and ‘that’, it’s time to craft some time in their just for you.
What do you love doing? Find something you enjoy doing whether that is reading, cooking, metal detecting or people watching. The list is endless. Just to be and relax with friends and family with no agendas attached can be something that is high up on your scale. Being with people that accept you for who you are in whatever state you are in is a gift not to be ignored. Having time to talk and vent does fantastic wonders for our mind. It helps us process things we are going through and often gives us a better perspective on how we see things in life. Having time for YOU can help you grasp a little more of whom you are and who you are becoming. Being you and not someone else definitely makes a Stronger you! You’re a queen. Bring on the holidays!
9. Take time out for others
So from taking time out for you, we go to taking time out to think of others. We here at GATF are about empowering you to taking back control where you can and being the best you can be. We’re also about helping you see the significant impact you can have on the people around you. Your friends, family, schoolmates, your neighbours, even your dog. Toning down your sass and badass can be helpful at times. Always know that everybody has a story to tell. Give them room to tell it in amongst you telling your story.
Are there things that you want to change? In your life, in your school, in your nation, in another nation maybe? Then be that change! Stand up, be strong and be the change you want to see. Ra Ra!
10. Let’s get a bit of think thank
Being thankful or grateful is a characteristic we could all learn, yeah yeah you say. Yeah, well the science buffs have proof that it can improve your physical health. It effectively increases happiness and reduces depression. It helps you get less narky with your parents and others around you – you lean more into that famous word ‘empathy’ when you’re grateful and even a bit more ‘prosocial’. It reduces stress and they have also found that it can play a major role in overcoming trauma, now that’s a big one. Even during really tough times, recognising all you have to be thankful for makes you just that bit stronger and resilient.
A little practice with an attitude for gratitude will take you a long way! Get a bit of your queen of thank status and #GATF!
Go Against The Flow girls and be that STRONG you for summer – even with the bits no one sees! #OwnIt
