In today's Friday Favorites post I'm giving you 4 Lifestyle Strategies that help with hormone balance and then a weekend workout you can do just about anywhere!
4 Lifestyle Strategies That Help With Hormonal Balance
If you're feeling sluggish, can't seem to lose weight, don't sleep well, crave sugar or salty foods, have a low libido or get afternoon headaches, it could be that your hormones are out of balance. Your lifestyle, including the way that you eat, the stress in your life, how well you sleep and your immediate environment are huge players in how balanced your hormones are. Implement these lifestyle changes and see how you feel!
1. Eat enough throughout the day : I cannot tell you how many women I work with that aren't eating enough food. Society has engrained it into our heads that we need to under eat to lose weight. When you don't eat enough food, your metabolism slows down and you completely stress out your adrenal glads. This leads to weight gain and exhaustion and really just puts your body through the wringer. It's so important that you are getting the nutrition that you need throughout the day. Start with really healthy fats, especially in the morning, and make sure that you aren't skipping meals.
2. Get at least 7 hours of sleep : Sleep is essential for rehabbing your hormones and repairing your body. Most people try to cut corners on sleep to get more work done or stay up to watch a show (you can watch Game of Thrones on HBO Go anytime, so go to bed!), but all you're doing is hurting your own body. Shoot for at least 7 hours please!
3. Meditate, do yoga, stay calm : Okay so this is way easier said than done but the less pressure you can put on your adrenals, the better. Start by adding 5 minutes of meditation to your morning or simply take 5 slow, deep breaths before your next big meeting. If you start small, meditation doesn't seem as daunting.
4. Avoid Toxins : Unfortunately, in todays world, we are surrounded by toxins. They live in our food, air and home. The best thing you can do is control the toxins in your home and food by going organic, using glass instead of plastic and clean with organic and natural cleaning products. I also make sure that I have a live plant in every room to help detox the air.
Your Weekend Workout
This is my go-to workout when I'm on a trip or want to get something really quick but tough in. It's pretty darn hard and will get you in all the right places! Start off with 5 minutes of warm up and then 5 minutes of cool down. If you're doing this at home or away from the gym, try running around the block for 5 minutes to get your body ready.
Perform each exercise for 3 minutes. Rest 1 minute. Then do each exercise for 2 minutes. Rest 1 minute. End by doing each exercise for 1 minute (fast) and then you're done! Example -> Squats for 3 minutes, right into push ups for 3 minutes, right into walking lunges for 3 minutes and then plank for 3 minutes followed by 1 minute rest. Yes, this is a super hard workout but you can do it! Modify as needed and take short breaks so you can finish strong.
Squats
Push Ups
Walking Lunges
Plank
Warm Down : Jog or walk around the block to get your heart rate back down. Then, do a little bit of stretching or roll out on a foam roller if you have one.