Ready for challenge fifteen? We had a slow start to spring in Minneapolis but the last two weeks have been gorgeous and it is starting to warm up.  Being outside without a coat on and feeling the sun on my skin is something I never get tired of.  It feels like it is never going to come (6 months of winter is a long time) and then all of a sudden it’s here.  The plants have buds and slowly but surely the grass is a tad greener each day.  There is nothing I love more than being outside and I never realized how much nature can help you heal whether physically, emotionally or spiritually until I started to really tune in. This months challenge is to get outside.  Sounds simple right?  It is is!  All you have to do is spend a little time each day outside either doing an activity or just sitting quietly in reflection.  You can use your outside time however you please.  I am going to share a few health benefits to spending time with nature as well as some ideas to get you outside more often. 5 Health Benefits To Spending Time Outside 1. Natural light can help mood and mental wellbeing.  Did you ever notice how sunshine just makes you feel happy? 2. Reduced stress.  Whether its the sun, the beauty of nature or the birds chirping.  Being outside has a complete calming affect on our bodies. 3. Can help increase Vitamin D levels naturally.  Vitamin D is critical for so many functions in the body and most people are deficient given the time the majority of the population spends indoors. 4. Helps you get better quality sleep.  Exposure to natural light helps to balance your circadian rhythms which are naturally linked to the suns scheudle. 5. Allows you to have more fun.  Spending time outdoors doing the things you love is going to automatically force you to have fun and having fun may be the greatest benefit of all! 5 Ideas To Get You Outside More 1. Eat as many meals as you can outside.  During warm months in Minneapolis we eat outside as often as we can.  It’s one of my favorite parts of spring and summer. 2. Take your workout or meditation practice outside. 3. Be social outside.  Instead of meeting a friend for dinner or at bar invite them to take…

Ready for challenge thirteen? What is something that requires little to no effort and can be done practically everywhere?  Give up?  It’s stretching! Stretching can help with a number of things such as flexibility and range of motion, relieving stiff muscles, circulation and stress relief.  This weeks challenge is to incorporate a stretching routine into your day whether it’s in the morning, evening or a few times throughout the day.  The goal is to stretch for at least 10-15 min each and every day.  If you are already have a solid stretching routine that is great!  If you need a few tips to get started see below. You will be amazed at how quickly you will see changes in your flexibility with daily stretching and, more than likely overtime your pain levels will lesson too.  Before I share my tips I  have a bonus challenge for you this week.  When you are stretching use this time to either practice daily gratitude or say affirmations.  You can refer back to challenges one and three if you need help on how to do this. Stretching Tips Ensure your muscles are slightly warm.  You don’t have to do a huge workout.  Just march in place for a few minutes or take a short walk up and down the hall at your office or home before your start.  A slight warm up will help you to avoid a pulled muscle. Go slow!  Take your time to slowly get into the stretch and hold it for up to 30 seconds once you settle in. Make it pain free.  A stretch will feel a bit uncomfortable but should feel good.  It should not hurt.  If it hurts pull out of the stretch until you feel the stretch but without pain. Repeat it.  You can do certain stretches more than once if you feel you need to.  As you repeat, try to relax even further into the stretch. Stretch each side of your body.  You want to ensure you are doing the same stretch for each side to keep things balanced. Don’t forget to breath.  Breathing helps with everything!  Before stretching take a breath and as you move into the stretch exhale slowly.  It’s easy to hold your breath and restrict breathing when stretching especially if there is some discomfort.  Breathing will help your body relax which will make stretching more beneficial. Don’t know what stretches to…

Ready for challenge eleven? Did you know your body is made up of 60% water?  That is more than half and why it is so critical to make sure you are drinking enough high quality water (spring is the best but filtered will do) each day.  The rule has always been 8 glasses a day but as with many other things a one size fits all approach is not always the way to go.  Starting with at least 8 glasses a day is a great place to begin especially if you are currently drinking less.  And then adding more as needed based on things like your activity level, if you are sick or simply if you feel thirsty.  Listening to your body and what it needs is the best way to make sure you are getting enough. This week’s challenge is to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day and more if you feel your body needs it.  The first thing you are going to do is track how much water you are currently consuming.  I have found that we may think we are doing something but then once we pay close attention we find that is not the case.  If you are 100% certain you are getting at least 8 glasses a day you can skip this step.  However, if you are not sure I highly recommend you take one day to track it.  Once you are aware of how much water you are consuming you can make the adjustments you need to hit your 8 or more glasses a day.  Below I am sharing 5 tips to help you get into the habit of drinking more water as well how to sneak more water into your day. 5 Tips To Help You Drink More Water Have a glass immediately upon rising and sip on it while you get ready for your day.  The minute I get up I go downstairs and fill a 32oz mason jar.  I drink the entire thing before going to work. Add natural flavor enhancers to your water like fresh squeezed fruit juice.  When I hear people say they don’t like the taste of water or that they get bored with water my first suggestion is to add a splash of fruit juice or fruit puree.  Fresh squeezed lemon, lime or clementine is my favorite. Try sparkling!  Sparkling water has a way…

Ready for challenge ten? Sleep!  It is something we do each day and without it we would not survive.  However, have you ever really stopped to think about it and what you could be doing to improve it?  We innately know how to sleep but a few tweaks to our sleep routine can deliver big health improvements. The time we go to bed and get up in the morning is dependent on many things such as our job, family, or schedule.  Some of us may have no choice but to rise early while others may be able to crawl out of bed whenever they feel like it.  No matter what things we have going on each day its critical to get into a regular sleep routine which means going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time each morning.  This means weekends too!  Setting your sleep schedule is the easy part.  Ensuring the hours, you sleep are as high of quality as possible is the hard part. This week’s challenge is about improving the quality of your sleep by incorporating at least 5 of the below tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.  Research is showing increasingly that the quality of sleep is more important than the quantity.  The recommendation has always been at least 8 hours but if the quality of your sleep is good then you may be able to get away with less hours.  We are all unique and I believe sleep is different for everyone. 10 Tips For Better Quality Sleep Meditate, pray, or listen to positive affirmations.  Filling your mind with positive things right before bed will ensure a more restful night sleep.  So many of us have the habit of looking at our phone or computer right before bed or watching the 10pm news.  If we are taking in negative things right before sleep our minds are going to be moving a mile a minute. On the topic of phones, pads, and computers.  Refrain from using them at least 1 hour before bed and longer if you can help it.  If you must be on a devise turn on the night setting to the warmest color it will go.  Or, if being on a device later in the evening is unavoidable on a regular basis invest in a pair of blue light blocking glasses to…