It’s never too late to make healthy changes
Trainer Darah Richardson demonstrates leg lifts, which are a simple exercise that can be done while sitting at a desk.
Stretches are another way to get fit while at work.
It is four weeks into 2015.
Many of us have made resolutions to improve our health by losing weight, eating right and exercising more. And many of us have already given up on these plans.
But it is not too late to try again, said Bridgeville native Darah Richardson, a personal trainer and wellness coach who owns Omni Health and Wellness, Inspiring Wellness for Every life, a local company that specializes in personal and corporate fitness, as well as adaptive fitness for children and adults with disabilities. She said people typically tend to start the new year with unrealistic expectations for themselves and quit after finding the goals are to meet.
“You have to start small and set a smart goal,” said Richardson, who has a degree in exercise movement from the University of Pittsburgh. She is also a 2000 graduate of Chartiers Valley High School.
Starting small, Richardson said, can mean doing simple things like switching from sugary sodas and drinks to water. Plus, add exercise. Richardson said exercises can be done in three, 10-minute chunks a day.
In the morning, for example, walk your child to the bus stop. During the day, when you’re at work, take a 10 minute break and do wall pushups, or march at your desk, Richardson said. And, at night, go on another 10-minute walk, or do 10 minutes of cardio.
“Find something that you love doing,” she said. “This can be running, walking, Zumba or yoga. If you like something, you will do it and not blow it off.”
“If you’re burning a 1,000 calories a week through exercise, bumping it up a bit should be manageable,” she added.
Then, there’s meal planning. If you’re serious about losing weight and eating right, meals should be planned and made ahead of time, she said.
“You can prepare your meals on a Saturday or Sunday,” she said. “This can be something easy, like a salad in a Mason jar or freezer crockpot meals. What you don’t finish for dinner can be your lunch the next day. There’s a saying that if you fail to plan, then you plan to fail. You don’t want to eat junk food, so don’t buy it and have it in your house.”
Richardson said many of us who are just starting an exercise program tend to get overwhelmed. The key, she said, is to realize you are not going to lose weight and get fit in a month. It takes time to make lifestyle changes.
“Remember you did not get fat in a month either,” she said.
Emotional health is another key component – people need balance both physically and mentally in order to lead a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is a process of becoming aware and taking responsibility for and making choices that contribute to health, Richardson said.
She said that there are eight dimensions of wellness:
• Emotional: Coping effectively with life and creating satisfying relationships.
• Environmental: Good health by occupying pleasant, stimulating environments that support well being.
• Financial: Satisfaction with current and future financial situations.
• Intellectual: Recognizing creative abilities and finding ways to expand knowledge and skills.
• Social: Developing a sense of connection, belonging and a well-developed support system.
• Physical: Recognizing the need for physical activity, diet, sleep and nutrition.
• Spiritual: Expanding our sense of purpose and meaning in life.
• Occupational: Personal satisfaction and enrichment derived from one’s work.
Another key factor in getting healthy is a good night’s sleep, she said.
“People have to get rest,” Richardson said. “If you have difficulty sleeping, you need to develop a bedtime routine. There should be no television, or laptop in the bedroom. That room is for sleeping.”
Richardson said there are natural remedies that a person can try to help fall asleep, such as melatonin, magnesium or even natural teas. Or, she said, try flipping your mattress or getting a new pillow.
“But, before you try anything, you need to consult a doctor and receive a fitness assessment from a qualified professional,” she said. “It is important to manage stress levels. Try mindfulness techniques like staying in the present, don’t dwell in the past, or the future. And stop and take 10, slow deep breaths.”