What the perfect day to kickstart your health goals looks like

WE ALL dread the hard work needed to get a great body. But here’s the good news: to kickstart your health goals, you only need one day.

WHEN we want something in life, it’s usually the first step that’s the hardest.

For many of us, what we want is a healthy body. A body that doesn’t get sick. A body that doesn’t creak and groan at us. A body that is a reflection of how much we love it.

To kickstart this goal and take control of your health, all it takes is one day.

Hang on though! Your day doesn’t start when you wakeup, it starts 30 minutes before you go to bed the night before.

THE NIGHT BEFORE

Thirty minutes before bedtime, pour yourself a small cup of camomile tea, turn off any electronic devices emitting blue light (phones, iPads, TV etc), place your joggers and activewear at the base of the bed, and write down your three most important tasks to complete tomorrow.

If you can, set the room temp to around 20 degrees and aim for seven to eight hours of sleep. Your perfect day isn’t just about drinking kale smoothies and running a marathon, it involves keeping present and removing the stress of a wandering mind.

ON WAKING

Ideally you’ve had a good night’s sleep, but before you get out of bed, tell yourself one thing you are grateful for that day. Gratitude will set you off on your day with a smile and appreciation for what ifs thrown at you.

Have a glass of water with a small squeeze of lemon or apple cider vinegar to the get metabolism going.

Everyone has a different preference when it comes to what type of training to do at what time of the day, however it’s commonly shown that the body responds best to cardio or HIIT style training in the morning and hard strength or resistance training in the afternoon or early evening.

Throw on your joggers first thing and get out for a power walk, run or yoga. If you’re looking to lose weight, your glucagon will be highest in the morning allowing you to burn more fat as your energy source.

A high intensity workout first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day.

You can either train on an empty stomach if you’re used to it, if not, have something with a good mix of protein, fats and some fibre. An omelet with veggies is a great option, or mix a couple of tablespoons of Greek yoghurt, a small handful on crushed almonds and maybe a couple of berries (lower in fructose than many other fruits).

AT WORK, 9AM

Sit a glass of water on the table and drink at least one glass every hour. This encourages you to get up and keep refilling it to give you a break from sitting down. Prolonged sitting is associated with premature death, heart disease and diabetes. Sitting should break up your standing, not the other way around!

LUNCHTIME

Get outside for lunch. Take yourself to the nearest park if you can, get some fresh air and take your shoes off and let your feet connect with nature. It's a great chance to get some walking in and have a well balanced lunch.

Whether you pack your own or buy it, you want to aim to have some protein the size of your palm, two open palms worth of salad or veggies, and two fingers worth of healthy fats (eg 1/4 of an avocado).

This is what a well portioned plate looks like. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

Try to close your eyes for 10 minutes and get some meditation in. Simply trying to block out your wandering thoughts and focusing on your breathing can be enough. Try four seconds to breath in, four seconds to hold and four seconds to breath out.

5PM KNOCKOFF

Blow off some steam after your big day with some resistance training. The body responds best to this type of training in the afternoon.

As well as creating stronger bones, balancing hormones, assisting anxiety and depression, resistance training will help you gain muscle and strength. This extra muscle will up your resting metabolic rate so you will be burning more fat even while your sitting at your desk at work.

DINNER

You don’t have to eat low fat, no sugar, no dairy and no grains to be healthy. Not everyone has sensitivities to these foods and this type of eating is quiet simply unrealistic for many people. If you’re craving a pizza or spaghetti bolognese these ‘comfort foods’ can be turned into healthier versions with a few tweaks.

When it comes to the spag bol, try swapping half the pasta out for some zucchini noodles and also add a few steamed veggies on the side of the plate.

There’s nothing wrong with some zucchini pasta.

If it’s pizza you’re after, maybe try some Lebanese bread and plenty of veggies and some BBQ chicken as a topping. These type of tweaks are simple and allow you to enjoy the foods you love more often.

Finish with a glass of red wine and then do it all over again!

Dr Tim Robards is a chiropractor and exercise scientist (B. Med. Sc, M. Chiro). Tim is the founder of the exercise and diet program The Robards Method.