We care about our residents at Circa, and part of that is encouraging them to live healthy lives. Our 24-hour fitness center allows you to workout on your schedule, which means there are fewer excuses to not stay active. We also try to work health and fitness into our regularly scheduled resident events, such as brunches with healthy food options and yoga sessions with a guest instructor. We also do what we can to decrease daily stressors for our residents, not only with our 24/7 emergency maintenance, but also through our clubhouse with a coworking lounge to work and pool table to play. We know the importance of a good work/life balance and want to be a part of that for our residents.

It’s July, which means 2019 is halfway over. If you’re like nearly half of Americans, you made a resolution or two back in January. Maybe you resolved to lose a certain amount of weight or work out so many days per week, or maybe you resolved to work on your career or pet project. No matter what resolutions you may have set, with less than 25% of resolutions lasting 30 days and an even more abysmal 8% actually accomplishing their goals, there’s a good chance you may not be where you’d hoped you’d be by now.

Don’t lose hope or get too down on yourself! Any fitness or health professional, or anyone who has accomplished their goals, will tell you this is a process. Some days will be easier than others, and you will most likely have to reevaluate and restart several times before getting to where you want to be. What’s even more important than achieving your goals is starting (and restarting – ad nauseam) back up. Health and fitness is a lifelong process, so if you’re further along today than this time last year it doesn’t matter what may or may not have happened yesterday.

If you do need to reevaluate and reset, now is the perfect time for it. Take some steps to make the rest of 2019 more successful than the first half, and read on for some ideas and tips to do so.

1.       Drink Water

Do you feel often feel sluggish? Are you prone to headaches or struggle to bounce back after working out or exerting energy? Drink more water! Every single little cell in our bodies requires water to function properly. Water aids in nearly every bodily function, from digestion to temperature regulation. It helps keep your joints working properly and keeps energy levels where they should be throughout the day. We are constantly losing water through sweat, urine, and even breathing, so we need to consistently drink water throughout the day to replenish that. Water also aids in weight loss by flushing out toxins and salt that could lead to bloating, and thirst can easily be mistaken for hunger which can lead to overeating.

If you’ve had trouble focusing on your health or achieving goals in the past, committing to drinking more water daily could be an easier way to restart your path to better health. Try to drink at least 6-8 glasses (or more!) of water per day and you’re guaranteed to see results within the first week. Get a reusable water bottle you can carry with you and check out a free app like Plant Nanny (Apple and Android) to track your water intake and send you push notifications as reminders to drink water throughout the day. You could also get a new reusable water bottle with marks on the outside to give you a goal that resets every day.

2.       Get Some Sleep

Similarly to water intake, sleep is vital in living a healthy life. Getting more sleep is easy in theory, but oftentimes nearly impossible in practice. Scientists have linked sleep deprivation to a number of health issues like obesity and diabetes, even heart failure and stroke. Sleep also helps regulate hormones and mood, as anyone who hasn’t gotten enough sleep the night before can tell you. A lack of sleep can worsen symptoms of depression and negatively impact most areas of your day-to-day life. When your asleep your brain can reset and relax, repairing and creating synapses that help you learn and remember things, and your body can also heal and repair anything that may have happened that day.

The problem is western society especially focuses more on work and staying busy, allowing sleep and rest to go by the wayside. Interestingly, focusing more on adequate sleep would allow us to be even more proactive. Studies have shown that adults who get the recommended eight hours of sleep per night have increased concentration and productivity, overall healthier weights, better mood and emotion management, enhanced athletic performance, and more. It very may be impossible to get eight hours every single night, but for the rest of 2019 do what you can to focus on sleep. Turn off the TV and put down the phone an hour earlier than normal. Stop consuming caffeine or alcohol in the evening. If you still have issues falling asleep consider keeping a sleep journal and talking to your doctor about other options such as medication or a sleep study.

3.       Work on Your Mental Health

As you’re focusing more on your physical health don’t forget your mental health as well! Keep in mind that your brain is an organ and needs to be cared for just as much as other organs. Sleep is important, but so is rest in general. Find ways to wind down and remove yourself from stressful situations. Try out some hobbies that can tap into your creative side like art, music, journaling, or crafting. Relax your brain while working your muscles with hiking (with a bonus of being out in nature) or yoga. Actively taking time for yourself, even if it’s just 5 or 10 minutes here and there, can greatly impact your day and allow you to be more productive or just happier in general.

Mental health goes well beyond receiving a diagnosis or taking medication, but if you’re serious about focusing more on mental health you should consider finding a licensed therapist or life coach.

4.       Rethink Exercise

Oftentimes when we think about health and wellness goals we go straight to working out, telling ourselves we’re going to workout every single day and getting down on ourselves when that’s not sustainable. If you’re not quite sure where to (re)start with your fitness goals you can check out our January blog with fitness suggestions on a budget. As you’re rethinking and reevaluating your fitness goals first think about what you can do to keep at it. You may never be a long-distance runner, and if you hate even the thought of stepping on a treadmill that’s fine! Find something that you enjoy and will be happy to do regularly.

Also keep in mind that there’s no shame in starting small and working your way up. If the recommended 30 minutes of activity per day is too much for you, aim for every other day or 2-3 times per week at first. Also, think about little ways to work more physical activity into your daily life. Bring some tennis shoes to work and go on a walk during lunch, or even take your weekly calls on a walk. As your waiting for the coffee maker or microwave do some quick calf raises. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. These little things can add up, and the more aware you are of physical activity the easier it’ll be to focus on other areas of your health as well.

5.       Talk to Your Doctor

Full disclosure, we are not health-care professionals. We care about our residents and their health, but we can’t offer the same care or advice as a doctor, nutritionist, or other trained professional. It’s also important to remember that every body is different. What works for your favorite Instagram influencer may not work for you. Talking to a specialist who has training will allow you to talk through your goals and create a specialized plan to reach those goals. A doctor or other professional can also monitor you to make sure you’re staying healthy during the process.  A yearly checkup with your general practitioner is advised, and if you’re seeing a specialist you may need to go more often.

What are your planning on doing to make the second half of 2019 even better? Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to let us know!