5 Ways to Be Healthy in Under 10 Minutes a Day

Many of us are stuck at home right now trying to juggle working from home, preventing our kids from turning into screen zombies, and maintaining some sense of household order. We get it, the juggle is real: Finding time to shower and brush your teeth some days may seem like a struggle, let alone fitting in a workout!

But practicing healthy habits doesn’t have to take hours out of your day. By setting an intention and having a positive outlook, it can be easier than you think to enjoy healthy meals, find time for fitness, squeeze in some quick stress relief, and wind down for a good night of sleep. Hint: You may even be able to recruit your kids to join in and prevent those screen time minutes from getting completely out of control. 

Try carving out fewer than 10 minutes of your day, every day this week, and notice how you feel by the end of the week!

One minute to a more mindful meal. Intuitive eating is one way to improve your health and wellness—science says so! Choose breakfast, lunch, or dinner this week and devote just 60 seconds to any one of these mindful actions: 

• Practice deep breathing: Check in with your mind and belly before taking that first bite.
• Drink a glass of water before you eat.
• Slow down, sit down, and eat away from distractions.
• Take a moment to check in with your changing fullness levels as you eat to prevent overeating.
• Keep a physical or virtual tracker and jot down what you’re eating and the emotional cues that may be triggering you to eat for non-hunger reasons. 

A week of healthy brekkies in three minutes. Enjoying a bigger breakfast than dinner may help prevent obesity and help with blood sugar management. How can you make a wholesome and hearty breakfast that’s also quick and easy? Make a big batch of overnight oats once a week! Combine oats, milk, yogurt, and fruit into a container and refrigerate. Each morning grab a bowl, dish up a few heaped spoonfuls, top with a sprinkling of nuts or seeds, and a splash of milk—voila! 

Need more ideas? Check out these 16 Make-Ahead Breakfasts or when in a fix, a basic snack may be better than nothing at all! 

Do a short, 10-minute (or less!) workout. Squeezing in short workouts throughout the day comes with huge rewards. Not only does it get you to nix that all-or-nothing mindset that may be preventing you from getting fit, but just one minute of intense intermittent exercise three times a week has heart-healthy benefits. 

In the Discover section of the Fitbit app, you can find short Premium Workouts such as the 10-Minute Core and Legs with Fitbit Coach or the 5-minute Flat-Belly Ab workout with POPSUGAR. Just think: If you add a five-minute workout each day this month, you’d achieve about 155 extra minutes of physical activity, which all add up as you work your way towards hitting your 150 Active Zone Minutes weekly goal!

Squash stress in three minutes. Did you know that just two minutes of guided breathing has been shown to reduce resting heart rate? Look no further than the Relax feature on certain Fitbit devices! Or try one of the 3-4 minute Meditations for Stress in Fitbit Premium. 

Wind down for a good night’s sleep in 10 minutes. Feeling a bit wound up or restless before bed? Try a full body scan to calm your mind and ease you into a good night’s sleep. In the Fitbit app, tap the Discover tab and under Mindfulness, you’ll find a variety of options including Meditations for Sleep, Relaxing Sounds, and Stories for Sleep.

If you’re wondering which way to be healthy first, consider which action might benefit you the most this week and go from there. Each action you take, no matter how small, is a step in the right direction. You’ve got this!

The post 5 Ways to Be Healthy in Under 10 Minutes a Day appeared first on Fitbit Blog.

source https://blog.fitbit.com/10-minutes-to-health-a-day/