Style N Season: Simple Healthy Tips: There's an App For That!

Who doesn't want to be healthy? Nobody.

Who has enough time to make an effort to live a healthy life? Errr...

It takes effort and commitment to live a healthy lifestyle, but the result is worth it. Afterall, what is the use of all the money in the world and the most loving friends and family if you are sick?

Simple Healthy Tips Series explain what I do for myself and family to gradually live a healthier lifestyle by choice. DIsclaimer here, I am not a health expert. We are typical two-income middle class family, I am a typical wife and mother of a toddler who works full-time outside the home. Time and resources are limited, yet overtime I have found tips and tricks that enable us to eat healthier, be more active, and get sick less. I explain simple, tried and tested methods that do not take much time nor money, do not take a 180 degree, drastic changes in lifestyle or eating habit. The result is not instant, but it is proven to work well overtime. Here I will share with you real tips from real woman, real family, real people.

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I believe in living a well-rounded, balanced, simple life. It means, I don't think I HAVE TO go to the gym three times a week if I don't like exercise. What I believe is that we should not have a sedentary lives. If we don't move, we lose our health. But how do know for sure that we are not sedentary?

I always felt that I always walk around in the office, aka living an active life even when I have desk work.

Well, not really.

While traveling in Europe, I walked alot, like 18,000 steps a day! And though my body ached every night after such rigorous "exercise", it also showed the goodness that came with living an active life. My hair never felt healthier nor bouncier. My skin glowed and felt silky smooth and for the first time in my life I didn't have breakouts, though I felt like lacking my daily portion of nutritious-good-for-my-skin veggie and fruit during my travel. Another thing, I noticed that my metabolism and digestion system ran much better and regular. Definitely all that walking did something good to my body, as the health experts claim!

So when I got back to Indonesia I decided to install a free apps called Steps to my iPhone. It monitored how many steps I take every single day, so I can always keep track of my movement and activity level throughout the day. Though many health websites on the internet recommend 10,000 steps a day, I think everybody should set a realistic goal that one feels comfortable with - and possible - to achieve. As for me, I aim for 5,000 steps a day during office hour, which means from 9 to 5, because that's the most sedentary hours in my day, just sitting in front of my computer.

I've been trying the trick for about three weeks, and it worked wonders to my metabolism. Not as extreme as when I was travelling, but it definitely improved my overall well being compared to before this new habit.

One thing I do to make sure that I achieve my goal of 5,000 steps a day during office hour is quite simple:

Just walk

I walk over to coworkers' desk instead of making phone calls to their extensions. I walk over to the filing cabinet instead of rolling my chair to grab some documents. I go to my boss' office two floors below instead of just calling or emailing or texting.

Take MORE walk

And when I do walk, including going to the restroom, I make sure that I make the most of it and take longer routes to add more steps. I even walk zig zag down the lobby to the ladies room to make sure that I do more steps than usual. I go around the long way instead of the short way when I go to the office pantry. I deliberately make extra steps here and there throughout my day to boost my mobility.

Does it work?

Yes!

Without doing the two things mentioned above, I only walk 2,000 something steps from 9 to 5. Now I walk 4,000 something steps or more. It's easy, it's free, and totally realistic.

So what do you do to make sure that you don't live a sedentary lifestyle? Do share with us! I always welcome new simple, easy-to-do improvement ideas to be implemented to my daily life!

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Thursday, August 13, 2015

Simple Healthy Tips: There's an App For That!

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