Taking care of your body is as important as taking care of your mental health. In the last year, self-care has become popular, this makes me very happy. I find myself taking breaks for my mental health but not much for my physical health which should not be the case. For years I have been working out or just being physically active but I was never a person to stretch or do body care. Now that I am older I regret this a lot. I have learned in the last year how to properly warm-up, cool down and overall take care of my body. Below are 5 tips I have to help take better care of your body.

Don’t just jump into exercising!

Your muscles are like elastic bands, if they are not properly warmed up they can get injured or even rip. This is why warming up is so important. Start with 5 minutes on the treadmill going at a faster pace. To make it even harder add an incline, this will get the blood flowing and your muscles will start to warm up. Also, make sure to do some dynamic stretching, this is when you are constantly moving the body part instead of standing still. Static stretching is best to do after a workout when your muscles are warm and ready to be stretched.

Do body recover!

Yoga has been something I have gotten into since the summer. It is great for your mental health but also great for physical health. Stretching out your body weekly or even daily is very good for your health. It’s even better after a great workout trust me it will make you less sore. I have not been into yoga as much this last month and I can feel a difference in my body. I find I am more tight in the morning and 10x sorer. I recommend it so much and it’s super easy to find videos about it on youtube! Give it a try for a week and see a difference in your body.

Use Rehab Specialist

It can be costly but I highly recommend going to see physiotherapy, massage therapist or a chiropractor. They will help get rid of the pain while also giving you stretches and exercise to help make sure the pain does not come back. Even if you don’t have any pain getting in a massage just feels great, it will relax your body. I cannot say enough about this, I have been doing all of these for years and they all have helped my body in such good ways, especially with my hip pain.

Plan a Body Care Day

Take one day out of your workout split to just focus on body care. This could involve stretching, foam rolling, or just body workouts. This allows your body to just rest while also being active. Having this in the middle of the week is so good to make sure your body has the rest it needs. Even just doing a light workout is better than over exerting your muscles.

Do a Body scan

Having a mind-body connection is so important. By being able to scan down your body in your mind and feeling all the places where you are tight will be able to give you a better understanding of your body. All you have to do is sit there will your eyes close and begin to breathe than when you are ready to start thinking of your body from head to toe. Think about if anything feels tight, or sore. After you are done this you have a better idea of where you should stretch next. Tons of guided meditations will teach you how to do this.

These are just some of the many things you can do to take better care of your body. It’s so important to take care of yourself, especially as you get older. It’s great to take care of your mental health but don’t forget about your physical health as well.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Katelynn has her own blog called Life’s a Peach. Her blog is filled with lifestyle, health and wellness tips. She loves to workout and just be active but does enjoy a glass red wine with her meals every so often. If you need some motivation to workout or just keep going her blog is one to check out.

Take a peak on what she’s up to on on Instagram and Pinterest.