the two "w"s (walking & water)

the two "w"s! walking & water. the power of adding these to things into you daily routine is huge. even if you did nothing else for starters, these two things could make a huge difference in your health. in the morning, drinking a glass (or more) of water activates your internal organs, and going for a walk wakes up your metabolism. by doing these things, your day is already off to a good start.

using my phone's mapping software and an app called runkeeper helps me to select a place to go that is 1.1 miles away from home. in my case that means the health club and or the starbucks coffee shop. after a very quick stretch or two, i try to get out the front door and onto the street as soon as i can in the morning, before the distraction of the day start rolling in. keeping the walk the same distance (just a round trip total of 2.2 miles to start) helps me to maintain this morning ritual day after day because i know it will only take 35-45 minutes to complete. to me it's more important to work out regularly and not over-do, rather than have one super big, super strenuous walk one day and then decide to skip my walk the next day due to sore muscles or worry about time constraints. it's all about forming new habits! (i usually add a second walk, bike-ride or work out at the gym later in the day. but, if not, at least i got the walk in!)

as for water, it's the simplest thing in the world to do, and yet we still neglect to drink the proper amount: 8 glasses a day. do yourself a favor and post the above graphic on your fridge to remind yourself just how important water is to improving your health. then be diligent about keeping extra bottles of water in the car, at your bedside and near your computer. proximity is key. it has also been said that a glass of water a half hour before a meal helps curb your appetite! being mindful about when you are becoming thirsty and then satiate your thirst, before you misinterpret it later as hunger.

do some research on your own to discover the amazing benefits of water & walking. you'll be impressed.