Four Simple Habits

Four Simple Habits
Written by Nuno Costa

It seems that when someone starts to do CrossFit, they begin to search for additional ways to improve other aspects of their life as well – not just their physical fitness.  Helping to facilitate these changes in our members is one of the reasons coaching is so fulfilling.  We have found that the best way to create sustainable change is through steady, consistent, incremental steps in the right direction.  Below are four suggested habits that I have introduced to our 7:00 a.m. group and that they are working on to incrementally improve the quality of their lives.

Week 1 – Reduce the number of cups of coffee you drink to one cup per day. Maybe you will do this every day of the week or maybe you will decide to do it 3-4 times during the week. Whichever you decide to commit to, stick to it no matter what. If you haven’t seen the amazing website Habit Forge, I strongly suggest checking it out; it will give you some accountability tools to help you stay on track.

Week 2 – Reduce the amount of alcohol you consume. In the group I am working with, we decided to allow one day of drinking a week and a maximum of three drinks on that day. I realize this may be a huge change for some, but it can make a significant difference, especially if your goal is to lose weight or improve your body composition.

If these first two habits are extremely challenging, think about what that says about your current lifestyle and whether your actions are aligned with your goals. If not, then commit to these simple habits that will give you specific action towards living a healthier life.

Week 3 – Add fish oil on a daily basis. The benefits of fish oil speak for themselves – “Hundreds of studies suggest that omega-3s may provide some benefits to a wide range of diseases: cancer, asthma, depression, cardiovascular disease, ADHD, and autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis.” Check out what webmd has to say about it.

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/what-to-know-about-omega-3s-and-fish

Week 4 – Add a vegetable to every meal – this includes breakfast! A majority of people don’t eat enough vegetables. We can all benefit from having more vegetables in our every day food intake. It seems that most people struggle with breakfast, so here are a few ideas to help get you started:  Try spinach in your eggs, or make a fritatta that includes any or all of the following: peppers, onions, broccoli, tomatoes, or avocados. You can even find salsa that doesn’t have any added ingredients (other than vegetables) to put on top of your eggs. Get creative!

I know this may seem overwhelming if you look at all the changes you are making, so I recommend that you focus on just one thing at a time. Continue to build off the momentum from the previous week and before you know it, we will have you doing all these little things that are going to make a huge difference in your every day living – including energy levels, sleep quality and how you look and perform at life!