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25 Easy Ways to Kick-Start the Healthiest Day of Your Life!

Apr 12 2015 - 4:30pm

Even on days when you can't seem to hit the snooze button enough, there are still ways to have one of your healthiest days yet. With your whole day ahead, it's the little things like hydrating and stretching that will add up to smart choices throughout the day. Keeping your health in mind, a consider waking up to any one of these 25 tips tomorrow morning!

  1. Hydrate: You've heard it time and time again, starting your day with water will help wake you up, kick-start your metabolism, and hydrate your body. Extra points if you add a lemon [1]!
  2. Do yoga: A quick morning yoga sequence [2] gets the body feeling stretched, limber, and ready to embrace the day.
  3. Pack your gym bag: Eliminate excuses by packing your gym gear so everything is easily ready to go for your afternoon workout.
  4. Lather up: Getting into the habit of putting on sunscreen each morning will prevent sun damage and decrease your chance of skin cancer.
  5. Pack healthy snacks: Packing healthy snacks [3] will ward off hunger and prevent you from reaching for that 3 p.m. candy bar.
  6. Stretch: Instead of hitting the snooze button, take 10 minutes to stretch [4]. It's a great way to energize your morning and ease away tension from the previous day or a funky sleeping position.
  7. Eat breakfast: It's true, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because it helps us concentrate, focus, and be productive. These 52 breakfast ideas [5] should convince you.
  8. Ditch the alarm clock: If you can, try to stick to a regular sleeping pattern so your normal wake-up schedule comes naturally; try these tips to make sure you get enough quality sleep [6].
  9. Listen to music: It sounds simple, but listening to your favorite song is one of the easiest ways to pump you up for the rest of the day.
  10. Foam roll: Similar to a massage, foam rolling exercises [7] will help you relax and remain flexible.
  11. Take a multivitamin: Remembering to take your multivitamin is all about a routine; get in the habit of taking it first thing in the morning.
  12. Add spice to your coffee: Adding spice instead of artificial flavoring can help control blood sugar and regulate your digestive tract. [8]
  13. Moisturize: Moisturizing after your morning shower will lock in moisture, preventing itchy, dry skin in the Winter.
  14. Take a cold shower: Cold showers [9] — as unbearable as they are — are actually really good for you. Turning your shower cold for the last five minutes can help "shock" your body awake, relieving your body of fatigue and increasing your mental alertness.
  15. Make your bed: A clean space means a clear mind, and it will be nice to come home to after a long day at work.
  16. Avoid the computer: Because you're likely to spend most of your workday on the computer, make your mornings technology free. Read a hard copy of the newspaper and hold off on those emails until work.
  17. Say a positive affirmation: Starting your day off with a positive affirmation [10] can open your mind to a new attitude and healthy choices throughout the day.
  18. Go for a jog: Running in the morning can save you a lot of time after work, clear your mind, and will kick-start your metabolism.
  19. Take a few deep breaths: If your daily to-do list has you feeling anxious, take a few deep breaths. Breathing from your diaphragm [11] will quickly help you relax.
  20. Don't drink your calories: While that pumpkin spice latte is good, it is loaded with calories (and a possible sugar crash). Instead, sip on tea or enjoy your coffee black.
  21. Take the stairs: Get in a workout before your workout! Instead of talking the elevator to your office, get your heart rate up and opt for the stairs.
  22. Fill up with protein: A sugary muffin isn't going to cut it. Fill your belly with a foods that are full of protein and fiber to keep you full until lunch.
  23. Get up right away: Pressing the snooze button is tempting, it doesn't extend your sleep in a beneficial way; once interrupted, the quality can't be the same.
  24. Meditate: Meditation is a great way to start the day and strengthen the relationship between your mind and body. These tips will help you start a morning meditation practice [12].
  25. Smile: Before you head out the door, smile! With a positive attitude, it will all be OK. What could be healthier than that?

Source URL
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Have-Healthy-Morning-31846854