Colorado Springs has been repeatedly named one of the most active cities in the nation. We have events, exercise activities and lots of local stores that help to add to this title we proudly carry. As we get further in spring and the weather gets warmer, these activities and the opportunities to become part of this healthy lifestyle get become more available.

If you’re not much of a 5k runner or big exercise person, there are ways that you can take advantage of the numerous opportunities to make your life just that much healthier. Here are a few to get anyone started:

1. Set goals. Having goals will help to set a track down for you to stay on. They don’t all have to be met, but they will set you in the right direction. Long-term goals are the hardest to keep to because we want to see results right away. Setting long-terms goals that you will keep with requires you to set smaller goals within the larger ones so the results can be seen and used as motivation.
2. Look at implementing healthier foods into your diet. We don’t all want to eat protein bars and health shakes every day, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But increasing the number of healthier foods into the meals we eat every day will help to boost energy as well as increase the vitamins and minerals we increase. You would be surprised at how effective half an avocado is on top of your sandwich!
3. Start exercising. I don’t mean you have to go to the gym every day, but doing some at-home or in the office workouts can prove to boost energy and get you motivated to do more. There are numerous organizations, groups, and videos available to get you started. Make sure you check with your doctor before you do anything to exertive or straining.
4. Start lessening those bad habits. Remember those resolutions you made a few months ago? No, neither do most of us. That doesn’t mean you can’t start them again right now. Look at decreasing the amount of alcoholic drinks you have while you are at dinner, or look into programs that will assist you in quitting smoking. Remember that these goals are long-term and smaller ones should be set a starting point.
5. Reduce your level of stress. I know this is easier said than done. With all the things going on in your day-to-day life, what time do you have to sit and relax? The answer to this should be a minimum of 20 minutes….and I mean bare minimum. Set 10 minutes aside, twice a day to sit and do nothing at all. Not Yoga, not drink some warm cup of relaxation, nothing at all. Sit in a chair, lie on your bed (or the floor) put your feet up and do nothing for 10 minutes, twice a day. Too simple for you? Try doing nothing at all for 10 minutes, the human body and the way we live our lives make us feel like we have to keep moving. These 10 minutes will cause your mind t race with things you have to do, but eventually you will be able to use them to clear those thoughts and get back on track.

All of these steps are easy and affordable. We at Southern Colorado Insurance Center know how busy you all are and we work to lessen the amount of work you have to do when it comes to insurance. We work to find you the best policy to fit your individual situations and make sure you get the best price for the right coverage. To see more about what Southern Colorado Insurance Center can do for you, give Debbie a call at (719) 329-4441 or email her at youarefirst [at] scicteam [dot] com.