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ok friends. a bunch of you were like "2021 is the year i finally get healthy!" so i want to share some things i've learned over the years that may or may not help you on your journey. these tips are NOT about weight loss; feel free to reply w/ your own tips, too! (thread)
it's worth noting that i am not some hardcore fitness guru with all the answers here. but in 2014, i realized i wanted to feel more grounded, healthier, + be able to keep my anxiety in check better-- and every year, i get better at it. these are some ways i make that happen.
1. WORK OUT MOSTLY TO FEEL GOOD: i've been a runner since 2014, about 3x a week. i usually run... <1 mile. i don't work out to burn calories or go farther. i work out to make my brain juice feel nice & balance my mood. exercise shouldn't be suffering! it shouldn't be painful.
it's easy when you pick up a new fitness regimen to get into this mentality of "i need to do more every day and get stronger/faster." you really don't. you can just be a person who works out for 10 minutes 3 times a week forever. if that sounds like a relief to you, just do that.
2. EVERY VEGGIE IS GOOD AT 400 DEGREES FOR 15 MINUTES WITH OLIVE OIL, SALT, & PEPPER: i swear to you this works for every vegetable. if you're not getting good results with this, just cut the pieces smaller or bigger as needed or add more oil. you want 'em slightly browned.
3. SLEEP IN YOUR WORKOUT CLOTHES: for many people, morning is the time that makes the most sense to work out. i hate working out in the morning. i sleep in my running clothes, with my shoes next to my bed, so that i have no real excuse.
4. ASSESS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH BOOZE: In my family, booze is/was pretty prevalent. I thought it was fairly normal to split a bottle of wine each night w/ my husband. turns out it's not, and that has real ripple effects on my health. we've cut our drinking back a lot since '19.
& look, i'm not saying you need to stop drinking. if you feel happy and buoyant in life, great! but if you can't remember the last day you went without a drink at the end of the work day, or if you feel foggy/slow/up-and-down, take some time to think a bit about your habits.
5. THE MAGIC PHRASE IS "ONE POT MEAL": if you wish you could cook more but you're overwhelmed & exhausted after work, there are lots of one pot recipes where you can make a shitload of food + tupperware it for the week. i keep a pinterest board of 'em here https://www.pinterest.com/kchironis/healthy-thrifty-food/
6. WATER ALTERNATIVES: water is great for your health and also i fucking hate drinking water. it turns out i *will* drink flavored sparkling water though, so i have always have one of those with me. and i love plain oat milk? it's weird. anyway, find a liquid that works for you!
7. MORNING WALKS: we're all going slowly nuts staying inside so much. take 15 minutes in the morning, at lunch, after work, whatever and go for a walk around your block with some music on. it may seem silly at first but it does so much, so quickly.
As a last shout-out, @cuppy created this discord where game devs can swap fitness and health tips. i'm loving it so far, it's a really positive environment and i hope you will join us! https://discord.com/invite/ngFPHKZVud
SLEEP: adding by popular request. intellectually we all know we "need it" but i forced myself to start getting 8hrs a night a while ago and was shocked at what a difference it made in my happiness levels. if you can't sleep, start exercising 10 mins a day + check your diet first.
