7 Days to a Healthier You – Health and Fitness

Don’t put off your health and fitness goals. A week is all it takes to get serious about improving your health. Here’s how:

1. Sunday

Buy a pedometer and aspire to meet the American Heart Association’s standard of walking 3,000 steps per day.

1. Monday

Are you out of breath after taking a couple of flights of stairs? Turn stairwells into your fitness friend by choosing the steps instead of the elevator. Whether it’s two flights or 10, watch how quickly your breathing improves.

1. Tuesday

When you’re trapped at your desk or stuck on a plane, do calf raises. By flexing and pointing—first lifting toes, returning to a flat foot, then lifting your heels and squeezing your calf muscles—you are pumping blood up your legs and improving your circulation.

1. Wednesday

Give up the perfect parking space. Forever. By parking farther from the store, office or gym, you are burning more calories. Little walks add up.

1. Thursday

Eat natural. Take a day to give up processed food filled with preservatives and sodium. Choose food that looks the same as when it was harvested. Stick to the outer perimeter of the grocery store when you shop.

1. Friday

Cool down. Tough week? Take one day to do an activity to soothe your mind. Read a book. Enjoy a sunset. Take a bubble bath. Listen to your iPod.

1. Saturday

Let your dog think you’re indecisive. Take your dog for a 10-minute walk, then jog for two minutes. Try a new route. Walk down a different street. Play at a new park.