If we told you to close your eyes and think of what the term bucket list means to you. Chances are, you’d start mumbling things like bungee jumping in New Zealand. Shark cage diving in Cape Town. Or jumping out of a plane in Nevada. However, bucket lists aren’t exclusive to those looking for an adrenaline rush. Creating a bucket list is all about putting yourself out there. Trying new things and working towards a goal. Whether that’s how to live a more healthy lifestyle. Or perhaps you want to get active and spend more time doing outdoor activities.
Sure, heading to that shiny gym three times a week and eating steamed chicken every night might get you there faster, but it’s hardly living! That’s why we’ve come up with some healthy ideas you can do day in, day out to add to your bucket list. Activities that will help you get active and live a more sustainable lifestyle.
Plan A Hiking Trip
Up until now, vacationing and weekends have been reserved for relaxing and catching up on sleep. But that needs to stop, or at least be cut down. A great way to do that is to get into hiking It’s a great way to get active, enjoy some good old family time and see some breathtaking sights.
No More Processed Foods
Anyone that has even a slight interest in healthy living will know that processed foods are the devil. So, to cap this on the head and go cold turkey (excuse the pun) try cutting out processed foods completely. Start with a week, or limit your intake to one meal a week, and see how your body starts feel awesome.
Cycle Somewhere Local
Cycling is a great way to get active without really noticing you’re doing exercise. Try putting your helmet on and cycling to the town over from you. The sense of achievement will blow your mind. You could even grab a little bite to eat before you journey back (by which we mean get someone to come and pick you up).
Quit Your Bad Habits
Whether you crux is smoking, binge drinking or staying up late to catch up on Orange is the New Black, try and stop it. Oh, yeah, you can totally do it, you’ve just let it become a habit. Get yourself an e-cigarette from Aspiree Cig UK. Find a mocktail that can replace your love for a glass of white. Change your routine so that you go to bed earlier and finish your Netflix session at a reasonable hour. It’s all doable.
Grow A Garden
What could be better than doing some outdoor activities such as picking your own veggies to eat with dinner? That was rhetorical by the way. It is just a great way to get active, get interested and get healthy. Oh, and with today’s tips and tricks, there are no excuses to be made. There are hanging veggie gardens, potted gardens, and all sorts.
Hit The 10,000 Mark
Chances are, your smartphone has a health app that measures your step count without you even noticing. If, however, you are a luddite, then go and get yourself a pedometer, and start trying to hit that big 10,000 mark every day. Eventually, doing outdoor activities like walking will become the norm. Losing calories and changing your attitude; it’s a double win.
Change Up Your Commute
If you work from home, then there is very little you can do. If, however, you are required to head to an office, then why not swap your car for a bicycle. Sure, you may live too far away for that to be plausible, or the route may just be motorways, but most of the time you are kidding yourself. It could just be that you get off your train three stops early and cycle the rest of the way. Whatever it takes, your commute will become more enjoyable and healthier.
No More Junk Food
Stop reading this article for a second, walk into your kitchen (with your pedometer) and clear out all the junk food from your cupboards and fridge. Donate to food banks, give it out at Halloween or toss it – anything but eat it. Why? Because if it isn’t there then you cannot possibly get tempted by it. This is important because, as Oscar Wilde said, we can resist everything but temptation. If you love snacking, then replace it all with healthy options – dried fruit, biltong, veggie crisps, unsalted nuts etc.
Get Into Green Tea
The best drink in the whole wide world is green tea. That is a fact. It just has so much goodness in it. In fact, there is so much goodness that it has been proved to do a wide range of things that can be read about at Healthline. In short, though, it helps fight cancer, make skin look younger, boost vision, give you more energy, look after your memory, protect you from the sun and live longer. Basically, this is what Superwoman drinks when she wakes up.
Veggie Breakfast
Think about your breakfast routine. Toast and marmite. Zero goodness. Cereal. High in sugar. Sausages and bacon. Lots of fat. What you need to do is start adding fruit to your breakfast. Fruits with muesli and natural yoghurt. Eggs, tomato, and avocado. Make some breakfast frittatas. Get into the habit of creating a healthy smoothie with kale. Whatever takes your taste buds fancy.
Boost Your Flexibility
This could be done through pilates or yoga or even pole-dancing classes. It doesn’t matter the means in which you boost your flexibility, it just matters that you do. It could even be that you just stretch out every morning, with a goal in mind, such as being able to touch your toes. Once you have mastered that, try and work towards a chest on legs scenario.
Set Yourself A Challenge
It could be that you want to run five or ten kilometres. Or that you want to take on a marathon. It could even be that you want to do one of those hardcore mud runs that have swept the world. Whatever it is, go and do it. Go and take on the challenge. It will be worth it for your health and prove how much you can achieve.
What are your go to outdoor activities? Do you get active enough in your current lifestyle?
Leave a Reply