Completely letting go of something is one of the hardest things to do. May it be smoking, your favorite chocolate or your phone, sooner or later we have to let go of all our material things. We survive these losses by swapping them with something better. Which is not a bad idea, swapping things that are causing us harm or unhealthy to something better and beneficial to us is better. Simple swaps in your life can make a whole lot of difference. For example, using the stairs instead of the elevator or swapping white rice to whole grain. This simple change can make you healthier, and will help you lose weight. Just one swap can open up a new door to fitness and better choices.
We’ve created some swapping ideals that you can try and incorporate into your life. These simple swaps can save you money, time, make you healthier and more.
Simple Swaps That Could Change Your Life
EXERCISE
☻ Swap your regular running to interval workouts. Running for a few miles every day can help boost your cardio and help burn up calories. Though, running is one of the best exercises it those take a long time for you to burn calories. You can half the time of your workout routine with interval workouts. Try running at high speed, then performing a brisk walk. You can also perform high intensity exercises such as pipes, jump ropes and jumping jacks, then alternating them with low intensity workouts such as pushups and crunches. This is also a great swap if you haven’t lost weight from your regular routine, interval training can help speed up the metabolism and increase calorie burn.
☻ Add some fun to your workout by swapping boring elliptical workouts with Zumba or dance exercises. Zumba is fun and can help burn calories. The fun beat of the dance can make you forget your exhaustion. Joining a class is also a great way to meet new friends or find a working out buddy.
☻ Increase your thread mill workout, by letting go of the handles. Holding onto the handle bars will remove some of the stress in the body, especially the upper portion of the body. This will remove the challenge in the body and lessen calorie burns.
☻ Planks instead of crunches, crunches are a well-known ABS sculpting exercise. Planks are a better alternative though, it can work the whole core and arm area.
DIET
☻ Swap your fruit juice to the actual fruit itself. Fruit juices don’t have the pulp, skin or fiber that the actual fruit have. Eat the whole fruit instead to get all the nutritional value and can make you feel fuller.
☻ Swap eating out to packing your own lunch, lunch boxes aren’t only made for children. Packing your own food can help you save money, prevent over snacking, have a healthier option and make use of leftovers.
☻ Bring a doggy bag, you can cut your budget and calorie by 15 percent by carrying a doggy bag every time you eat out. Most foods in restaurants are portioned twice as big as it should be. When eating cut your meal in half and doggy bag the rest to eat at home.
LIFESTYLE
☻ Got some spare time in your hand? Instead of leering in your ex’s Facebook profile, why not try working out? Perform some stretches and do yoga to increase flexibility and strength. This will also help lessen anxiety and make you feel more energized.
☻ This is a great swap for people who don’t have a positive outlook on life. The next time you feel like complaining, try being grateful. This will make your life so much better and will make you appreciate your life. Instead of complaining about the traffic be thankful that you have a car or instead of complaining how your mom nags at you, be thankful that your mom cares enough to tell you to be better.
☻ The idea of fake it till you make it works wonders on the mind. When you feel sad or upset, smile. Smiling instead of frowning will help boost your mood and make you more cheerful. This is also effective when in public, a good smile from a stranger can make someone’s day.
You don’t have to swap everything, pick ones that would help you the most and start from there. Completely changing your lifestyle can cause “culture shock” and will make you want to crawl back to old habits. Little changes and swaps can help get you to the point you want and need to be. Especially for people that are struggling with fitness and health. These swaps can also help improve your quality of life and efficiency. Try it out and share with us your experiences and other simple swaps we’ve missed.
