Spinach Chicken Pomegranate Salad

Take Steps to Get Healthy This Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2022

For couples all over the country, Valentine’s Day is a day of romance but also a day of indulgence. For many, Valentine’s Day wouldn’t be complete without a heavy meal and lots of wine and chocolate.

 Fun? Sure. Healthy? Not so much.

 Valentine’s Day is often still indulgence, whether it means indulging with your significant other, with friends, or indulging alone, but it doesn’t have to be about gluttony. This Valentine’s Day, you can buck tradition and turn the lovers’ holiday into one of self-love. Especially if you’ve had a particularly rough year or experienced a big transition, such as divorce, achieving sobriety, or moving to a new place, by taking steps to make your life more healthy, you can redefine Valentine’s Day as a move towards life as a healthier and happier person.

 Plus, it’s highly likely that those New Year’s resolutions are no longer a thing. It’s ok – it happens to the best of us. But it’s still near the beginning of the year, and Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to make a fresh start. Premier Bride has a few ideas.

Get started on a new exercise routine

Instead of reaching for the heart-shaped box of assorted chocolates, you can redefine Valentine’s Day by taking the first step to a better, fitter you. No, you don’t have to join a new gym on February 14th. What you can do, however, is make a move in the right direction – and it doesn’t even have to cost you anything.

Muscle & Fitness explains how you could start a home-exercise routine that uses body weight exercises to work on strength and range of motion. How about using the day to try yoga or pilates? Both of these can easily be done at home and can make you feel better about yourself on a day that leads some down a less-than-optimal path, emotionally. Plus you can find all sorts of free resources and instruction videos online.

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Take the first steps toward a healthy diet

 No, I don’t mean start the latest fad diet on February 14th. This Valentine’s Day, take a true first step toward a better all around diet. For many people this means overcoming the fear of the kitchen and learning to cook. Skinny Chef shows that you don’t have to be a world-class chef to cook healthy, delicious food. This Valentine’s Day, take a few hours to learn how to cook one healthy staple.

Through a combination of online recipes on YouTube, anyone can learn basic cooking for free. If you want to get healthy, learn how to properly sear a salmon filet, or how to make a basic omelette. Learn how to make your own vinaigrettes at home, for use on meats, salads, and roasted vegetables. You won’t start off cooking like Gordon Ramsay, but you can learn how to make a few healthy meals. What a great way to spend Valentine’s Day, and you can use your new culinary skills to impress your sweetie!

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The Purge

Instead of dwelling on the past this Valentine’s Day, use the time to prepare yourself for a fresh start. One good way to get yourself on the right path is to purge your living space of unhealthy items. Clean out your fridge and pantry – get rid of all your junk food. Clean your living space to make room for exercise. It’s hard to put down a yoga mat if your floor is covered with clothes and other objects. If you set yourself up for success, you’re much more likely to put in the work when it comes down to it.

Purging may also take the form of finally getting rid of bad habits like procrastination. Have you been putting something off that’s always been a dream accomplishment? Maybe it’s time to do something big for yourself. Check your bucket list for ideas. Is it time to take your dream vacation? Or maybe you’re ready to earn that degree that’ll put you on the fast track in your career, like an online degree in business or computer science. If you’re an aspiring teacher, look into the many opportunities as affordable online schools like Western Governors University, which offers the chance to kickstart a career in K-12 education.

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Of course, you should save at least one piece of chocolate. After all, it is Valentine’s Day, and you deserve one.

 

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