At the beginning of every New Year we make resolutions, whether they stick or not. Even though our personal, often secret goals may be as ambitious as recording and releasing two albums in a year like Taylor Swift, or launching our personal rocket into space like the billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, most of us find it enough of a challenge to live our day to day lives in a way that is fulfilling and productive, and that’s enough of an enterprise on its own.
But one thing we can all incorporate into 2022 is working on staying healthy and fit. This doesn’t have to mean running a 26 mile marathon like former Bachelorette Taysia Adams did in 2021–but it certainly can! Really, staying healthy and fit can be simple and definitely something you can fit into your busy schedule. Not only will it keep your body running at it’s best, it will also have other great side benefits like better sleep, preventative health measures, increased energy, and lowered stress. Staying healthy and in-shape in 2022 can play a big role in it being your best year imaginable.
The biggest challenge for staying healthy and fit when you have a busy schedule is time and motivation. And who better knows about balancing their work and personal lives than business owners and CEOs? Some of the top names in the e-commerce space have offered their tips for staying healthy and fit in 2022 based on their own methods for success.
Drink Lots of Water
Brandon Lurie, Marketing Director of Y Meadows, AI customer support technology for businesses
“It’s super simple, doesn’t take any additional time in your day, and I promise it will provide you with amazing benefits: my top tip for a healthy 2022 is drinking lots of water. We all know that we should do it, but then might find ourselves reaching for coffee, or soda, or alcohol instead. You can still enjoy your “fun drinks” too, but make water your priority liquid first so that if you’re only going to drink one beverage, it will be water. Water helps your body flush out toxins so you have more energy, glowing skin, and better digestion, among many other benefits. Half a gallon of water on a daily basis is the average recommended amount, but this could even increase based on your weight and activity level.”
Exercise Every Day
Will Watters, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Western Rise, responsibly built high performance clothing
“You don’t have to be an athlete or fitness junkie to experience the enjoyment of exercise. For a healthy and fit 2022, make sure you’re exercising every day; I use this term loosely because what exercise will look like for you will depend on your health, fitness level, and preferences. So, in other words, be sure to get up and move your body on a daily basis. Movement and exercise has amazing positive effects on our fitness and bodies, yes, but also on our minds. One of the paradoxes of life is that exercising in turn gives you more energy, so you can tackle the tasks of the day with a clearer mind and without sluggishness. Many people opt to exercise first thing in the morning because of this, so that they have increased energy throughout the day. But a nice relaxing yoga session or walk before bed could be your cup of tea instead. However you decide to incorporate movement into your day, try to be consistent about exercising on a daily basis for optimal health.”
Reduce Stress Through Healthy Practices
Ann McFerran, CEO of Glamnetic, a magnetic false eyelash brand
“Stress can be one of the biggest factors in unhealthiness. You are probably aware of the fact that stress can play a detrimental role in depression and anxiety; you may not know that stress can also lead to such serious effects as health problems, diabetes, high blood pressure, headaches, and stomach and digestion issues. Let’s make 2022 the year of tranquility and staving off stress. Some methods I have found helpful are meditation and deep breathing to push my way through anxious moments and situations, yoga for relaxation and recentering myself, and journaling to get my thoughts out of my head.”
Gather Knowledge and Apply It to Your Life
Stephen Skeel, Co-Founder and Executive Producer of 7 Wonders Cinema, an award winning video production company
“In order to become your best self, it’s okay to turn to the expertise of others. In fact, it should be encouraged! Luckily, many experts and professionals are willing to share their knowledge. For a healthy 2022, read personal development books, listen to podcasts and TedTalks, and gather all of the knowledge you can. There are also apps that you can sign up for in order to have bits of information or knowledge sent to your email each day, a tiny trick to expand your understanding. The more you know, the more you can grow.”
Stick to a Morning Routine That Includes Exercise
Marco Robinson, Founder of FREEDOMX, a charity focused on mentoring and supporting those experiencing homlessness
“Regardless of where I am in the world and how busy my day is looking, I ensure I stick to the same morning routine. I wake up, make a cup of tea and turn on Classical FM. This is my time alone where I collect my thoughts and set my intentions for the day. Then, after preparing my mind I prepare my body by running for 45 minutes, either on a treadmill or outside. Four days a week I also incorporate weight training.
“Running gets my blood pumping and energizes me, it increases my metabolism substantially allowing me more flexibility with eating whilst weight training keeps my muscles and bones strong. This is hugely important for long-term physical wellbeing. By giving myself this time to prepare both my mind and my body I always feel ready for whatever the day has to offer and I know that I am looking after my long term health as well.”
Follow Healthy Eating Habits
Phillip Akhzar, CEO of Arka, custom sustainable corrugated box packaging for e-commerce
“It’s important to adequately fuel your body so it can do everything you need it to during your busy days. Whether you are highly active or not, your body still needs and deserves nutritious, healthy, high protein meals to keep it in tip-top shape, which in turn fuels your mind as well. What I strive for is to eat well rounded meals that are packed with healthy ingredients that my body loves, and to also follow healthy eating practices such as drinking lots of water, watching my alcohol intake, and not snacking before bed.”
Use Your Mornings and Evenings Wisely
Rachel Roff, Founder and CEO of Urban Skin Rx, a fan favorite skincare brand
“I use my mornings and evenings intentionally, since they are the bookends of my day that shape my routine and my mindset. In the morning I use my time to prepare for the day ahead. I have gotten into a routine where I start my morning at a leisurely pace so I don’t carry any stress into the day. I eat a healthy breakfast, get some movement, and plan out the rest of the hours ahead of me. In the evenings I wind down without screens an hour before bed, prepare my clothing and snacks for the next day, and stick to a nighttime routine that helps me settle into sleep quickly.”
Get Outside Into the Fresh Air
Marcus Hutsen, Business Development Manager of Patriot Coolers, durable coolers that support veterans
“I know one thing that helps me to refocus and destress, which in turn makes me feel healthier, is getting outside into the fresh air. I like to take moments outside during the work day whenever I can because I find it helps me to clear my head. On my breaks I like to walk around outdoors, even if just for five minutes. Science shows us that we should be standing up and away from our computers and moving around at regular intervals during the day anyway in order to keep our minds fresh and productive, so I prefer to use these moments to also breathe a little fresh air. Another option is to keep your window open if your surroundings aren’t too loud and distracting. Although nothing is as good as getting outside, if that’s not an option, another alternative is to use a humidifier in your workspace so the air stays moisturized and you can breathe deeply. And on weekends, I like to spend as much time as I can outside.”
Work With Your Hands to Sharpen Your Mind
Jim Merryman, President and COO of Oregon Freeze Dry, Inc., lyophilization and freeze-drying innovation
“Since I have an engineering background, the physical exercise that keeps my mind sharp is fabricating things for myself and others. It can be as simple as a flower pot holder or as complex as a floating ramp for a boat dock or even a car part. My full-time job requires such mental focus that it’s great to have physical, fun things to contrast that.”
Get Enough Sleep at Night
Eric Elggren, Co-Founder of Andar, a handcrafted leather goods brand
“I had the importance of rest shown to me during a period in my life where I was pushing myself hard and letting sleep be one of those things that got sent to the wayside. What I found was that my mind was groggy, which made me try to push it even more but it was like hitting against a brick wall. I also had poor energy and constant drowsiness during the day. I quickly realized it was not an optimal way to live my life. Now I’m sure to prioritize getting enough sleep at night, even when I’m in the middle of a project I don’t want to step away from, because I know that getting proper rest will restore my body and mind for productivity in the day ahead. Something that has helped me get into the right space for sleep is following a nighttime ritual based on my understanding of my sleep cycles and what time I need to set as my bedtime. I start to prepare my mind and body an hour before sleep so I can fall asleep faster and get a better night’s rest.”
Be Full of Gratitude
Lillie Sun, Growth Manager of Three Ships Beauty, a natural skin care company
“A huge part of mental health, which then does also affect one’s physical health, is being grateful. When life is stressful, chaotic, and uncertain, it becomes so easy to turn to fear or frustration about the parts of life that are upsetting. Although it is hard, I’ve made it my mission to be consciously full of gratitude. It’s my way of not letting the situations in my life outside of my control control me. I am thankful for the good in my life, which in turn has given me a more positive outlook that seems to rub off on those around me. Yes, it is a daily conscious action I make and it’s certainly not always easy to be positive. But I do my best to focus on the good and be thankful for the ways I’ve been blessed.”
Get Enough Vitamins and Minerals
Ayal Ebert, Co-Founder of Particle, aesthetic science for men
“A really small and easy change you can include into your day is prioritizing your vitamins. If you’re like me, you didn’t realize the advantage of getting enough vitamins and nutrients to support a healthy mind and body until you conducted more research. Eating healthy, nutritious meals can only go so far, but if you pair this with daily doses of multivitamins, your body will function better with no extra time commitment from you. In general, there are some vitamins that benefit everyone that we can all use a little more of, such as vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, and magnesium, but I recommend you consult with a health practitioner to customize a multivitamin plan.”
There you have it, top tips from business professionals well versed in balancing their work and personal lives to support you on your journey to make 2022 your most healthy and fit year. We can’t wait to incorporate these steps into our day to day routines!
Throughout the year, our writers feature fresh, in-depth, and relevant information for our audience of 40,000+ healthcare leaders and professionals. As a healthcare business publication, we cover and cherish our relationship with the entire health care industry including administrators, nurses, physicians, physical therapists, pharmacists, and more. We cover a broad spectrum from hospitals to medical offices to outpatient services to eye surgery centers to university settings. We focus on rehabilitation, nursing homes, home care, hospice as well as men’s health, women’s heath, and pediatrics.
