8 Ways to Get Stronger This Summer
Updated: Jun. 07, 2017
Whether you’re looking to strengthen your knees, your eyesight or perhaps even the relationship with yourself, summer is always a great time to kickstart a new health or wellness goal.
Strengthen Your Knees
Knees are one of the most common joints that people complain about. Many factors play into chronic knee discomfort, including muscular imbalance, excessive impact over time, age and onset of osteoarthritis. The good news is that discomfort doesn’t mean that you need to be sedentary. And in most cases, you can enhance the health of your joints through proper nutrition and tailored exercise. Get healthy, strong knees by focusing on these joints for at least 10 minutes of every workout.
Read more: 5 Simple Knee Exercises For Strong, Healthy Joints
Strengthen Your Glutes
It may not be everyone’s style to strut around in a short-shorts but no one neglect the glutes in their workout. The muscles there include the gluteus maximus, minimus and medius, but it’s the maximus that gives shape to the backside. Not only is it the largest muscle in the human body, it’s involved in almost every movement you make – so it’s important to keep it strong and stable, whether you’re chasing your best time in a triathlon or your kids at the playground. The best way to strengthen your butt? Squats. Get stronger this summer by adding more squats to your workouts.
Read more: How to Master Squats
Strengthen Your Hair
If you want to strengthen your hair, you’re going to have to keep hair moisturized and limit damage. That can be difficult if you frequently colour your hair, use a lot of heat styling, or wash your hair too often.
But, ask anyone who started washing their hair less often and you’ll hear that their locks have never or felt looked better. If you do the same, you’ll notice your hair will look healthy and polished with very little work.
Read more: How to Go 5 Days Without Washing Your Hair
Strengthen Your Relationship With Yourself
We put a lot of energy into caring for others but struggle to do something special for ourselves or even accept a compliment.
Give yourself some time every day – whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour – to do something that you love. Try walking through a favourite park or neighbourhood and just be with your thoughts. Leave your fitness tracker at home – it’s OK for some things to be about enjoyment, not goals.
Read more: 10 Ways to Show Yourself Some Love, Because You Deserve It
Get a Stronger Heart
Heart disease and stroke are the major causes of death for women in Canada. But you can help strengthen your ticker by choosing foods that offer protection from cardiovascular issues and by avoiding ones that may damage the body. One key way to keep your heart in top shape is to eat many different types of whole plant-based foods, says registered dietitian Rosie Schwartz. “Plant foods are filled with a variety of phytonutrients that work in all different ways to protect your heart,” she says.
Read more: 8 Easy Ways to Clean Up Your Diet for a Healthier Heart
Strengthen Your Endurance
Want easy and accessible workouts you can do at home? Certified athletic therapist Peter Levidis created this seven-day plan, How to Get Stronger in One Week, that you can do anywhere for all-over conditioning. Honestly, seven days really can make a difference.
If you’re new to working out, start with these moves, doing one a day. And if you’re already are active, just add these exercises to your daily program.
Read more: The 8 Best Youtube Workout Videos
Strengthen Your Mind
You exercise your body, so why not your mind? Incorporate these simple tasks into your daily life for improved concentration and a healthier brain.
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- Morning sun salutations increase brain function. A 20-minute hatha yoga session is all it takes to improve focus and information retention.
- Simple word searches and puzzles are an easy way to exercise your mind and keep your brain healthy. Try our daily Sudoku puzzle to keep your mind sharp.
- Download an app and spend your commute brushing up on foreign phrases. People who are bilingual are better at preserving memory, problem solving, planning and other brain functions as they age.
Read more: 7 Brain-Boosting Nutrition Tips for Your Mental Health
Strengthen Your Eyesight
Healthy aging involves seeing well into the future. Keeping our eyes healthy is an important way to help prevent age-related eye diseases, such as macular degeneration, vision loss, dry eyes, cataracts, and problems with night vision. While an overall healthy and active lifestyle is key, adding more foods like dark leafy vegetables and fatty fish to your diet will help keep them sparkling and strong.
Read more: These Are the Foods You Should Be Eating for Stronger, Healthier Eyes
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