Three Habits to Improve your Health in 2022

It’s February! Whether you partake in New Year’s Resolutions or not, the fact remains that we have 11 months to maximize our goals in 2022.

In today’s article, we’re diving into three weekly habits which can take your health & wellness to new levels in 2022.

Let’s get started.

1. Reduce or Eliminate Liquid Calories

If you implement one thing from today’s article, let it be this: Reduce your liquid calories.

Many people struggle to lose weight and improve their health not because they overeat but because they consume thousands of calories in liquids each week. We can divide this into two categories: Alcohol Liquids vs. Non-Alcohol Liquids:

Alcohol Liquids

If you’re someone who “eats healthy” throughout the week, but consistently falls short of your desired health goals.. Then the culprit might be your weekend drinks.

Many people mistakenly think, “If I have five good days, then I can afford two bad days.”

This rationale becomes counterproductive if/when the Bad Days actually outweigh the Good Days:

So if you’re working hard from Monday through Thursday but the scale isn’t budging, then do the math on your alcohol calories throughout the weekend.

Now this doesn’t mean the only answer is to drink zero alcohol.

A prolonged Alcohol Break can be rewarding and eye-opening, but simply reducing your number of drinks per week can go a long, long way.

Non-Alcohol Liquids

This is the sodas, juices, etc that don’t seem like much, but quickly add up.

Without diving into the numbers as we did with alcohol, it suffices to say: Unless it’s a nutritious smoothie, just drink water.

If the beverage is packing calories and added sugars, but won’t even give you a buzz, then what’s the point!?

2. Strength Train Two or More Times per Week

The beauty of Strength Training is that it provides multiple benefits in one activity.

One such benefit is that increased muscle mass can positively impact your metabolism, thus making it easier for you to lose weight & lose body fat. (1, 2)

Strength training is also excellent for the cardiovascular system and general reduction in Cardiovascular Disease risk (3, 4). This means that Bicep Curls and Barbell Squats are not only building your dream physique, but simultaneously giving you a healthier heart and lower risk of disease!

Finally, as you get stronger and stronger in the gym, you will build strength and improve your bone mineral density (5). As a result, the risk of a bone fracture decreases, and you become more capable of tackling everyday tasks with ease. You become indestructible! Or at least less destructible.

The best part is, you don’t have to live at the gym to make it work. As little as two weekly workouts can help beginners establish a fitness base, make exercise a part of their life, and put them on the road to better health.

Once you’re comfortable with two workouts per week, you can then add a 3rd workout, then a 4th, etc.

3. Cook Two or More Times per Week

We love cooking for two simple reasons

You save calories
You save money

Isn’t that a simple enough sales pitch?! Let’s dive into each.

Saving Calories

The Chef’s job is not to ensure your Summer Six Pack.

The Chef’s job is to keep you coming back for more delicious food.

In general, the home-cooked equivalent of any restaurant meal is going to be lower in calories. Not only that, but you also gain peace-of-mind in knowing exactly which ingredients are going into your body.

Saving Money

The biggest health myth is that, “Eating healthy is expensive.”

At Claw Athletics we’ve created our own spin on the old saying:

Eating *out* is expensive.

As we write this in 2022, most restaurants charge $7 or more for you to enjoy a meal. Even Taco Bell is charging $7.39! Don’t get us started on the cost of sit-down restaurants.