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A gym teacher and mother of two says her best tip is to become an early riser this year and incorporate morning cardio workouts into your life to improve sleep and metabolism.
Belinda Norton a Gold Coast health and fitness education expert and certified trainer, explained in her latest Facebook post that the benefits of morning exercise far outweigh the extra 45 minutes of sleep you might get from staying in bed.
“Morning exercise helps you avoid distractions and especially avoids the dreaded ‘phone scrolling’ routine in bed,” said the 45-year-old fit mother.
"You'll also reap the mental benefits of exercise throughout the day, starting your day with a vitamin D boost; mental freedom; and a more grateful attitude."
“Morning exercise helps you avoid distractions and especially avoids the dreaded ‘phone scrolling’ routine in bed,” said the 45-year-old fit mother
Another added bonus is interacting with the community and saying “hello” to other early morning hikers, runners or positive healthy individuals you might meet while completing the task at hand, she said.
Morning exercise helps you make healthier food choices by encouraging the desire to choose nutritious rather than quick fulfillment.
"You'll boost your metabolism with morning cardio by increasing your heart rate earlier, which forces an increase in clean blood cell saturation in major organs," she said.
"You'll sleep better if you exercise in the morning after completing a fitness task, and feel less compelled to hate or guilt yourself."
Belinda encourages all Australians to walk for 30 minutes every morning and take the children with them if possible.
Belinda encourages all Australians to walk for 30 minutes every morning and take the children with them if possible
"Encourage them to join you and get up earlier so they understand that this is a healthy, motivated lifestyle," she said.
“It also helps with pre-school organization and improves our children’s ability to listen and learn.”
In 2022, Belinda's main goal is to increase her intake of raw, healthy foods and encourage others around her to do the same.
"It's truly the magic elixir for our body's performance. These earth-grown foods promote internal health from digestion to blood-boosting components," she wrote in January.
“I encourage you to eat raw vegetables daily and increase your consumption by adding vegetables to every meal, including breakfast.”
A PE teacher and mother of two says “real, whole foods” are the “magic elixir” for good health in 2022
Belinda Norton, a health and fitness educator and certified trainer from the Gold Coast, said her number one goal for 2022 is to "encourage others" - and her first piece of advice is to promote raw, healthy foods
Belinda recommends simple changes like adding spinach to eggs, eating raw carrots as snacks, eating baby cucumbers, enjoying cauliflower raw with dips, and adding vegetables to every dinner.
“The fact is that food is more than just calories, its information that our cells need to function, it is the information that our metabolism can use to run either efficiently or sluggishly,” said the mother of two.
“When we eat sugar, fruit juice or refined carbohydrates, they go straight to the liver where they start producing fat, triggering insulin resistance and causing chronically elevated insulin levels in the blood, causing the body to store anything that contains toxins.”
She often eats dishes like organic garlic roasted vegetables (left) and breakfast bagels, which consist of a toasted gluten-free bagel, egg, spinach, red cabbage and sweet chili jam
“The fact is that food is more than just calories, its information that our cells need to function, it is the information that our metabolism can use to run either efficiently or sluggishly,” said the mother of two
She added that “real” foodsuch as low glycemic index vegetables and fruits, healthy fats (nuts, avocado and olives), gluten-free whole grains, legumes and responsibly sourced proteins and seafood) give your cells the information they need to function optimally.
“They improve skin, hair, brain function, mental clarity and immunity,” she said.
'Good food should not only be about quantity, but even more about quality.'
Belinda regularly shares her health tricks and tips on social media and recently released her secret five-step routine reboot to encourage Aussies to rethink their lifestyle.
So what are the five things you need to do for a “routine reset” in 2022?
Belinda regularly shares her health tricks and tips on social media and recently released her secret five-step routine reboot to encourage Aussies to rethink their lifestyle
1. Write a to-do list every day
“A daily routine has been proven to reduce stress,” explains Belinda.
"We tend to fill our brains with our 'to-do list' and this can be incredibly overwhelming when it repeats on a loop in our head."
When writing down your list, the gym teacher recommends posting it where the whole family can see it so everyone knows what needs to be done.
This should help get the list out of your head and mean everyone knows what needs to be done.
The second thing Belinda swears by is 30 minutes of morning cardio, which helps get you ready to go every day (pictured on a morning walk).
2. Start your day with some cardio
The second thing Belinda swears by is 30 minutes of cardio in the morning to help get you ready to go.
"Start your morning every day with sunrise cardio (walking, running, skipping or cycling) 30 minutes before breakfast," she said.
“Research shows that a disrupted body clock is linked to many physical and mental health problems, including depression, diabetes, obesity and cancer.
“A routine ensures that you still feel productive and fulfilled in your everyday life, even when it is unpredictable.”
Make this morning exercise a non-negotiable part of your routine and reap health goals in just a week.
3. Write down all thoughts before bed
The third thing Belinda said is that she jots down a little bit of her thoughts every night before she goes to sleep.
"Creating your goals and to-do lists for the next day really helps you motivate yourself," she said.
“Write down both the moments from this day that you are grateful for and what you plan to do tomorrow.”
Then, make sure you get between seven and eight hours of sleep each night to maximize your recovery.
Writing a weekly dinner menu is one of Belinda's favorite habits (one of her dinners pictured), and she recommends placing it somewhere visible for all to see
4. Write a weekly dinner menu
Creating a weekly dinner menu is one of Belinda's favorite habits.
"Hang it somewhere visible for everyone to see, and try rotating the menu for two weeks to really save mental space, time and money," she explained.
If you can, get into the habit of making a healthy snack, meal, or cereal every Sunday.
This means you're much less likely to resort to something unhealthy when you're tired and short on time during the week.
Finally, Belinda revealed that a set exercise or training program keeps you “motivated, mobile and aligned”; She does 30 minutes of strength training three times a week
5. Do 30 minutes of strength training three times a week
Finally, Belinda revealed that a set exercise or training program keeps you "motivated, mobile and aligned."
“Our mobility is our health,” she said.
“Time is our biggest barrier to exercise, but we all need to prioritize moving our bodies for our health.”
Make sure you do 30 minutes of strength training three times a week as well as your daily cardio workout for the best results.
“Add stretching and some fun and passionate outdoor fitness activities to create a truly balanced body routine,” Belinda said.
You can follow Belinda Norton on Instagram Here.