Spring is around the corner, and summer will be here before we know it. Now, to be clear – we don’t support the idea of a “summer body” or “beach body” – if you have a body, you have a beach body! However, as moms who don’t always prioritize self-care, we want to feel good in our bodies. After a long winter where maybe we put aside working out or fell into grabbing whatever was fastest to eat, we’re starting to think about spring cleaning our nutrition and fitness. We asked our contributor Kimberly Snyder, who is a spiritual guide and meditation teacher, founder of the Solluna holistic lifestyle brand and mom of two (Emerson, 5, and Moses, 18 months), to share what we should be thinking about now to be feeling our best by summer.
Read our Meet a Mom with Kimberly Snyder here.
Why is it important to start your summer fitness goals now?
It’s always better to work on sustainable, long-term changes to our lifestyle so that we FEEL great within ourselves. Having a great bikini body is a happy by-product of your overall lifestyle, but if you want to create that without the stress, and resorting to extreme dieting and other unhealthy measures, it’s better to work on your overall lifestyle today!
Everything is built from energy—including the quality of your digestion (including bloating and other issues), your cellular health, your levels of inflammation, peace, and joy. The best way to reconstruct your overall energy, which will help you reach your goals in a more easeful and fulfilling way, is to take a holistic approach. You are a whole being, and when you support yourself physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually, you will feel great. And yes, look great too! The 4 Cornerstones of True Wellness that I teach are: Food, Body, Emotional Well-Being and Spiritual Growth.
How do small changes add up?
Energy builds over time, and small steps really do add up to big changes. This is because it is our regular, consistent efforts makes shifts that leads to transform from the inside-out. Think about how a river flowing in a certain direction over time can even change the shape of a mountain!
For example, let’s say you want to change your energy levels and your weight. If you start creating the habit of drinking hot water with lemon every morning as the first thing in your body, instead of a bunch of coffee or sugar or whatever, over time your digestion will start to get stronger, you will feel more hydrated and enlivened from doing something great for yourself as you start the day. And over time, this flow of directed energy will support you in going into your day with more awareness, motivation and mindfulness over your body’s energy, and make decisions about what to eat and how to live to continue feeling good.
What are some suggestions you have for these small changes?
I suggest creating a small step in each of the 4 Cornerstones to incorporate into your morning routine:
Food: Drink hot water with lemon (as above!).
Body: Take your 2 Solluna SBO Probiotics. I don’t take a lot of supplements, but this is the one I never ever skip. Made with clinically researched strains in the proper ratio that can actually survive your stomach acid and get to your gut (amazingly, so many probiotics actually do not), this is an incredible formula to help improve your digestion, healthy weight, skin health, moods and beyond.
Emotional Well-Being: You can simply write down or think of 5 things you are grateful for. Go into your day with more optimism and receptivity of the good to come.
Spiritual Growth: Meditate for 5-7 minutes when starting out. This puts you in tune with your True Self, and is hands down the most powerful way to change your entire life. In a practical sense, you will be more aware of when you are truly hungry, and which foods can best serve you at that time. You will feel more clear and intuitive across your whole life, and you will be able to meet many of your own needs from within.
This story originally appeared on The Local Moms Network.
