By Kimberly Thomas
You spend a lot of time caring for others. How often do you care for yourself? Not just the occasional “me time,” but really, truly caring for your body?
Genuine self-care runs deeper than momentary relief from stress. It’s how you take care of your body physically and emotionally to sustain long-term wellness. Here are some self-care tips from Real Vegas Magazine.
1. Check in with your body
To care for your body, you need to understand it. Yet there’s a surprising amount women don’t know about their bodies, like when to worry about women’s health changes or the importance of a healthy pelvic floor. In fact, 38% of women went without preventive healthcare visits during the pandemic and nearly one in four women skipped a recommended test or treatment.
2. Take a hard look at your diet
Are you dealing with low energy, brain fog, digestive discomfort, or other mystery symptoms? Take an honest look at your eating habits before writing them off as general malaise. Too much sugar, alcohol, and processed food or too little hydration take a toll on the body. You’ll feel best fueling your body with lean proteins, healthy fats, whole grains, and a diversity of fruits and vegetables.
Good food habits are easier said than done. Start with small steps like drinking more water, replacing refined carbs with whole grains, and making vegetables the biggest portion on your plate. Changes around the house support healthier habits too. For example, trading large dinner plates for a smaller size, investing in a good water filter, or storing snack foods out of sight.
3. Reframe how you think about exercise
Too many women view exercise as a means to lose weight and look good. Working out can help you reach those goals, but it’s so much more than that. Exercise builds the strength, endurance, and flexibility you need to live a full, independent life today and into the future. It relieves stress, improves mental resilience, and fosters a sense of accomplishment.
You don’t need to be “good” at exercise to reap these benefits and you don’t need fancy equipment or a gym membership. You just need to make time. Bodyweight fitness apps and videos turn any space into a gym with equipment-free exercises that support everyday movement. Bodyweight exercises are highly adaptable so talk to your physical therapist if you have limitations to work around.
4. Wear clothes that feel good first
We all want to look good, but it shouldn’t come at the cost of aching backs and feet, skin irritation, restricted movement, or other problems that can arise from ill-fitted clothing. Clothing should be comfortable and functional first and fashionable second, especially when it comes to foundational garments like bras and underwear.
Always choose natural, breathable materials like cotton for everyday underwear and reserve frilly pairs and synthetic materials for special occasions. That goes for bras too. 100% cotton bras won’t irritate sensitive skin or post-surgical scars while providing enough support for all-day wear.
You only get one body, so take care of it. There’s only so long that you can leave your well-being on the back burner before health problems catch up with you.
Photo Credit Pexels
