Five healthy habits to pick up this summer

19 October 2016

Five healthy habits to pick up this summer

It’s the time of year where toning and detoxing becomes part of the everyday, but will it make you feel good in the long term?

AA Directions has pulled together a guide to wellness for its summer issue, currently making its way to more than 592,000 letterboxes of AA Members throughout the country.

Editor Kathryn Webster says the AA Directions team wanted to share a few positive, simple ideas to help inspire Kiwis to improve their overall well-being in time for summer.

“We believe well-being is about mental as well as physical health and actually the two go hand in hand. We developed our stories around five keystones inspired by the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation,” she says.

1. Stay connected

Whether it’s group sports, an exercise class or even a walk with a friend, feeling like you’re part of something can be a huge boost.

Psychologist and counsellor Marta Fisch is involved in a study of how the whole body functions in our mental health. She’s a regular at Zumba classes on Waiheke Island because of the sense of community it fosters.

2. Give back

Knowing every drop of sweat, aching muscle and early wake-up call is for a good cause makes staying motivated easier and helps you feel good, too.

Auckland woman Alexandra Mullin is riding a bike from Cape Reinga to the Bluff to raise money for three-year-old Oscar Cakebread in Wellington who has Cerebral Palsy.

“Sometimes we take for granted what we have. Oscar couldn’t walk and it’s a huge challenge for him. We have to match that; we’re doing this for him,” she says.

3. Find meaning

We’ve all heard the phrase ‘do what you love’, but what about ‘do something meaningful’?
For Phil McCabe, owner of eco retreat Solscape in Raglan, meaningful work helps fuel his happiness.

“The driver for me is knowing we have a positive effect on people’s lives. It lifts the spirits,” he says.

Phil and partner Bernadette established Solscape to inspire a new way of thinking and to provide a working model of sustainable living. Phil finds his own happiness levels lift through the work he does at the retreat.

4. Continual learning

The brain like any other muscle needs to be used – and regularly. There’s nothing that stretches it like learning a new skill or taking a different approach to a problem like looking after your health.

For hundreds of years Maori have used natural methods to support health – from managing skin conditions to aiding fertility with a combination of plants and an awareness of the spiritual causes of sickness. Today, rongoa is seeing a resurgence of interest alongside other natural health practices.

5. Stay active

Probably the most well-known way to happiness and well-being is by staying active. Whether it’s walking, running, gardening or taking on a weekend festival of yoga there’s plenty of ways to find something that suits you and now’s the time to look.

The latest summer issue of AA Directions Magazine can also be viewed online at www.aa.co.nz/directions.

Ends.

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