If It’s Monday, It’s Time to Move the Needle

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你有没有told yourself that in the morning you were going to get up early and exercise? You even put out some workout clothes the night before. But when that alarm blares at the crack of dawn, it takes everything in you to get up and get moving. Believe it or not, the show-up struggle is real for everyone—even elite athletes. Getting to the start line is always the hardest part of any challenge. But, once you’re there…well, watch out world!

Thank you for showing up to the start line of your Dream Big challenge everyday (even if you were tired, achy, and still had sleep in your eyes). We know it wasn’t easy, and sometimes it wasn’t fun. But you did the hard thing so that over time you’d reach your goal.

To document your successful finish, join the #DreamBigGetThere community and show us what you did onFacebook(make sure to tag us @healthcentral) andInstagram(@healthcentraldotcom) and we’ll reshare. We’re so proud of you!

Dream Big: Virtually Summit Mt. Kilimanjaro

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第4周：让它变得有趣

The science:If an activity is boring, you’re probably not going to be very motivated to do it every day, right? Research suggests that’s the case when it comes to workouts, too. Boredom can make certain activities feel harder and have a negative impact on self-control, meaning it gets a whole heck of a lot harder to motivate yourself to do the workout you planned if it’s boring you to tears.

星期一移动 - 针头：By now, you might have already discovered that climbing stairs in a gym or your house can get kind of monotonous. There’s not much to look at, and you’re sort of just climbing nowhere. To make it easier to push through this final week, try switching things up and climbing in some new places or with new faces, Wade suggests. You should have 645 flights left, or 9,670 vertical steps left to conquer this week. (You may have more or less left depending on how you chose to divvy things up—that’s fine, too!)

The plan:Brainstorm a few creative, scenic ways to log some stairs. For example, maybe you can find a hike nearby that has a significant amount of elevation gain. (AllTrailsis a great place to search for hiking trails near you.) Or maybe your local park has some type of staircase that’s at least lined with trees or other natural surroundings. You can even hit up stadium stairs at your local high school or arena if it’s open to exercisers.

Top tip:Fitness is always more fun when people are doing it with you. For this final week, recruit a friend or two to get outside and tackle some stairs with you. It might just be the extra motivation you need for the final push to the summit.

Dream Big: Quit Salt (or at Least Lower Sodium Intake)

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Week 4: Do One More Salt Sweep

The science:High blood pressure is often referred to as thesilent killersince it often goes on for years unnoticed. “Reducing sodium in our diets can have a direct effect in lowering our blood pressure,” says Amy Kimberlain, RDN, CDCES, spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and founder ofAmy’s Nutrition Kitchen。

Sure, some people are more salt sensitive than others and as we age our bodies are not as efficient at processing salt as they used to be, adds Kimberlain. “But overall, lowering our blood pressure decreases our risk for heart attack, heart failure, stroke, headaches, and more.”

Move-The-Needle-Monday:“Continue to be vigilant in identifying sources of sodium in your diet and ways that you can add flavor to your food without the extra added sodium,” says Kimberlain. This is the week put everything you’ve learned about reducing salt consumptions into practice.

The plan:这周我们是任何松散ends-checking捆绑leftover labels, swapping out high salt items for low salt ones, and keeping the saltshaker far, far away (get rid of it for good, if you can).

• 周一：Go back to your pantry and swap out any seasoning mixes that you can with a no-salt seasoning blend (or at least a lower sodium version!). And if you can, try blending a homemade version of your own. Here’s an example of a tasty, no-salt homemade taco seasoning you can try from Kimberlain: 2 tsps. chili powder, 1 ½ tsps. cumin, ½ tsp paprika, 1⁄8 tsp crushed red pepper, ¼ tsp garlic powder, ¼ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp oregano, ¼ tsp black pepper

• Tuesday:Refine your snack drawer by switching out your regular, salted nuts or seeds to unsalted versions. Additionally, aim to use dried beans, peas, and lentils (when you can) and if buying in a can or box, select the unsalted.

• Wednesday:Start educating yourself on which herbs pair best with which dishes. For example, basil pairs well with fish, lean ground meats, stews, salads, soups, sauces, fish cocktails, salsas. Get creative and experiment with any of the dozens of herb options.

• Thursday:Add in a squeeze—a squeeze of citrus, that is! Citrus can really pack some punch in flavor, so use oranges, lemons, and limes to add instant flavor to your dishes.

• 星期五：Add in as many fresh fruits and vegetables as you can (yes, frozen is just as beneficial). The reason it’s important to include fruits and vegetables is for their potassium content. The more potassium you eat, the more sodium you’re able to process out of your body.

Top tip:Now that you know you have a limited “salt budget,” use it wisely. Instead of using it on salty snacks and super processed foods, save it to sprinkle on fresh ingredients and homemade meals. Your tastebuds will thank you.

Dream Big: Laugh in the Face of Stress

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Week 4: Lighten Up!

The science:Ever feel like the whole world is collapsing when you’re stressed out? You’re not alone. This is where positive thinking and a good ole’ sense of humor comes in. According to theMayo Clinic，在艰难时期呈现积极思考可以降低压力水平，提高心血管健康，提高免疫力。

Move-the-Needle-Monday:本周,你会找到积极性和关注humor in tough situations. Kinga Mnich, PhD, a social psychologist, educator, and speaker explains that people often identifyastheir emotions—which can cause further stress. For example, if you feel stressed out, you might also feel as though you are weak or that you’re not capable of coping. “You are not your emotions. You are not your thoughts. This is so important,” she reminds us all.

In a study published inFrontiers in Psychology, it was also found that having a sense of humor about stressful situations mitigated the effects of even profound stress, like COVID-19 related anxiety or the loss of a job. Beyond reframing, see if you can find any humor in a given situation. Let’s say you haven’t slept for days because of grief or anxiety and you broke down crying while ordering a dozen at Dunkin’ Donuts (hey, we all have our needs), you might find a way to giggle at how absurd it all was—even though it was really tough. Sometimes, we can find humor in the ridiculousness of even the most painful moments.

The plan:This week’s plan is to catch yourself when you’re having stress-inducednegative thoughts—and then reframe them. For example, instead of thinking, “I’m overwhelmed,” try thinking, “I’ve got a lot on my plate, and I’m doing my best.” Bonus points if you can find the humor in your situation and laugh about it.

如果这不起作用，请记住，您可以随时致电您的BFF - 这是一个令人奇怪的吉尔伯特Godfreed印象 - 或重新观看的人The Big Lebowskifor the sixth time. Laughing so hard your stomach hurts is, well, the best medicine.

Top tip:You won’t always be able to reframe a situation or find the humor during tough times—and that’s OK. Remember that every time you show up to your stress with a smile and a new perspective, you rewrite your response to it—and your body feels the positive effects. Over time, small changes lead to big progress. And, yes, you might even be able to laugh about it later on.

- Amy Marturana Winderl, Emiily Shiffer, Lisa Marie Basile

读什么阅读

Dream Big: Quit Salt (or at Least Lower Sodium Intake)

Dream Big—and Get There This Month

If It’s Monday, It’s Time to Move the Needle

It’s Move-the-Needle Monday!