The Body + Soul Challenge

Do you make the same New Year’s resolutions every year? Lose weight, exercise more, learn to relax. These are some of the most common ones, and now Body + Soul magazine has a way to help you keep this year’s resolution! The Body + Soul Challenge kicked off on the 23rd of January. This 30 day action plan is focused on providing tips and strategies to help you eat better, get in shape, and reduce stress. There are daily “assignments” to help chart your course. Mondays and Wednesday focus on weight loss, Tuesday focuses on fitness, Thursday is devoted to stress relief, and every Friday they offer a “Weekend Goal.” The format is blog-style, so you can submit questions to the editors and read the answers. There will be recipes, suggestions, tips, hints, and ideas all devoted to healthier eating, getting more exercise, and just relax. Here’s the first set of tips they provided:

1. Pack a healthy lunch.You can get started with this delicious sandwich. It's tofu in a peanut ginger sauce, but if you'd rather substitute chicken, no problem! Get the Recipe.

2. Stop sitting.New research from the University of Missouri shows that passing too much time on your duff can slow down your metabolism and stimulate disease-promoting processes. Ouch! So walk during your lunch break, take your next one-on-one meeting standing up, or stand during your next conference call (when no one can see you pacing).

3. Unwind before bed.Release the day's stress before you get under the covers. For this exercise, get in your pj's and sit comfortably on your bed. Inhale through your nose for a count of five. Pause. Then exhale through your nose for another count of five. Do this about 10 times or until you feel your body start to relax. You should sleep better, too!

Check out the Body + Soul challenge—30 days to feeling more healthy, energized, and relaxed! Just what we could all use after the holidays!