Have you met the Hip Hop Doc?

Rani G. Whitfield, M.D. is the Hip Hop Doc!  His mission is simple: to educate youth and raise awareness of health related issues such as cardiovascular disease and obesity through the use of music.  The Hip Hop Doc recently wrote an article for the American Heart Association entitled, “Making Heart Health a Habit,” in which he gave tips on how to break old unhealthy habits and how to create new positive habits.  After reading his article, I have pinpointed some habits that I need to kick to the curb!  Did you know that it takes 60 to 90 days to create a new habit?  That is a scary fact!  But, the Hip Hop Doc has great tips to help you break your bad habits and replace them with new ones. 
 

(1)  Break a big goal into smaller short-term goals.  Habits are difficult to break, so it is important not to expect too much from yourself, too soon.  Instead, break your large goal into smaller more manageable goals.  For example, if your large goal is to exercise five days a week, start off by committing to one day a week, then increase to two days a week and so on, until you reach your goal.  That way, you don’t get frustrated with yourself and burn yourself out by trying too much too soon.    

(2) Tell someone you trust.  There is no better workout partner than Mr. or Mrs. Accountability!   No matter what your goal is, it is important to tell someone you trust so that they can help you by holding you accountable.  It’s easy to blow yourself off but, it’s a lot harder to disappoint someone that you care about.

 (3) Allow a “cheat” once in a while.  I know it sounds like blasphemy!  But, yes, the Hip Hop Doc recommends a “cheat” Once in a while.  Not everyday folks! 

(4) Break the TV habit in favor of exercise.  TV can be a welcome diversion but when it comes to your health, TV can be the ultimate foe. A lot of people have the best of intentions when it comes to exercising but, once in front of the TV, the X Factor is too hard to resist!  You tell yourself that you will only watch 15 minutes and then you will go exercise. Before you know it, 15 minutes has turned into 1 hour and your window of free time has vanished.   Break the TV habit by using your favorite shows as a reward or by using tools such as Tivo.  If there is something that I absolutely can’t miss, I move all of my furniture, lay out a mat, jump rope and weights, and I do interval training while I watch my show.  It sounds nuts, but you can easily crank out 200 crunches during a commercial break!

There is no better time than the present! Get started today!

Best,

Ciji Dodds

Miss International 2011