Leading a healthy life is often not a priority for many people. But once they start to feel the consequences of bad habits, it is high time to change something. The following tips will start you off on your healthy habit for a good lifestyle journey.
10000 steps a day keeps the doctor away
We spend a significant amount of our time sitting every day. Practically, our body, posture, position of our arms and legs and even our gaze remains the same during an 8-hour workday. We do make some breaks to eat, get a drink or go to the bathroom, but just temporarily. These short breaks won’t fix the damage done by sitting. This is why we should be more active during the day and aim to get 10.000 steps. For a beginner, this number might be frightening. Rest assured, it is easier than you think. Start by walking to work in the morning. Even if you get off one stop early from your bus counts.
Aim to walk for three to five minutes every hour. This short walk will serve as a mental break, too. Afterward, you’ll focus better and be more productive. Take the stairs even if you work on the seventh floor and skip the elevator altogether. Spend your lunch breaks outside, whenever you can. If you do this during your work hours, you’ll probably achieve two-thirds of the daily steps. In the evening, take a walk around your neighbour hood until you reach the desired number of daily steps.
Looking for fun in exercise
Many people consider exercise as a form of torture. This mindset is what leads to failure and health issues. Our health is wealth, so physical exercise should be a part of our day. It is as important as brushing teeth in the morning or washing our hair when it is dirty. If we did not do this regularly, people would have avoided our presence. So, why do people avoid exercise and neglect their health? In order to avoid the aforementioned misconception about exercise, people should look for an enjoyable and fun exercise routine.
Adult gymnastics, yoga, martial arts, pilates, belly dancing, salsa, pole dancing, cross-fit, and other group fitness programs might be just your cup of tea. Exercising three times a week for three months in a row will strengthen your body, improve stamina, posture, eliminate backache, improve sleep, focus and trim some weight. Most importantly, making exercise a part of your lifestyle leads to a healthy habit in general.
Do not sacrifice your sleep
Sleeping is like a substance our body craves and needs. If we don’t sleep, our body won’t rejuvenate, build muscle, repair tissue, and synthesize hormones. Sleep is as important as the oxygen we breathe, the water we drink and the food we consume. For a truly healthy habit lifestyle, aim to create a proper sleeping schedule. Go to sleep at a fixed time each night and wake up at the same time every morning. Once you get used to this schedule, try to stick to it even at the weekends. A good night’s sleep is an efficient stress reliever, mood booster, memory improving technique, and a powerful painkiller. It improves our state of alertness, focus and mental sharpness. By prioritizing sleep over everything else, you will improve every aspect of your life.
Go off-grid once a week
Even though it gives us the ability to connect with people across the globe, social media eats up our time. It is like a Black hole in our day – it sucks our time and we will never get it back. Incorporate periods without social media throughout your week. You can go one day a week without your phone or just forbid yourself access during certain time periods. For example, do not check your phone during work. Give yourself permission to check your phone twice a day for two minutes. This is enough to check any messages or missed phone calls. Everything else is not a priority because life happens away from the phone or computer screen. While we get lost in the digital world, we miss out on real things that happen around us. Aim to limit these distractions to a minimum, and enjoy life around you more.
Stop skipping meals
People either skip meals because they wish to lose weight or because they are too busy to eat. The first group can only put their health at risk and fail at reaching the desired outcome. Whereas the second group uses being too busy as an excuse and it will lead to burnout and weight gain.
Instead of skipping meals, do the opposite. Enjoy every bite of each meal because it is the fuel our body needs. Prep each meal in advance to fit your lifestyle and provide you the best energy boost. For those that are too busy to prepare their meals in advance, there is also a healthy meal delivery option. They can pick a daily meal plan according to their needs. For example, My Muscle Chef offers many options that will satisfy the needs of those who wish to gain muscles and even lose weight. Food gives us the nutrients our body needs to function, thrive and be healthy.
Once a month say Yes
People are creatures of habit. We repeat certain routines over and over again because these are comforting. Even when we get an opportunity to do something else, we are too quick to reply with a bisk No. If you truly want to improve the quality of life, do something that’s out of your comfort zone. Learn a new skill, try a new dish, walk to work instead of driving, Being open to new opportunities, chances and possibilities improve your mental health. Next time you are inclined to say No, enthusiastically say Yes and see the difference.
Reconnect with people
People need social connections to feel loved, respected and to build a support system. Spend more time with people you love in person, not over messages or social media. This will increase your bond and give you a chance to make new memories. A good talk with someone you trust has a therapeutic effect on our mental health. Whenever you can, instead of texting invite a friend to do an activity together. Make time for the important people in your life.
As you’ve gone through our tips you’ve probably realized how easy these things are. Now that you have all this knowledge, make a conscious decision to change your routine and adopt healthy habits. Start by adoption only one habit. Each day add one more habit to your list until you have nothing more to add. Now that all of these habits are a part of your lifestyle, make a pledge to yourself that you will practice them every day. You’ll quickly start to see how your life has improved from the moment you’ve started.