This new year, why not move away from extreme resolutions and instead make some small changes to develop healthy habits that will be more sustainable in the longterm. Here are some simple healthy habits that you can easily introduce into your daily routine.
Movement
Aim for one hour of exercise and/or movement per day. Don’t worry about what you’re doing, the main thing is you enjoy it. If you enjoy it, there’s a much better chance you’ll keep doing it which is the big trick to success long term. The secret? It’s the consistency that brings results.
3 meals per day
Start by taking the focus away from what you’re eating. Look instead to how. And that starts with making time to eat three consistent meals per day. If you can add some focus around those meals, even better. This means sitting down, chewing slowly and focusing on the food on your plate. Remember, long-term results come from consistency.
Daily Mobility
Taking care of your body spans further than just exercise. Your joints and movement patterns need attention and that means giving mobility time. How often do you stretch before or after training? How often do you practice mobility to improve your squat for example? They’re different areas but both need some room in your day from time to time. You can focus on different parts of the body but let’s start with the hips. Try these four moves when you wake up or just before bed.
- Squat hold – hold the bottom position of a squat (as low as you can) for 30 seconds. Work up to a minute if you can
- Pigeon Stretch Hold 30 seconds each side building up to 60
- Couch stretch Hold 30 seconds each side building up to 6
- Jefferson Curl Start with 3 sets of 10 with no weight. Hold a broom or bottle of water if you like.
Eat Your Veggies
The simple fact is we don’t eat enough vegetables. Think of one serving as a cup portion. Add as much colour to your plate as possible.
Fun
Give yourself a break and let your hair down. Enjoy fun activities with the family. Get outside, enjoy nature, connect with loved ones and laugh. It’s not all about food.
Water
You know this one already. It’s simple but not easy. Aim for just 7 glasses and you’ll be on a good path to hitting your 2 litres.
Sleep
Without sleep, we would die. Sleep is when your body has the opportunity to recharge. Here are some tips to help you get a better night’s sleep.
Steps
Taking out 8 hours of sleep, you have 15-16 hours a day to capitalize on movement. This also adds to your caloric expenditure, the health of your joints, your mental health and much more. This is where an activity tracker can come in handy. For some people, this number will be easy and for others incredibly hard. Experts say that while 10,000 steps a day is a good number to reach, any amount of activity beyond what you’re currently doing will likely benefit your health (source).
Reduce time using phone/technology
We live in an age of constant connection. While it’s given us an incredible opportunity, and has helped to keep us connected to our friends and loved ones, there also comes a point when you ask is the technology in your life working with you or against you? Just one article in Time magazine showed that nearly 85% of adults couldn’t go for a day without access to our phones. Try to take some time each day where you put your phone down and step away from all technology or do a digital detox one day over the weekend.
Mindfulness
Switching off from technology is a great start but why not take it a step further and be selfish. Seriously, how often do you take time to truly think about yourself in the present moment? We won’t repeat ourselves. This article lists some of the many benefits of mindfulness and some tips to get started.
