We are almost at the end of the new year, new me phase of the year, but keeping the momentum now is more important than ever. Many times people get into workout returns at the start of the year, and by March they quit. Being fit and healthy is an all year commitment. To live healthier, there are habits that you must incorporate into your life every day. It is much easier to maintain your ideal weight than it is to deal with having to lose a lot of weight. This is not to say that it is impossible to lose weight, because we know that, that is not true. However, using these 12 easy ways to be healthier each day will keep you on the right track. Most of these healthy habits are quick and will easily fit into your daily routines.
12 Easy Ways to be Healthier Each Day
Get a Good Night of Rest
Getting a full night of rest is vital to our health. Think about it this way, when you do not get enough sleep how do you feel? When I am not well rested, I am a complete grump and not the best version of myself.
Our bodies need rest to regenerate from the days and all of the stress, wear and tear that life throws our ways.
Try to darken your room and turn the alarm clock away from you. If I look at the alarm clock and see that I only have a couple of hours of sleep left, I have a hard time going back to sleep. Make sure the alarm is set so that you wake up on time, but, turn it away from you to avoid clock watching when you should be sleeping.
If you are having trouble falling asleep at night, try to avoid drinking coffee, or eating foods that are high in sugar before bed. Check out this post for some things you can do to ensure you get a good night of rest.
Getting a full night of rest may not always be possible; especially for those of you with young children. But when you can, try to do so as much as you can. This is one of the easiest ways to be healthier each day because who doesn’t like sleep?
Allow Yourself Time to Take A Break
If you have been working endless hours to meet a deadline, take a day off from work to rest and do what you need to do.
Or, if you are someone who gets up at the crack of dawn to work out every day, allow yourself a day to get that extra hour of sleep. Missing one workout will not ruin your routine or cause you to get out of shape.
Sometimes our bodies are screaming stop, and not listening to it is a very unhealthy habit that many of us are guilty of. Instead of pushing yourself to keep going like a battery, take a break, and give your body the rest it needs to allow you to live a healthy lifestyle.
Stretch Your Body
If you are anything like me, you spend a lot of your day sitting. I sit most of the day at work, then another hour or longer in the car, and then several more hours at my home desk writing content for my blog.
Sitting for long periods of time is not good for our bodies, and sometimes we just need a quick stretch. For the past few days, I have been doing a quick morning yoga routine, and it has been helping me a lot.
We don’t always have time to do a full-on routine, and it would probably look weird to your neighbor at work if you just broke out into a cobra pose. But if you are feeling cramped up during the day, it is ok to reach up and stretch your arms or stand up and take a quick walk. Sometimes our bodies need a little bit of stretching and moving around to help us recharge.
Start Small
There is so much health information out there, this is good, that is bad, blah, blah, blah. Instead of allowing yourself to become overwhelmed with the information overload, take small steps.
When you are working to live healthier, you should not allow yourself to become overwhelmed (insert stress eating). Instead, think about your daily habits. Are you someone who drinks too much coffee? Maybe you eat chips every day?
Think about unhealthy habits that may be easier to correct. Start by limiting your coffee intake or skip the bag of chips. As you begin to remove bad habits, your body will start to feel better, and soon you will be able to cross another fitness goal off your list.
Don’t get me wrong, I love chips, but I know that I cannot eat them every day and still fit into jeans. Everything in moderation, right?!
Write Down Your Thoughts
Life can be very stressful at times and hit us with unexcepted curves. It is unhealthy to hold things inside because even when we think we are keeping it together, that little stress monster has a way of coming out at the worst times.
Get a notebook, or a journal, and use it as a way to write down how you feel when you are in situations that are not ideal. Sometimes talking to others may not be an option, or you just may not want to. Writing down your thoughts is a great way to think through your situations, and it is very cathartic.
Laugh More
Living a healthy lifestyle also involves being conscious of the company you keep. If you have someone who is toxic in your life, it can bring you down.
As good people, we always want to be there for our friends, and that is fine. But, sometimes you have to evaluate relationships and strongly consider what it brings or takes away from your life.
Spend more time with the people that make you laugh and have more enjoyable moments in life. Laughter sometimes truly is the best medicine, plus happy and healthy go hand and hand.
If you want to incorporate more self-care into your life, check out these 30 ways to pamper yourself.
Do Something New
Going to gym or working out at home can get boring really fast. We all know that working out is a big part of living a healthy lifestyle, but sometimes you need to switch it up.
If you always go to the gym, look for events that keep your body moving outside of the gym. I am lucky enough to live in Chicago, where there are always outdoor fitness events like morning yoga and park workouts.
If you do not live in an area where those sorts of events are readily available, try to take a class at your gym that you would not otherwise take. Or, if the weather is fair, go for a bike ride or a long walk.
Take the Stairs
I mentioned above that I spend a lot of my days sitting. Sitting all day kind of sucks for our bodies. Because of this, I try to take the stairs as much as I possibly can.
If you have a long flight of stairs, try to power your way up or down them instead of walking slowly. Use it as a small opportunity to give your body a little bit of a push. If you are not used to taking the stairs, you might be surprised by how out a breath you feel the first few times, but as you do it more, it gets easier.
If you work in an office building, taking the stairs is one of the easiest ways to be healthier each day, and get a tiny bit of exercise during the work day.
Wind Down
I have a terrible habit of working until I go to bed. Doing this does not allow your body to wind down before it’s time to go to sleep. You might notice that when you go from screen time to bedtime, it takes a while to fall asleep.
If your bedtime is 10 pm, try to get off the technology by 9:30 so that your body starts to prepare for sleep. I am making a conscious effort to put my phone on do not disturb beginning 30 minutes before my bedtime each night. And I am working to stop doing work on my computer before bed.
If you have an iPhone, you can use the screen time function to monitor how much time you spend on your phone. You can also use it to schedule downtime as well.
Practice Gratitude
Instead of focusing on everything that is bad, try to focus on the things that are good, and give thanks. Having a mind filled with negative thoughts is an unhealthy habit and holding on the negative energy is tiring.
Sometimes there are things that happen in our days that we cannot let go of, but scroll back up, and take a look at my tip about writing things down.
When you can, try to do things that allow you to let go of negative energy. Give thanks for what is good in your life, and work to fix the things that are not.
Don’t Slouch
When I was a kid, my mom would always adjust my posture when I slouched. Of course, back then, it was annoying, but now as I sit here typing sitting erect in my chair, I appreciate it.
Having bad posture can contribute to all sorts of aches and pains and even headaches. Aside from the pain aspect of it, bad posture makes you look disengaged in professional situations.
When you are sitting down, try to be mindful of how you sit. Push your back against the chair and try to sit up as straight as you can.
Drink Lemon Water
Start your day with a warm glass of lemon water. Warm lemon water is full of antioxidants, and it also helps to reduce inflammation in your body. Plus, it tastes good.
Wrapping Up
There are many small ways to be healthier each day. Most of them do not require much extra effort on your part and do not require a lot of extra time from you.
We can all benefit from leading healthier lives, so why not start today instead of waiting for the new year to begin?
Check out this post for more ideas on staying healthy and fit.
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