Tips for Sustained Integration of Healthy Lifestyle Habits
The New Year lends itself to reflection and often decisions to improve upon ourselves and lives in some way moving forward. But what happens when you fall off from “perfect” execution?
Tip #1: You can reflect and make decisions to change on ANY DAY. Each day is a new opportunity, so why not treat it as such. If you didn’t start when you initially wanted to, don’t throw the baby out with the bath water and give up. Recommit yourself to the change.
Often people make goals to work out 4-5 days/wk, stop eating AND drinking anything with added sugar, create a better sleep/wake cycle, AND avoid caffeine ALL at the same time. This might not be your specific pattern, but you get the point- you’re trying to change too many things at the same time!
Tip #2: Instead of doing this, getting discouraged, and giving up, start with small changes. If you previously worked out 0 days a week, a more reasonable goal is working out 1-2x/week, avoid drinking soda, and have only 1 cup of coffee a day instead of 2. After a week or two being consistent with this, then you increase the change. OR you focus on the working out for a month then add the nutrition changes in the next month. The point is, even small change counts AND they’re easier to sustain.
Have you ever noticed how much harder it is to make healthy decisions when everyone around you is making “less” healthy decisions? The opposite is true too.
Tip #3: When you spend more time around people that make healthy decisions, it’s EASIER for you to make healthy decisions. Find a community that you enjoy being part of and you’ll motivate each other toward consistent physical activity and a healthier lifestyle without even thinking about it!
Tip 4: Remember that physical activity and exercise are 2 different things. Physical activity is anything that expends more energy than being at rest. Walking to the grocery store that’s 4 blocks away instead of driving, taking the stairs, cleaning your house (including dusting, mopping, wiping shower curtains), gardening when the weather allows, etc. are all part of living a healthier lifestyle. It doesn’t always have to be in a gym or a studio.