Healthy Habits to Practice Now to be Healthier

Healthy people know it takes little habits performed daily to incur big changes over time and this is why I am sharing healthy habits to practice now to be healthier. The National Health Service (NHS) recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise, eating healthy and reducing alcohol consumption as some of the best ways to stay healthy and add more than a decade to your life. Since reading Atomic Habits, I have become obsessed with making small but impactful changes in my life and creating positive habits.

So, what are habits? Habits are things we do regularly without conscious thought and every single day 40% of the actions we perform are not even decided by us, it’s all done out of habit. Did you know that habits dictate how we live our lives, how we perform daily tasks and the results we achieve? Until reading Atomic Habits, I did not how much impact my habits (both good and bad) have on my every day life and areas of my life that I require constant improvement.

In this post, I am sharing 5 healthy habits that you can practice daily for a more healthier you. These are habits that I implemented a few months back in my life and I can already see improvements in my health.

Healthy Habits to Practice Now to be Healthier

At the start of every year, people often make resolutions to be healthier this new year, consume less alcohol and rink more water. This is all well and good but without the right systems in place, it will be tough, you will lose interest or motivation and before you know it, you would have given up on the resolutions. Since learning about forming good habits, I realise in older to be healthier and lose weight, it’s important to have the right systems in place.

Since implementing those systems and creating good habits, I have found it easier to build healthy habits to practice now to be healthier and continue to be in the long run. If you are in a place where you want to learn how to start practicing healthier habits in your life, then read on. These tips are simple and something easy to do, you just need to create good systems that will foster good habits that you can practice in the long run and not just for one day.

Hydration

I must admit, before I created good habits, I used to struggle with drinking water in any given day. I am someone who loves flavoured drinks so normal water was a struggle for me until I changed my mindset about it and also put systems in place that supported by desire to drink more water every single day.

The simple systems I put in place are: buying a water jug and keeping it on my table with a glass filled. Every single time I am in the kitchen, I am reminded to drink water and once I finish I refill the glass every single time. I also have a glass of water next to my bed and I walk around with a water bottle that I sip from through the day.

Exercise 5-15 minutes daily

It is often recommended that we exercise moderately for about 30-minutes every day but I know that not everyone can make the time. I never used to have time for exercise but I put systems in place that support my desire to workout 4-5 times a week. I have workout closet laid out every evening and when I get it, they are what I see first and I wear them and workout.

I also realised that if I wanted to actually work out on any given day, I had to do it early in the morning as that’s the only time I can add exercise into my routine. It is important to review your current lifestyle and figure out when you can incorporate exercises because start blind and guessing is the reason most people fail because they are trying to disrupt their current routine which is a bad idea. I am able to workout 20-30 minutes every morning.

Cook your own and snack on fruits & nuts

Cooking food instead of ordering will not only save you money but you will know exactly what is going in your food. Most of us buy these ‘healthier’ foods without realising that some of these foods have added sugars and additives in them. Not everyone is made for cooking everyday, I know I am not so I bad cook every single weekend and then once a week I cook at least one fresh dish.

When it comes to snacking, this is where even I still need help and I am working on it. I have had to stop buying sugary snacks and for those I ready have I keep them out of sight because I know my willpower is often tested to the limit. If you are going to buy snacks, buy fruits and nuts but don’t overdo it with the snacks because as good as they are, they have a limit.

Continue your daily routine

One thing I learned in reading self help books including Atomic Habits is to always continue your routine and not deviate too far from it. If you have an established routine, work with that and add in new habits that will not disrupt your normal routine. The idea is the pull to go back to know you know is often stronger than the new habits you are trying to implement.

As I mentioned above, I know that working out in the morning is better for me than trying to incorporate workouts later in the day. You need to look at your current routine, where can you incorporate new habits and what part of your current routine can you improve over time and replace with the bad habits with the good habits.

Go for a 10-20 minute walk

Getting some fresh air is good for your health but also its good for your overall mental wellbeing. Over the last few months, most of us have found ourselves stuck indoors, can not travel outside our towns. But this doesn’t mean we can’t go outside and take a couple of laps around your block or street. In the last few months, I have made it my mission to go for walks at least 3 days a work.

Going for walks often improves your mood, I know I definitely feel better after going for a nice long walk around my neighbourhood. Not only is it good for your balance and coordination, it reduces your body fat and improves endurance. Give walking a try especially for those of us who are not big on going for a run, walking is a great alternative.

And there you have it, 5 healthier habits to practice now to be healthier.