7 Tips for Making Health and Fitness a Lifestyle

Do you want to live a healthier life? Do you want to be more physically fit? These are both admirable goals, but if you’re like most people, it can be hard to make the switch from being sedentary and unhealthy to being healthy and fit. These 6 tips will help you make the transition from an unhealthy lifestyle to a healthy lifestyle so that you can begin living the life you want to live!

It’s too hard! I don’t have time.

It’s hard. These are all excuses we use to not make time for healthy habits, such as drinking more water, hitting the gym, or eating more veggies. But in reality, they're easy fixes. You can drink more water by carrying around a bottle of water with you wherever you go. You can hit the gym by working out at home while watching TV on your favorite show (yes, it's possible!). And you can eat more veggies by making them taste better - read this blog post for ways to spice up your veggie intake!

I’m too tired. I need sleep.

Sleep deprivation is not only physically exhausting but mentally straining. You’re just as likely to make poor food choices or fall prey to temptation when tired. Try going to bed an hour earlier than usual to get 8 hours of sleep. Add exercise to your life so that you don’t feel the urge to snack too much. Change up your workout routine every few weeks so that it doesn't become monotonous. The idea is to keep yourself entertained and engaged so that you stay committed to working out. Listen to music while exercising, this helps take your mind off any discomfort or pain caused by a new workout regime. Hydration can also combat fatigue if you are feeling lethargic after exercising (i.e., low on energy). Drink enough water!

I am not a morning workout person.

Here are five ways to make morning workouts a reality:

 

1. Set out your clothes the night before. 2. Turn off your alarm and stop checking the time on your phone. 3. Prioritize sleep by turning off your screens at least an hour before bedtime (especially if you don't want to wake up earlier). 4. Avoid eating anything two hours before bedtime because it can interfere with sleep quality and leave you feeling sluggish in the morning. 5. Drink a big glass of water when you first get up so that you feel more awake, hydrated, and ready to go. 6. Make sure that nothing is standing between you and your workout!

What about when I travel? Do I still eat right? I can’t exercise then.

One of the best ways to stay on track with your health is to plan. You should be prepared with healthy snacks, in case you can’t find any. And if you are going on vacation, don’t forget to pack the healthy stuff too! Pack some energy bars or protein shakes that are easy to carry. Plan so that you know what workout options will be available at your destination before you go (or pack an exercise DVD). It's important not to get frustrated when life gets busy-just take care of yourself and set aside time for self-care, even if it's just 10 minutes.

How do you motivate yet? How do you stay motivated?

The hardest part of any lifestyle change is the initial push. Getting started, especially if you're doing it on your own, can be tough, but once you do it will start to become easier. You need something that keeps you motivated to keep going--personal goals, an appointment with a trainer or nutritionist, or even just the motivation to see how far you've come after starting an exercise routine. Commitment and consistency are the key points of creating any new habit--a healthy one at that! So, don't be afraid to try out new things when starting. Find what works best for you, whether it's committing to 30 minutes of exercise every day or working out in the morning before work so you have more energy throughout the day. If you stick with these six tips, there's no doubt in my mind that health and fitness will be a lifelong journey and not just another fleeting New Year's resolution.

wellness

1. Get social support. Surround yourself with people who understand your goals, who will listen to you when things get tough, and who will challenge you to do better. 

2. Set realistic, achievable goals that you can measure throughout your day or week. If it's not measurable, it's not worth doing! 2 3 3 2 1 1 

2. Invest in equipment to help you be more active. This doesn't have to mean big-ticket items like a personal trainer or running shoes; look for ways to get creative about using what you already have in new ways (such as walking up stairs instead of taking an elevator) or getting something inexpensive to fill out any gaps (such as ankle weights). 1 . Make sure that your motivation is genuine and aligned with why you want to make these changes. Otherwise, you'll only fall off the wagon again and again. 2. Once you've set a goal, make sure it's specific: I'm going to eat less junk food is much less powerful than I'm going to cut my intake of high-sugar foods by 20%. 3. Keep track of your progress on this goal!

And finally, what do you think about keeping fit and staying healthy long term?

I think the best thing to do is to start slowly, changing one habit at a time. Find something you can commit to doing each day or every other day that will get you to the end goal. The key is finding something that’s sustainable for you, so keep trying until you find something! Once you’ve figured out what that is, make sure it fits into your schedule. Then increase by 10% every few weeks until it becomes as important as anything else in your life. Start with small changes like drinking more water, eating healthier foods, and fitting in some type of activity. Track your progress to see how far you've come (or not).