Why do so many people wait until the new year to start living a healthier lifestyles and to get fit. We’ve probably all used the excuse of I’ll start getting fit “after the holidays.” Then what happens… we turn of the calendar page on December 31 with plenty of promise for a fresh start, but as the new begins, the beat goes on in all of our lives, the goal of making healthy lifestyle changes inches farther and farther away. We all know what we need to do, but why is it so hard? The best day to start a new you is TODAY!
According to the World Health Organization living a healthier lifestyle is as easy as:
- Eating a healthy diet
- Reducing your salt and sugar intake
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Reducing stress
- Not smoking
- Limiting your alcohol consumption
- Exercising almost daily
Easy? Maybe not.
While healthy lifestyle changes may sound easy on paper, it would seem that putting these things into practice in our daily lives is much harder than any of us realize. Research even shows that when people start to dig into the details of these types of changes, they’re so overwhelmed by the insane amount of information out there they don’t know where to start. While you might think that technology would make it easier for people to get healthy, it only seems to make it more difficult. The reason for that is that while people have plenty of information at their fingertips, they find it hard to discern the good information from the bad.
In the end, most people end up nixing their plans before they even begin.
Couple information overload with other known impediments to living a healthier lifestyle like not prioritizing health and wellness or making the time, feeling deprived, and impatience, and it looks like we have the answers to why it’s so hard to live a healthy lifestyle.
4 Ideas For Healthy Lifestyle Changes
If you find yourself nodding along to any of the above, don’t worry you’re not alone. The truth is the more complex something is, the less likely we are to do it. And if we do press on, it’s unlikely that we’ll follow through for any reasonable amount of time.
I know that change is never easy, especially when the task ahead of you seems insurmountable. But you know what they say about eating an elephant, you just do it one bite at a time. Ahead we take a look at 4 easy healthy lifestyle changes you can make now and offer up a few hacks to help you commit to the change and stay on track.
Drink More Water
Water helps regulate your body temperature, and it’s necessary for all of your body’s systems to function smoothly. That said, it’s easy to see why drinking plenty of water throughout your day and staying hydrated is crucial. So drink up! Incidentally, if you’re regularly reaching for water, you may find that you’re cutting back on caffeine and alcoholic beverages.
Easy hacks for drinking more water:
- Flavor your water
- Invest in a fun water bottle or tumbler
- Try a marked tumbler to keep you on track
Make Sleep A Priority
While the CDC recommends that the average adult get 7 to 9 hours per sleep at night, they also report that about one-third of Americans aren’t getting enough sleep. We’ve all got a lot going on in our lives; whether it’s a heavy workload or a jam-packed family calendar, it would seem that a good night’s sleep is usually the first casualty of all of our busy lives. Study after study has shown that insufficient sleep can lead to long-term health issues like obesity, diabetes, and even cardiovascular disease. So, while nights of short sleep here and there are to be expected, it should not become your MO.
Hacks for getting more shut-eye:
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule (even on the weekends)
- Lower the temperature in your bedroom (anywhere between 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit is optimal)
- Limit your screen time before bed
Move More
Exercise is an essential part of any health and wellness routine. But more often than not, busy schedules, demanding jobs, and family obligations tend to take precedence over a trip to the gym. The good news is this entry is titled “move more,” it doesn’t say buy a gym membership and make sure you use it daily. With a few easy tweaks to your daily routine, you’ll find that you’re moving more in no time.
Hacks to help you move more:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Park further away
- Play with your kids or pets
Maintain A Healthy Weight
It’s estimated that 36% of the population is obese ( that’s one in every three adults), obesity was the direct cause or contributing factor for almost 3 million hospital stays every year, and obesity accounts for almost 300,000 deaths each year.
These statistics might be startling, but it’s important to note that obesity and being overweight are not about how you look; it’s about your health and wellness. If left unchecked, obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, certain types of cancers, sleep disorders, lower quality of life, and even death.
But perhaps the most interesting thing to note here is that obesity is preventable. Slimming down may be difficult at first, but you might find that small changes, in the beginning, can have a big impact.
Hacks for maintaining a healthy weight:
- Drink a glass of water before your meals
- Plate your food in reverse (veggies first, then proteins, then grains)
- Use a smaller plate
Change is hard; there’s no denying that, but when you’re talking about your health and well-being, sometimes the juice is worth the squeeze. One bite at a time guys!
Book the “Healthy Habits” Seminar with Nurse Alice to learn more about how to create and maintain a wellness mindset that manifests good health.
