So you want to get healthy and fit, or at least more healthy and fit than you are now. What’s the secret?
Truthfully, there is no secret. But there are habits that people who live a healthy and fit lifestyle practice, and by getting into these habits, you can start on your journey towards better health and fitness.
Habits for Getting Healthy and Fit
- Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We know it’s a cliche, and maybe you’ve heard a parental figure say it before, but there’s a good reason for that. Sometimes, when people start trying to improve their health, they skip breakfast to cut calories. In turn, they believe this will help them to lose weight quickly. Don’t fall for this trap! According to Christy C. Tangney, Ph.D., a clinical dietitian at Rush University Medical Center, “Studies have found that although people who skip breakfast eat slightly fewer calories during the day, they tend to have higher body mass index.” Not only will eating a healthy, balanced breakfast help improve your energy and focus for the day, but it also jumpstarts your metabolism, reduces your cravings for snacks, and will prepare you to do more physical activities whenever you have free time.
- Hydrate, hydrate, and hydrate some more. The more water you drink throughout the day, the more your body’s fluid will transport nutrients to the rest of your body. Drinking more water is especially important if you’re adding or increasing exercise to your routine. In general, men should be drinking about 15-1/2 cups a day, and women should be drinking about 11-1/2 cups a day/ But that’s a starting point. Your needs may be different. If you’re exercising in hot or humid weather, pregnant or breastfeeding, or sick, your body needs more water.
- Stock your fridge and cabinets with the right foods. No matter how strong your willpower is, a bag of chips sitting in your cabinet is mighty tempting after midnight. But if you empty your cabinets and replace unhealthy foods with healthier options, no amount of temptation will matter – you can’t eat chips that aren’t there!
- Always be prepared. Take it from the Boy Scouts, being prepared is an important habit to get into. Whenever you go out, whether to a restaurant, a ball game, a concert, a friend’s house, park, or wherever, make sure you bring healthy snack options. Keep a stash in your car for emergencies, too!
- Be flexible with exercise. You don’t need to commit to a massive weightlifting regimen, or a marathon, or even going to the gym five days a week. But you should find ways to get moving. If you love the gym, then go as often as your membership allows! But let yourself have fun and be flexible with what “exercise” means. You can build exercise into your day naturally. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car further away from the office, take your dog on more walks, institute a family bike ride night, walk during a work meeting, on a conference call, or when chatting with friends, and the list goes on!
- Use visual cues to remind you to exercise. Put your running shoes by the front door at night; slap a post-it on the mirror telling you of your goals. Seeing visual cues is a great way to remind us to follow through with our new habits.
- Set a routine. However you want to start, whether it’s working out 3 or 5 times a week, do it on the same days and at the same time, if possible. Being consistent is an essential part of building good habits.
- Try some of the supplements below from Garden of Life and Onnit!
Garden of Life
One secret to getting into smart habits is to make your habits and goals achievable. In other words, the simpler, the better. Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily Men’s and Dr. Formulated Probiotics Once Daily Women’s from Garden of Life have convenience built-in. You only need to remember to take it once daily, and you’re done. It’s a simple way to help support digestive and colon health and immunity.
And for every member of the family (especially those who have a harder time eating their veggies), try Vitamin Code Family, which is an organic, natural whole food multivitamin for women, men, and children. This supplement provides nutrients for optimal health. For ages six and up, it contains live probiotics and enzymes, along with all the vitamins and minerals needed to support optimal physical and mental well-being.
Onnit
Support your new exercise habits with Total Strength and Performance Pre-Workout Formula from Onnit. It’s made with earth-grown ingredients and designed to support athletic performance, strength, and muscle recovery – available in tasty strawberry-lemonade flavor! And if you want to support your mind as well as your body, try Alpha Brain Memory and Focus, which uses huperzine A and bacopa extract to help support memory, focus, and processing speed.
What are your best suggestions for smart habits for getting healthy and fit?
