Taking the first step to improving your health can seem overwhelming at first. But, it doesn’t have to be!
Instead of taking huge steps on your health improvement journey, take small steps. Little changes add up to big results over time!
Making improvements to your health is all about your lifestyle and daily behaviors. Once you start making changes to daily habits, you’ll find health improvements getting easier and easier.
Being consistent with small changes are what can give you the greatest results. When you make huge changes all at once, it’s hard to stick with it or make it part of your lifestyle. Keep it simple for success!
Here are five simple ways to improve your health and start living a healthier lifestyle.
1 – Do More Standing, Less Sitting
These days, with so much focus on computers for work and fun, most people spend the majority of their waking hours sitting in a chair!
Too much sitting is risky business. To your health, that is!
I know. Your job requires you to sit. There are still ways to counteract the negative effects while at work. Consider getting a standing workstation. There are many that go up and down so you can sit or stand.
Another thing you can do is take a break every 30 to 60 minutes. Stand up or take a 5 minute walk around the office. Don’t forget to look around with your eyes to exercise them too!
2 – Exercise Whenever Possible
Most people think about going to the gym when they hear the word, “exercise.” That’s not exactly true.
Just walking is a great form of exercise. Instead of driving to the grocery store for that gallon of milk, take a walk instead. If the store is too far, then park at the far end of the parking lot to get those extra steps in. You can use a fitness tracker to track those steps.
Love to watch television in the evening? Use the commercial breaks to see how many pushups or squats you can do!
Another suggestion is to take an after dinner walk with the family. It’s a nice tradition to walk and talk, while helping your digestion and burning a few calories.
3 – Drink Lots of Water
One of the easiest ways to improve your health is by drinking water. It’s a vital ingredient to the proper functioning of every cell in your body.
How much water to drink daily? Every person is different and it depends on your height, weight, and how much exercise you do.
You can easily carry a water bottle with you and refill it during the day. Here’s one of my favorite glass water bottles.
What would our bodies do without water? They wouldn’t survive too long!
4 – Use Food Portion Control Containers
The first time I heard about food portion control I thought it was so silly. That was until I tried it!
Wow. The first few times I used portion control containers was an eye-opening experience. The portions I was spooning onto my plate previously were huge and I didn’t realize it.
Using portion control containers helped me to see that I was eating too much at one sitting. It also helped me to eat the right size portions for my size.
The containers are so easy to use too! You can learn more about portion control here.
5 – Get a Good Night of Sleep
When was the last time you had a good night of sleep? The right amount of sleep can impact your health in a big way, especially your energy levels and mood.
Instead of watching television or working on a computer until the wee hours, try some relaxation techniques. You can read, meditate, or do some relaxing yoga. Keep your room dark too!
Another relaxing bedtime technique is to write in a gratitude journal at the end of the day and leave your worries there.
And of course, having the right bedding helps too! Whether you invest in the right pillow or have a bed that feels like sleeping on a cloud, getting a good night of sleep is worth it for your health.
I recently got a fitness tracker to track my sleep patterns. Wow! It’s been so helpful. I was amazed at how poorly I was sleeping. No wonder I felt so tired all the time! By tracking my sleep, I was able to make the necessary changes to sleep better and thereby improve my health!
Conclusion
It’s never too late to get started with healthy habits on the road to better health. You learned five simple ways to include healthy habits into your lifestyle.
Take action today to live a quality life where you feel amazing!
