Sleep better. Eat better. Move more. Do yoga. Do pilates. Do resistance training. Eat more protein. Track your health. More water. Less processed foods. Hot and cold therapy. It is exhausting even reading those words.
It is just too much to add into an already busy life. So people don’t even try to get healthier, it becomes another thing to do, another thing to add to the list and that list just gets forgotten as life gets in the way.
I get it. I have young children. Life is incredibly busy. All of our 24 hours are different and one thing is for sure, they are busy. As life returns to its rhythm after the summer, chances are your schedule is full to the brim and you just can’t motivate yourself to get healthier. I have been there – don’t worry, we all have.
Today’s column is for you. If you are sitting there reading this overwhelmed, unmotivated, down on yourself and stuck, I want to tell you that it doesn’t have to be hard, or dramatic. It doesn’t have to be another thing on the to-do list.
Getting healthier can be done by making simple changes. Simple swaps. By just being aware of your day and your choices within it. These swaps will make such a difference to how you feel and they don’t involve joining anything or going anywhere. This is real world health. In a society that is constantly trying to get us to move less, eat worse, you need to decide to be better than that. Choosing health over poor health, choosing independent ageing over dependent ageing. Choosing strength over weakness. Choice. Let’s take a look at some choices you can make to get healthier.
Food
• Eat a healthier breakfast.
• Have less coffee or tea during the day.
• Fill half your plate with vegetables.
• Have the chocolate, but maybe once a week.
• Eat one gram of protein per kilogramme of body weight per day.
• Have a large 2ltr bottle of water at the start of the day and finish it by bedtime.
• No caffeine after 4pm in the day.
• Eat one new vegetable each week.
• Cook a new meal each week.
Movement
• Park the car further away in the car park.
• Stand more instead of sitting.
• Take the stairs, not the lift or escalator.
• Do more house cleaning.
• Lift the groceries or the shopping.
• Have a car-free day.
• Meet that friend for a walk instead of cake.
• Next time you walk past the outdoor gym machines, use one.
Lifestyle
• Go to bed at the same time each evening and get up at the same time each morning for a week.
• Write down five simple goals to achieve each week.
• Do one big food shop each Sunday to set yourself up for the week.
• Spring clean your room, your house, your fridge and your car.
• Smile more during the day, you will be amazed at the response you get. Carry out a random act of kindness for someone each day.
• Reflect on what you have in your life, and just how lucky you are, as opposed to yearning for other people’s lifestyle.
• Call that friend you haven’t spoken to for a while.
Hopefully, the lists above give you a sense of calm. A sense of motivation. A feeling of excitement. They are just some small habit changes you can accomplish. I am sure you have more to add that are more specific to you, too. Between this week and next week, try and implement some and watch what happens.
Next week: I want to bring you on a couch-to-5km journey.
SHARING OPTIONS