Creating healthy lifestyle habits has never been easier with all of the information on the internet today, but with all of the information that is available, it can get overwhelming. There are so many healthy habit trends and challenges out there, some more complex than others. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be difficult.
I'm going to tell you all about some easy healthy habits that you can start doing to transform your life.
This post is all about healthy lifestyle habits.
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Why should you choose healthy lifestyle habits?
If you have found yourself clicking on my post, my guess is that you are ready to start prioritizing your health. Let me be the first to say that I am proud of you. I have my own winding history with unhealthy habits, and I know just how difficult it can be to make that first step in deciding it is time for change. Choosing healthy lifestyle habits is so much more than just trying to look sexier or follow the latest healthy trend. It's about feeling healthier, improving your quality of life, and feeling more confident in your own skin.
While I do have a list of things you can start doing to create a healthier lifestyle, keep in mind that it is easier to turn these activities into habits when you only implement a couple at a time. For instance, choose two of the activities that you believe will be the easiest to implement into your daily routine, do them for 4-6 weeks until they become automatic habits. Once you get to that point add in a couple more. Before you know it you will have a list of healthy lifestyle habits that you are doing.
Atomic Habits by James Clear is a fantastic read if you are new to creating habits or you just have trouble sticking to them.
With that said, let's get into it. I'm going to tell you about some of the easiest healthy lifestyle habits that you can start doing that will give you all of the benefits listed above.
Drinking More Water
It's no surprise that drinking more water is on the list, we have been told this our entire lives. The recommended daily water intake is 72 ounces. There are so many benefits to drinking more water that include, improving your skin, weight loss, eliminating toxins, improving digestion, and so much more. Here are some easy ways to increase your daily water intake.
- Drink a full glass of water first thing in the morning. I started drinking a glass of water before my morning coffee. Not only does it kick start my water intake for the day, but I also noticed my stomach is less torn up after my morning coffee when I drink water before had.
- Having a water bottle or tumblr with fluid ounce markings to help track your daily water intake. If you have a specific water goal for the day, then I highly recommend this one. It just makes it so easy to keep track of how much you are drinking, and it also makes it kind of fun and challenging which can be motivating for competitive people, like myself. I bought a 50 oz. knock off tumblr and it is great for water intake. I know that I have to drink two of them in order to hit my water goal for the day, but the one downside is how heavy it is. They have smaller sizes, so if carrying around a heavy water bottle isn't your idea of fun, I would recommend getting a 30-40 oz. bottle.
- Drink a glass of water 30 minutes before and after each meal. I've heard of doctors actually recommending this; it's a great way to increase your water intake and it will help prevent you from over eating by making you feel full faster.
- This one may sound a little ridiculous, but you could also set a timer or alarm on your phone at the top of every hour as a reminder to take a drink of water. Of course the reminders would only be temporary, once you make it a habit you won't need the reminders anymore.
Click here to get the Reduce Tumblr
Daily Walks
Walking more and being more active is great for your cardiovascular health. Even just 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Getting in daily walks can also be coupled with spending time outside, which I will talk more about later in this post.
I usually do my daily walk on the treadmill because I like to make it a little more challenging by walking at an incline. On occasion when the weather is nice I will get in a second walk with my dogs, but I just count that as extra and give myself a nice little pat on the back.
If you want to try walking on the treadmill, try walking for 30 minutes at an incline of 8-10 and a speed of 2.5-3.0. This is a great way to get your heart pumping and burn some calories!
Journaling
I know you might be thinking, "Abby, only teenage girls keep a journal", but that's not true! Journaling has gained a lot of popularity in recent years and there are many benefits from it. Journaling can help you work through trauma, process emotions, discover who you are and what your true desires are, and honestly just being able to see how far you have come is pretty cool. The great thing about journaling is there is no one way to do it, you get to make it your own. Some ways that I use my journal: processing emotions, goal setting, organizing my thoughts. I also use my journal sometimes as a way to speak with God. I'm also going to start finding journal prompts for working through trauma and self-discovery, so if you are interested in the journal prompts I find, leave a comment below and I'll make a separate post for that.
In the meantime, check out my post Journaling: 5 Reasons You Should Start Today
Get Enough Sleep
I know this one kind of seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many people don't get enough sleep and the effects that it can have on your body. When you don't get enough sleep, your body's cortisol levels increase which is a stress hormone. This can cause weight gain, irritability, low libido, brain fog, and more.
When I was in college I got on average 5-6 hours of sleep a night, and that was on my good days. Sometimes I would only get 4 hours, especially the night before clinicals because of how nervous I was. I gained roughly 40 pounds in the 6 years I attended college, my brain fog was horrible, and I had almost no sex drive. Let's be honest, it sucked! But after a while, I got use to it and it just felt like my new normal. I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be. If you prioritize your sleep, you will reap the benefits. I've been out of school for 5 months, at the time of writing this post, and I have lost 15 pounds, I wake up energized, I feel more focused, and my libido is back. I honestly feel like a whole new person, and I wish I would have taken my sleep more seriously when I was in school.
Exercise For At Least 30 Minutes
There are many ways to exercise, one activity I have already mentioned in this blog post and that is walking. Walking at a fast enough pace or an incline that increases your heart rate is exercising. So really, that's all you have to do in order to check this one off of the list. However, you can choose a different form of exercise as well. Here are some other exercises you could do for 30 minutes a day
- Ride a bike
- Go for a swim
- Weight training
- Resistance training
- Yoga
- Calisthenics
- Dancing
Really the list could go on, but these are just some ideas to get you started.
Exercising has many benefits including improving your cardiovascular health, increasing muscle strength, increased energy, and a better overall quality of life.
Stretching
I feel like stretching isn't a common thing unless it's pre or post workout, but stretching daily can be very beneficial. Doesn't have to be some extensive stretching plan or anything, it can just be 10 minutes a day. Stretching increases flexibility and range of motion, improves posture, reduces stress, promotes better sleep, and reduces pain. Who wouldn't want that, am I right?! I like to do very basic stretches, that they teach in physical education (P.E.) classes from high school and every once in a while I will do more complex stretches if I feel like my body would benefit from it. There is a tone of information out there about what kind of stretches to do and where they target. Pinterest is a great place to find these.
Which reminds me! If you haven't already, follow me on Pinterest. I would love to be your Pinterest Pal.
Spend Some Time Outside
There are many benefits to spending time outside, nature has a way of reducing stress and promoting relaxation. Plus, the vitamin D you get from the sun is good for your health. As mentioned earlier, spending time outside can be coupled with your daily walks, but that doesn't mean that it has to be. Here are some ideas to spend time outside.
- Go for a hike
- Enjoy a picnic in the park
- Go camping
- Watch the sunrise or sunset
- Read a book outside
- Garden
And so much more. My favorite thing to do outside is reading a good fiction book.
This post was all about healthy lifestyle habits.
I would love to know what healthy lifestyle habits you are already doing, or if you are planning on implementing any of the ones talked about on this blog. Leave a comment or send me a message. 🙂
P.S. if you enjoyed this post, you should go read my post 7 Life Changing Self Care Activities You Should Be Doing
