Creating healthy habits
Creating a healthy habit that lasts is not easy but consistently incorporating the behaviour into your lifestyle and daily routine is key. It takes time, practice and patience. In this article we set out helpful tips in creating healthier habits.
Here are six tools to turn into habits to help you look and feel at your best:
Drink a minimum of 3 litres of water per day (for extra hydration after exercise add electrolytes to your water)
Eat protein with every meal - a variety of plant and animal will mean that you get in the extra nutrients
If you’re not on a low calorie diet get small amounts of healthy fats into each meal e.g. avocado, nuts, olives, seeds, cacao, coconut products
Stick with lower GI carbs, ideally after training and before bed this keeps blood sugar balanced and improves brain function
Increase fruit and vegetable intake with each meal and snack replacement, they are generally lower calorie and make your plate look more substantial
Include more NEAT (non-exercise activity thermogenesis) activities into your day, such as, taking the stairs instead of the escalator or getting off the bus one stop earlier.
Tash, our co-founder and personal trainer on a run, a habit she has formed and enjoys
Knowing where to begin can be the hard part. We recommend using the SMART technique to set a specific goal (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound). By defining these parameters at the start of your journey it helps ensure that your objective is attainable within a certain time frame.
Consistency is key when it comes to achieving healthy habits. This comes down to building good habits into your lifestyle and daily routine.
Remember, forcing yourself to run if you hate running or eat food you simply don’t enjoy will have a negative impact on your mood and ability to sustain that habit. That is not to say you shouldn’t try new things as they could be beneficial to you but make sure your plan is realistic. Correct education regarding nutrition and what it takes to keep the body healthy will help you make the right choices.
Using an app, notebook, or watch may help you monitor your fitness progress and stay on track with your goals as you will be able to track habits such as steps, sleep, diet. Holding yourself accountable is another method of staying on track (tell friends and family, have a training partner, hire a personal trainer) so when you feel like you can’t you have someone who can put things into perspective and give any needed motivation.
And, if you fall off track for a day, don’t be too hard on yourself, it happens to everybody. Just don’t let it turn into a week of being off track and get back to being consistent with your healthy habits the next day. Take things day by day and keep focusing on what you can do to keep your future self happy and healthy.
