Living your best life starts with everyday healthy living habits you can start today. A healthy lifestyle has to be one that you can maintain, so this post isn’t going to be about green smoothies and how to run marathons. Instead, you will learn simple and easy habits that you can do every single day for a healthy lifestyle that you will love and be able to maintain.
My fitness story
I have always enjoyed physical activity. In school and college, I dabbled in track and cheerleading and liked the idea of working out and rocking a lean, tone body. You can ask my family, but I was always doing something weird like making green smoothies, putting kale on things and going for long runs with our family dog. I didn’t know what everyday healthy living habits looked like, but I tried. The truth is, I had NO idea what I was doing, and I fumbled around this way for ten years.
Fast forward to my first year living alone after getting my first real job. The freedom it gave me was my worst enemy! I stopped working out, had a glass of wine, desert and pasta every night and tried eating a whole pack of Oreos. I was so out of shape and unhappy with myself that I needed a change. I started working out because I didn’t like the way I looked. I was trying to workout and eat super healthy, not really knowing what I was doing in the gym or what a health diet looked like.
After doing tons or research and living in the experiment of balancing life and a healthy lifestyle, it one day dawned on me. Healthy living and liking how you look isn’t a punishment. I found that the more I loosened up on a strict health diet and green smoothies and just tried to make healthier choices one at a time, the better I felt.
A healthy lifestyle with everyday healthy living habits is about how you FEEL not just about how you look. The better you FEEL the more you will want to take care of yourself by eating well and working out. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Healthy(ier) living is done one step at a time with a goal of a lifestyle that’s sustainable. No one can only eat kale salads and green smoothies the rest of their life. But you can slowly lean into a healthier lifestyle with these everyday healthy living habits that will get you in the gear of feeling and looking better.
Everyday healthy living habits
| Drink Tons of Water |
Staying hydrated is so important! Your body is made up of so much water and needs water to function.You will I’m mediately know when you haven’t had enough water for the day because you will be tired, have a headache, feel sluggish or crave soda or treats. A general rule of thumb is to have at least half of your weight in ounces of water. Keep a water bottle by you side so it’s readily available, saves the planet and doesn’t constantly need refilled. The more water you drink the more you will want to drink it, which will naturally cut out those other sweet drinks or sodas that aren’t good for you. Try drinking enough water for at least 3 days, and I PROMISE you, you will notice the differences.
| Get plenty of sleep |
This should be an easy one! You can’t function well physically or mentally if you aren’t getting enough sleep. On average you need 6-8 hours a night. This reminds me of when Jackson was born, and I wasn’t sleep at all. It was a slippery slope of poor lifestyle choices. I was tired, so I wouldn’t workout or make dinner, and I’d use it as an excuse to eat terribly and sit on the couch. When you are tired, it’s easier to make excuses. Honestly, if you are tired, a workout is the boost of energy you will need to get through the day! It sounds counterintuitive, I know, but try it! Working out releases energy and endorphins!
| Make one healthy swap |
Remember how I said you don’t have to go from a poor diet to a diet only of kale salads and green smoothies? I meant that. Start today by making only ONE healthy swap. Instead of white rice, use brown. Say no to an extra serving you don’t really need. Instead of an unhealthy snack, have an apple. Instead of four cookies, eat only three. It doesn’t have to be a huge swap, just something you know is a healthier choice. Do this everyday, and it will become one of your everyday healthy living habits that you will start to do without having to really think about.
| Gear |
One of the best ways to feel motivated and have a good workout is by having good gear that you feel good in. For a long time, I tried to save money but cutting corners on workout clothes and shoes, but they weren’t supportive or left my feet hurting and wore out quickly. Now, I have a few staple items that I routinely wear and wash! When you love what you wear, you will more likely want to put it on and show it off. Invest in gear that enhances your workouts and makes you feel good. I know quality workout gear may cost a little more, but it will LAST and be so worth it.
A good pair of shoes or workout leggings can make you feel like you belong in the gym. You can start slowly. Buy one item at a time when you have money set aside and begin building a collection of gear you love, want to wear and that supports your workout routine. If you are new, a quality pair of shoes and a good sports bra is a must. Just like you need to right tool for the job, you need the right workout gear to workout. These are my favorite Adidas items that will not only leave you looking good but knowing you are supported in quality gear.
| Get your steps in |
This is the only workout-related item to incorporate into your healthy habits. Everyday, aim for 10,000 steps. Go for a walk with your kids. Walk your dog. Listen to a podcast and walk by yourself. When I was teaching, I 100% looked like a crazy person walking and walking and walking around the desks trying to get my steps in, but hey it worked! If you don’t get your steps in, go for a jog or run! You will be glad for that extra exercise and those extra calories spent.
|My secret tip |
Healthy living is a lifestyle. If it isn’t something you can’t maintain, do not do it. Also, you have to have balance and understanding with your journey. So many people eat desert promising that they will work it off later. That kind of negativity and pressure on yourself and your works outs is not the relationship that you want. Have forgiveness with yourself! If you eat desert, fall off track, or don’t get all of your health habits in that is OKAY. Tell yourself that it’s okay.
Tomorrow is a new day for new choices, and you move on. You move on the next day, not the next Monday. Live everyday with intention for how you want to feel mentally and look physically, while leaving yourself a little bit of room to live your life. We eat pizza every single Friday and some days I don’t get my steps in, but I’ve finally gotten to a mental place that knows that’s okay and I won’t “make up for it” but make better choices tomorrow.
I hope this post inspires you to incorporate these everyday healthy habits into your life and to do so with grace and understanding.
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