When you have been engaging in the same lifestyle habits for several years it may look easy to just change over to living a more positive lifestyle. The truth is that it’s not as easy as you think. Taking small steps towards changing your lifestyle habits is the only way to be successful, especially when you’re changing your eating habits at the same time.
Some of the most harmful lifestyle habits are ones you may not even realize you are engaging in. These habits may include the following:
• Drinking in excess
• Smoking
• Using recreational drugs
• Engaging in risky sexual behavior
• Allowing stress into your life
• Poor time management and balance between work, family and recreation
It is has been proven that living a healthier lifestyle promotes a strong immune system, a longer life expectancy, a decreased risk of getting life-threatening illnesses, and an overall sound body and mind. Here are some of the most important ways to start changing your poor lifestyle habits into positive lifestyle changes.
Exercise
Physical activity is a staple in living a healthier lifestyle. Many people have no desire to exercise or engage in any type of physical activity. Not only does exercising increase the production of endorphins which promotes happiness and satisfaction, it makes you feel better mentally and increases your confidence level. If this is true, why has every excuse in the book been used to get out of exercising? Some of the biggest complaints or concerns about not exercising include:
1. No time
2. No energy
3. Too much work to do
4. Too many family commitments
5. Too expensive to join a gym
6. Don’t feel comfortable exercising in front of people in better shape than them
7. Don’t feel comfortable using the equipment
Well, these may all be valid reasons but if lack of confidence or not having money to pay for a membership then there is no problem. There are many simple exercises that you do every day that can help you lose weight and battle fat. Exercising doesn’t have to be a full blow-out gym workout. Smaller activities can provide just as much of a benefit as busting your rear in the gym. Some examples include:
1. Taking a walk at a slower pace
2. Walking your pet or a neighbor’s pet
3. Riding your bike instead of driving
4. Doing chores around the house such as gardening, cleaning the house and mowing the lawn.
These are all a great start to jump starting your system and springing into action. Start off slow rather than going full force at a gym. If you are significantly overweight or considered obese it is best to start off slow and work yourself up to going to the gym. In order to maximize your results, you should engage in a gym workout 2 to 3 times a week or do some type of physical exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
Keep yourself Active
An active lifestyle usually results in a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical activity is extremely important to maintain our fitness levels although it can easily be ignored. The great thing is that exercising doesn’t necessary mean joining a gym or hiring a personal trainer. Instead of hitting the gym think about other ways you can introduce more physical activity into your regular routine. Walk up the stairs instead of taking the escalator or an elevator. Instead of driving to work, walk to work. Even something as simple as keeping up on daily chores can give you enough exercise to help improve your overall health. It only takes 30 minutes a day to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
