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People always make great New Year's Resolutions that are often unsustainable and hardly incorporated into their lifestyles. Avoid falling into the trap of making the same resolutions every year, only to break them within weeks eventually. Instead, start your journey towards a sustainable, healthy lifestyle today without waiting for your birthday, New Year, etc. Think about the bigger goal of your life and give the due impetus to your health and wellness. And yes, don’t wait until next month, next Monday, etc., to start. A famous saying goes, “jab jago, tab savera”, which means it's morning whenever you wake up from your slumber!
In this article we help you embark on this fitness journey with 10 easy tips to maintain a sustainable healthy lifestyle.
How to Start Your Wellness Journey?
Here are the top 10 ways you can implement to change how you treat your body. By doing so, you can achieve your health goal and take a step forward to a healthy lifestyle!
Top 10 Habits For a Healthy Lifestyle
Eating Whole Fruits and Vegetables
Incorporate whole fruits and vegetables into your diet. That is the essential thing which every doctor harps on. But it becomes simple when you add one or two vegetables or fruits each day of the week.
Let’s break it down to make it easier for you. You can have scrambled eggs with spinach and avocado or mushroom toast for breakfast as a snack or light lunch. You can also add any local vegetables, like cauliflower or capsicum, to your eggs or cheese toast to include your portion of vegetables.
Instead of picking up a cookie or biscuit, reach for an apple or some almonds for your mid-day snack.
Pro tip:
Start with these small changes for at least three days a week and slowly move towards making it an everyday affair.
Make Your Desserts Healthy
If you have a sweet tooth or crave chocolates after every meal, replace with homemade chocolates mix in nuts like almonds, pistachios, or popcorn to reduce sugar intake. Too much sugar has been found to cause high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes, which are incurable.
If you crave chocolate, you can make simple chocolates with cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cold-pressed coconut oil, and natural sweeteners like honey. Recipes are easily available online. You can also occasionally opt for strawberries or other fruit dipped in dark chocolate, which will help you eliminate sugar and enjoy an after-meal dessert.
Pro tip:
Check the ingredients in the packaged food or beverage you consume and switch to healthier homemade lassi instead of bottled beverages to eliminate additional sugar and preservatives!
Watch Your Posture
With the excessive use of laptops or screen time, most people have been prone to sitting in a C posture while working. This posture puts pressure on the spine and causes neck, back, and shoulder pain. This may sound insignificant, but it can become severe with time and lead to restricted movement.
The best way to sit is to bend slightly at the hips and straighten your spine, with your feet flat on the footrest and thighs parallel to the ground. This may seem too much, but if you cannot consciously try it daily, you can use support and belts to help you.
Pro tip:
Do not sit in one position for a long duration. Keep changing your position and take occasional walks every 30 minutes to ease your body and change your posture.
Regular Digital Detox
A study from the University of British Columbia suggested that diners who had their phones out enjoyed dinner less than those who had left their phones unattended. Having a physical barrier between the gadgets helps reduce the addiction to checking on your social media or emails repeatedly.
Pro tip:
Why not ban phones on dinner tables where you can have a real conversation with your family every night? It is important, especially for the mental health of all your loved ones.
Take Occasional Breaks and Holidays
Being a workaholic is good, but you must know where to draw the line. Like any machine that needs maintenance time, your body, mind, and soul need time to rejuvenate and function with equal zest. Whether it's for a few days or a month, plan your vacation with friends and family. Explore some places alone if you have a bucket list of your own. It will be a well-deserved break.
Pro tip:
Holidays are the only time you spend money to become rich, not in wealth, but in your mind, soul and experience. So, plan your holidays for the entire year, and inform your colleagues and other core family members so they can plan their work, leaves, etc., around the same as well!
Regular Health Check-Up
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” - what all mothers used to say to make their kids eat more fruits and vegetables. However, doctor visits should be done at least once a year to keep away any disease that may turn fatal if not diagnosed early.
Did you know Care Health Insurance policy covers the expenses of annual health check-ups up to a defined limit? They even also offer discounts on premium for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Pro tip:
If you have a medical history of heart disease or any recurring health issues, visits are a must for a long-term healthy life. They should become a part of your annual schedule as soon as you reach your thirties!
Exercising Regularly
With overwhelming information about fitness on digital platforms and gyms mushrooming everywhere, it is difficult not to follow the trend. But before spending a hefty amount on a gym membership, think about your daily routine and the sustainability of the exercises you may learn in a gym.
Instead of joining a gym and starting your deadlifts immediately, work on strength and muscle building by walking for a minimum of 30 minutes daily (walking in your room with your phone is not considered a real walk!). Opt for the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Start with basic bodyweight exercises or a daily 30-minute swim.
Pro tip:
A mindful exercise of 30 minutes regularly is better than rigorous workouts at the gym if you cannot sustain or continue it beyond a few weeks. Remember, you would have to live with your body for the rest of your life while everything around you might keep changing!
Sleep Well
Research says the body moves towards the snooze zone as the sun goes to bed. A seven-hour quality sleep at night can make you feel refreshed every morning. But we often compromise our daily sleep for late-night shows, a latest trending Netflix series or parties right?
But wait. we’re not saying you should not watch films or series, but do so without compromising your sleep. A good 7-hour uninterrupted sleep helps your body recover from fatigue and gives you happy hormones to pull through the next day.
Pro tip:
One way to ensure you hit the sack at the right time is to set an alarm for an hour or 45 minutes before bedtime. When the alarm goes off, start getting ready for bed, be it night-time skincare, prepping for breakfast, shutting your gadgets, etc.
Socialise, Meet up With Friends and Have Fun
Your mental health is equally important than your physical health. Take time out of your busy schedule to be with your friends and family. It helps you deal with the regular stress or anxiety you may face in your workplace and stay positive.
Pro tip:
Research says meaningful conversations and friendships help with mental well-being. So, plan your weekends, meet up with friends, and laugh your lungs out! Everyone is busy, but that should not be a hindrance to socialising!
Refrain from Excessive Smoking and Drinking:
Stay away from those parties where you are forced to smoke or drink. Though a limited intake of alcohol is ok, too much of it can ruin your health completely. Smoking, even within limits, is harmful, without a doubt.
Pro tip:
Start by reducing the intake so that it's easier to hold on to a lifestyle without too much alcohol and cigarettes.
Taking baby steps towards cutting these two habits entirely is the only way to a healthy lifestyle.
Top 5 Tips to Make Your Health Resolutions a Success
Weeks or months into a healthy lifestyle, you could start falling short of your goals. This demotivates you even further, and you get into the cycle of further failures. Not to worry. With these simple tricks, you will be back on track in no time:
Choose Wisely
You may want to eat healthy, quit smoking, lose weight, and go on vacation all at once. However, it is wise to choose one or two important ones to focus on each year rather than failing all.
Planning is Crucial
Think how much time you would give yourself to accomplish health goals for a set time period. If you want to quit smoking, a little research will tell you how much time an average person takes to get over the habit. You can now set a realistic goal to see it through.
A New Health Resolution Every 3 to 6 Months
If you resolved to go on a diet last year and failed, refrain from choosing a steep weight-loss goal. Opt for more sustainable goals with smaller targets to continue your journey.
Remember, it's more important to go on that to reach your target because wellness is a lifestyle, not a destination! Then, change your focus in the next quarter or half-year.
Set Specific but Small Goals
Attach specific measures to your goals, like exercising for 10 minutes each day or walking for 15 minutes each day, etc. These details in your resolutions give you a sense of accomplishment once achieved and further push you to continue with them. Give enough time to your resolutions to become a part of your lifestyle.
Enjoy Your New Lifestyle
Most importantly, you should enjoy your new lifestyle to develop healthy habits. If you find exercising mundane, join a Zumba or dance class for better satisfaction. Go swimming or play basketball if that catches your fancy.
Be creative and make the health goals worth following naturally instead of constantly making an effort so that your lifestyle is sustainable in the long run!
To Conclude
A new habit takes time to become a part of your lifestyle. Trust the process and focus on the health goals for your overall well-being. It is very easy to give up your new habit, but continuing it will help you achieve your desired body, mind, and soul. Remember, a healthy mind and body is step one towards your overall well-being. So, consider your age, work, and lifestyle before making such resolutions. Take help from the above list of healthy living resolutions and tips to achieve them.
Disclaimer: The above information is for reference purposes only. Kindly consult your general physician for verified medical advice. The health insurance benefits are subject to policy terms and conditions. Refer to your policy documents for more information.
