At times we can all get caught up in the lifestyle trap of too little exercise, too much takeaway food and processed pre-prepared meals and not enough sleep.
But in the back of our minds, we also know that living a healthy lifestyle isn’t the easiest thing to do, and the sad truth is that many of us simply feel just “too busy” in life to implement any healthy lifestyle changes.
We also know though, that by making a few simple changes we can live longer, healthier and have our bodies prepared for our retirement years………with no lifestyle diseases that will ruin our happiness in later life. No one wants to end up living in a long-term aged care facility with little quality of life.
It’s not necessarily that you don’t have the motivation or you don’t want to have a better lifestyle – it’s simply that you don’t feel like you have the time to make the necessary changes to turn your lifestyle around because, yes, it does take time, planning and mental energy to make positive changes!
Sorry, but that’s just the cold hard facts. All the facets of Active Ageing is your answer to Anti Aging.
But believe me …… you CAN turn things around if you change your mind-set and some of the habits you have dropped into so easily over the years, probably without even really noticing.
4 Tips to Healthy Lifestyle Habits
1. Make small and regular lifestyle changes
You don’t have to completely revamp your lifestyle overnight. In fact, with your current work schedule and other things going on in your life, you may never be able to achieve your ideal lifestyle.
It’s important to remember that you don’t have to become one of those people who goes to the gym at 5am every morning and manages to drink enough water throughout the day although strength training is so important as you start aging.
Start with simple changes, such as eating a healthier breakfast, being aware of how much sugar you are eating then cutting back or taking the stairs up to the office rather than the elevator
Little fish are sweet so smaller changes made regularly end up being big changes over a longer period of time. For example, a 1% improvement on say you diet or exercise program each week amounts to a 52% improvement over a year.
Sounds easy when you look at it like that don’t you think?
2. Find a friend
Rather than trying to make changes on your own, find somebody to do it with you.
This could be your partner, your best friend, a neighbour or the entire family. When you are all making lifestyle changes together, it’s not only easier to stick to it, but also to get the support you need during those tough times …… and there will be a few.
3. Remember, it’s not just all about your Physical Health
Living a healthier lifestyle isn’t just all about losing weight, exercising more and eating better foods.
It’s also about your mental health, so you can think about ways in which to improve this too.
Spend an hour at least once a week after work to meditate, have a drink with some friends or even attend talking therapy sessions if you feel you have things to offload throughout the week.
Reducing your stress levels is paramount to better health, both physical and mental so engage in some holistic approaches to improve your health and wellness.
Still feel too busy when it comes to maintaining a healthy lifestyle?
Well this is exactly why you need some time out.
Everyone can prioritize 10 minutes a day for some quiet time, and you really must if you’re feeling frazzled. The rest will follow.
4. If you don’t succeed, try and try again!
Starting a new diet on Monday might seem like a great idea, but if you’re feeling like giving up by the time you get to Wednesday, don’t worry about it. Many will say that “diets don’t work” anyway.
Allow yourself time to ease into a healthier lifestyle, and be patient with yourself too. If you fall off the wagon, just put it behind you, get back up and start all over again.
You can think about starting over again like this: There is no such thing as “going back to square one”. Even if you feel like you have to “start over”, you’re trying again with more knowledge, strength and power than you had before. So get in and go for it!
A healthy lifestyle is something you should be able to keep for the rest of your life – it’s not a short term fix.
Best wishes with your journey.
John – your Active Ageing Mentor and Coach.
P.S. Help a friend……..like and share. Thanks.
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