Make One of These Small Health Changes Instead of Solving
Now that the chaos of the holiday season is over, many of us vow to make changes to our health, but we know that ambitious decisions don’t always turn out to be so successful . So instead of saying that you will “lose weight” or “eat better,” try one or two of these simple, specific changes.
Refresh your eating habits
Eating a formal diet takes a lot of energy and planning. Instead, try doing something that you do every day and change that to eat less or choose healthier options.
- Eat Smarter: Identify when you are most likely to have a snack – like when you play video games? – and stock up on the healthier option you like .
- Hide Junk Food: Take a few minutes to reorganize your kitchen. Place the fruit bowl in a well-lit area and keep less healthy foods out of sight .
- Wait to interrupt fasting : If you often skip breakfast , try intermittent fasting – basically the same thing, but in which you do not strictly eat until lunch. Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone, but if it suits your daily routine, use it.
- Fill with water: Drink a glass of water before each meal to fill your stomach. You will eat less, and you may find it easier to resist the temptation to drink something higher in calories, such as beer or sodas.
- Eat Free Meals: Add a few of these low-calorie vegetables and seasonings to lunch.
Make one of these changes and your meals and snacks will help you stay healthy – no diet plan is required.
Get started with exercise easily with short sessions
Any exercise is better than nothing. If you don’t have time for regular 30- or 60-minute sessions, try something quick. Three 10-minute workouts a day are still considered a 30-minute workout , and even three 10-minute strength workouts a week can keep you healthy . More is better, but get started now, anytime you have.
- If you have 15 minutes: Make this morning full body video or this based on a card you can print out as a cheat sheet.
- If you have 11 minutes: try this old school fighter pilot workout .
- If You Have Seven Minutes: The Scientific Seven Minute Workout is a classic that does the trick.
- If you have five minutes: Try a five-minute workout in a hotel room .
- If you have two minutes: Stand on one leg to work on strength and balance, or instead train your mind with a quick meditation .
Aside from official workout times, keep in mind that walking is also a great way to improve your body. If you can walk more during the day, you will have a good start .
Improve your fitness
If you’re already training, adding another high-intensity workout per week or trying a new sport are worthwhile goals, but they’re not the only way to work harder. Try one of these:
- Do your speed work: If you already run a few times a week, turn one of these workouts into a speed workout day dedicated to intervals. You will be faster and better than if you just kept running at an average pace.
- Add Intervals : Turn any cardio workout into a strength and endurance booster by working out one of the three most effective interval workouts .
- Lift Something: You will improve your health if you work with weights in your daily routine, rather than living only cardio.
- Master a new movement: Pick an exercise you’ve always wanted to be good at, such as the deadlift or bench press , and ask your coach to introduce you to the movement or suggest how to improve it.
- Explore Through Video: Tune in to the new YouTube workout channel for fresh workouts you haven’t tried yet.
These changes may seem simple, but by making your workouts harder, you end up improving your health. And since none of these changes take a huge investment of time or willpower, you can save your energy to achieve the goals that matter most to you .