Tell Me More About These 20 Healthy Habits
Yes, I am one of those unusual people who enjoy exercise. When I get myself to the gym, and lift weights or do cardio, as I start to break a sweat, it always brings a big grin to my face. Who knows, it must be the endorphins coursing through my veins. My gym obsession started practically the day after college graduation when I signed up for my first gym membership at Bally’s Health & Fitness in Glenview. While I’ve moved around to several gyms since then, one thing didn’t change.
I was the person who squeezed every penny out of my gym memberships.
After spending over two decades bodybuilding, I hit my 40s, and although I still liked to workout, bike ride, ski, hike, etc., I couldn’t find the same amount of time or energy to get to the gym. Not only that, I could no longer eat whatever I wanted, since my metabolism was not as robust as it had been. My meal portions were too large with too much protein and carbs on my plate and too few vegetables. My stress levels had hit the roof, meaning cortisol surged through my veins. For a long time, my mindset was stuck at if I can’t get to the gym for two hours, why bother? You can imagine how effective that was for my health goals and weight.
Which takes us to today and my quest to bring health back to my life in a way that suits the lifestyle I have as a busy, middle-aged professional with many competing interests. My reason for exercising changed, too. In my 50s, my main reason for exercising is to (get and) stay healthy as I mature, improve my balance and flexibility, and have the energy and fitness level to bring to my work, travel, sports, hobbies, and life.
Finally, I had my aha moment when I realized every little step matters. Whether you visualize the fox and the hare (I was becoming the hare; slow and steady wins the race) or an ant in an ant farm (check out how much they accomplish over a week even though it seems like each day they are hardly making progress). Getting my health back would require a series of small, daily healthy habits that I needed to incorporate into my lifestyle every day, every week, every year and for the rest of my life. And I needed to do it in a way that was easier, would fit in with my busy career, and would also allow me to build on my little successes and progress over time.
Even eating one apple a day is progress.
Realizing that I have an “achiever” mindset, love crossing things off a list and that I’m highly competitive, I built myself a list of 20 Healthy Habits that I could incorporate into my day and check off one by one. My goal was to reach a minimum of 12 healthy habits from a list of 20 each day, with extra credit if I got over 17. It’s important to note, to accomplish 12-17 daily healthy habits was, and still is, a stretch but not overwhelming. When you write your list, make sure to choose the right number of daily healthy habits for you.
My list was comprised of items that I struggled with and felt needed changing to improve my health. Some items were breaking an unhealthy habit (don’t eat french fries), and some were adding a positive activity to each day (eat smaller portions).
Your list of healthy habits can be as individual as you are and revised over time to keep it fresh.
If something becomes such an ingrained habit, I may drop it from my list and add a new activity. I have even been known to look at a dismal effort for the day at 10 p.m. and squeeze in another seven Healthy Habits (20 push-ups, take my vitamins, drink my eighth glass of water, do my 8-7-4 deep breathing exercises, floss for a second time, stretch and journal) before I go to bed just so I can reach 15 Healthy Habits for the day.
We have all read or heard the research on how much more a healthier person can accomplish, how you will feel better, live longer and have a better quality of life. The last thing that is going to get you to good health is a fad diet or jumping into a vigorous exercise program that involves hours at the gym six days a week. So, below I’ve provided some ideas for Healthy Habits to prompt your brain to create your own personalized list.
Remember: Healthy Habits involve physical, mental, and spiritual activities, so be as creative as you like with the areas of your life that are in the roughest shape. Celebrate the wins and build progress slowly…but start today.
20+ Examples to get you thinking to build a personalized list that suits you.
Sleep before 11 p.m.
No fast food
Stop eating at 8 p.m.
Eat more vegetables
Exercise 30+ minutes
Deep breathing exercise
Drink 8 glasses of water
Take the stairs or walk/bike to work
Eat smaller portions
Laugh with friends
Take vitamins
Get a massage
Floss 2x daily
Pray
Morning calisthenics
Take probiotics
Drink green tea
Get 8 hours of sleep
Stretch
Fast for 12 hours (8 p.m. to 8 a.m.)
Yoga
Dry brush (Google it, for lymph system)
Meditate
Limit sweets
