7 Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle by Paige Johnson

Maintaining your health just got a lot easier. Sometimes it only takes a simple plan to get us from a world of “Where do I start,” to a lifestyle of healthy and happy. Create your health plan by following 10 simple steps that will lead to a healthier lifestyle.

1. Plan Your Meals

What you take in is just as important, if not more important, than what you work off. Find a healthy eating plan that fits you and your lifestyle and plan your meals a week in advance. By determining what your healthy meals will be, you won’t have to resort to fast food meals or junk food snacks. You will have already planned, purchased, and prepared your meals and snacks. Crockpot meals are great for eating healthy and saving you time. You can pre-make your meals and freeze them for another quick meal option later.

2. Set Goals

It’s always encouraging to reach a goal or accomplish a new task. Take the time to set fitness goals for yourself, including things like: daily calorie intake, time spent engaging in a physical activity, or ideal body weight by the end of the week. Set your goals based on your current health level to give yourself a safe starting point. You can always increase them later.

3. Record Your Exercise Accomplishments

As you work out, track your progress by keeping an exercise log. There are apps that serve as a fitness journal, or you can simply keep a notebook or spreadsheet in order to monitor your achievements. Your log will give you a visual of where you are on your journey as well as what you can improve in the future.

4. Reward Success

Whenever you complete one of your goals, reward yourself! Maybe your prize can include something like going to see a movie, buying a new outfit, or throwing a few dollars in a vacation fund. It will be a fun incentive to help keep you on track, and encourage you along the way. Just avoid rewarding yourself with alcohol or other problematic substances.

5. Raise Your Standards

Once your goals are met, it’s time to make new ones. Give yourself a slightly more challenging standard like more repetitions of a specific exercise, a longer running distance on the treadmill, or try a new machine at the gym. Give yourself further room to improve without making the new standards too easy, and never stop growing your skills.

6. Maintain a Positive Attitude

Attitude is everything. If you have a negative attitude about your progress, you won’t have the motivation to keep up your fitness routine. Grab yourself a couple of motivational quotes to post on your bathroom mirror, leave in your car, or keep somewhere on your smartphone. You can take it one step further by finding a friend who can partner with you to encourage you in your health goals.

7. Educate Yourself About New Health Studies

The complexity of the human body is constantly creating new advancements in health studies. Make sure you are doing the best exercises or diets for your body type. Stay up-to-date with the latest health and fitness news, and learn new ways to change up your routine as you go.

Now that you have a plan of action, try it out this week. Make your health plan your own, complete with a full set of planned meals, weekly goals, exercise routines, and a positive attitude. Take your next step to living a healthier lifestyle.

Author: Paige Johnson at www.learnfit.org