Time to develop some healthy habits?

Ah a new years, a time of hopefulness, a time of recollection, a time of promises and – for some – a time of relief at getting your life back in order. Getting fit and healthy is something almost everyone promises themselves at the beginning of the year. But what if you want all that healthy living without the gym and all the effort? We have the solutions, well some suggested solutions anyway.

Take Baby Steps
Too often people end up throwing out all the unhealthy food, treats and buying all the fitness books and DVD’s in one sudden purge/binge. Make it easy on yourself, be realistic. Cut out one ‘bad’ food group at a time and more importantly, don’t deprive yourself completely. Cut down from say five takeaways a month to three, and so on.

Walk Where You Can
Instead of getting on the treadmill gym take the time to walk to more places. Perhaps you get a lift to the train station every morning or take the tube two stops instead of just walking that extra fifteen minutes. If so try walking those distances instead. You’ll be surprised at how good it makes you feel. If you have a dog and you grow tired of walking every single day, change up the routine, alternate where you walk so it doesn’t seem too boring all the time.

Go On Bike Ride Dates
Think of ways to incorporate healthy activities with friends so that exercise can be mistaken for fun. Instead of taking your date to a bar, why not take her on a bike ride, or even a rowing trip if you live close enough to a river. Learn not to associate exercise or healthy living with a chore, and instead view it as a social opportunity.

Switch It Up
Vary your eating habits and diet to see what works best for you. Rather than focusing on a really strict diet that might not actually work for you, try cutting something out for a week or a few days and see how that works for you. Again, this doesn’t make it seem like you are working hard to stick to a strict diet and depriving yourself of the things you like, you are just playing around until you find methods that work well for you and make you feel more healthy and energised.