Healthy Habits lead to Healthy lifestyle

Healthy habits can be a great source of motivation for individuals seeking a healthy lifestyle. Habits are incredibly important and essentially form who we are as people. But the truth is, they can be hard to implement! So don’t get discouraged. Many of us have the best of intentions when January rolls around, but motivation and willpower only last so long that’s why we’ll be discussing how to build great fitness habits and how to make them stick. You can come up with a whole laundry list of habits, but if you don’t actually practice them consistently, they won’t do you any good! Here are a few tips to make those habits stick.

Prime your environment

Did you know your environment can support or work against your habits? For example, leaving floss out on the counter makes you more likely to floss. But leaving cookies on the counter makes you more likely to eat them. Design your environment to help you stick to your habits by leaving out things that support them and hiding things that don’t. So, keep that yoga mat and those weights out where you can see them, and leave your running shoes by the door!

Start small & Never miss a habit twice

Some habits may seem daunting, like exercising for 60 minutes every day, especially if they’re new for you. But starting small makes them seem much more attainable, and could even lead you to do more than you expect! For example, instead of making it a habit to exercise for 60 minutes daily, try breaking a sweat for just 5 minutes a day. It may seem small, or even silly, but small consistent habits add up over time. We all know consistency is key when it comes to habits, but sometimes you may miss a habit – and that’s okay! But resolving never to miss a habit twice allows you to stay consistent instead of completely halting progress.

Track your progress & Reward yourself

Seeing your progress over time is extremely motivating! Tracking your habits daily provides a little boost of satisfaction each day, and drives you to keep going over time when you may not feel like sticking to your habit. A little positive reinforcement can go a long way. Checking off the completion is actually a form of reward. Even consider larger awards for habit milestones, such as a matcha latte from your favorite cafe after completing 80% of your habits for the week. Rewards will depend on your preferences and budget, but they can help provide an incentive for sticking to your habits.

Why Make Movement Goals?

When it comes to goals and habits, movement and exercise goals are typically at the top of people’s lists – with good reason. Exercise has a multitude of health benefits, including reducing your risk of several chronic diseases, helping with weight maintenance, boosting mental health and mood, strengthening bones and muscles, and improving sleep. For all of these reasons, we’re focusing on exercise-based habits this week. And we get it, getting out of bed and getting moving can be really tough, especially during these cold winter months. But using the tips above will help you master your fitness goals in no time!