Get Up and Get Moving: The Importance of Good Habits and Lifestyle Behaviors

Get Up and Get Moving: The Importance of Good Habits and Lifestyle Behaviors

Are you someone who’s always on the go? Do you find yourself feeling tired at the end of each day because your lifestyle habits make it hard to get enough rest and relaxation? The tips in this article can help you make sure that you’re giving your body the attention it needs to thrive throughout your day and leave you feeling energetic and fulfilled at the end of it.

What Is A Habit?

A habit is a behavior that is repeated regularly and tends to occur subconsciously. It’s sort of like automatic pilot. So why do people have habits? Often, we perform habitual behaviors because they are rewarding—even if they're not exactly healthy for us. For example, drinking lots of soda might taste good, but it's also bad for our health. Unfortunately, habits can be hard to break because they can be very ingrained in our brains. In fact, once an individual develops a habit , it may take several weeks for it to start fading away or changing into a different kind of behavior .

 Although habits are often difficult to change, it’s important to try. For example, if you want to get up earlier every day, try setting your alarm for a bit earlier each morning until you wake up with enough time to get ready for work. It might be hard at first—your body will fight against you—but eventually you'll adjust your sleep cycle in such a way that waking up early becomes routine. If you're trying to lose weight , avoid filling your plate too much at dinner time. When people are served large portions of food, they usually take seconds or thirds and may eat more than they really need. To help yourself stop eating when you're full, use smaller plates so that your meal doesn't look as big. Also, fill half of your plate with fruits and vegetables so that there's less room for unhealthy foods . In addition to changing bad habits into good ones, it's also important to develop good lifestyle behaviors . We all know we should exercise more but many of us don't actually do it on a regular basis. To make sure you exercise regularly , set aside 30 minutes three times per week for exercise. Even if you can only manage 10 minutes on some days, just stick with those 10 minutes because consistency is key!

Why Be Accountable?

Accountability isn’t a word that comes naturally to everyone. Some people don’t like sharing their goals with others, as they want to remain in control. Others might be afraid that if they share, they won’t be able to reach their goal by themselves. And then there are those who worry about what will happen if others see them fail; it could ruin their reputation. But making yourself accountable—making sure that someone else knows you are working on your goal, and following up with that person regularly—can significantly improve your chances of success. Tell coworkers or family members what you're doing so they can hold you accountable for finishing projects or exercising more often, for example; such accountability helps us stick to our goals longer than we otherwise would on our own. You may also consider using an app that makes you answer questions daily or track your progress (such as Lifetick). You may even consider finding a friend who is also trying to achieve something similar to work toward your goal together!

For some extra motivation, try connecting with other people trying to make positive changes in their lives via social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. You can find all sorts of people there, from athletes training for marathons to new moms looking for tips on getting back into shape after having kids. Many apps allow users to follow one another's progress (and cheer each other along), which is another great way to keep each other motivated when times get tough. Check out Lose It!, SparkPeople, and Fitocracy for some good examples.

How to Start?

Getting started can be a challenge for many people, especially if you aren’t used to being physically active. To help get yourself on track, make a plan and establish good habits. With time, these healthy habits will become part of your daily routine—and you’ll begin to reap all of their health benefits.

 Implementing healthy habits is as simple as 1-2-3. First, identify a new activity you’d like to add to your routine, then set a realistic goal for how often you’ll do it each week. Finally, map out specific time to work on that activity each day—even if it’s just 15 minutes. Make sure your schedule accommodates other aspects of your life by choosing something you enjoy so it doesn’t feel like a chore.

What Are Some Examples?

Getting enough sleep, not smoking, drinking alcohol in moderation (if at all), eating healthy food—these are just a few things that can greatly impact your health. What you may think is no big deal could be more detrimental to your overall health than you realize. Studies show that getting enough sleep helps protect against weight gain and heart disease. Too much alcohol, on the other hand, can negatively affect memory and brain functions. Furthermore, poor diet choices can increase risks for chronic conditions like diabetes or cardiovascular disease as well as exacerbate pre-existing conditions such as arthritis or high blood pressure. Bottom line: Think about what you’re doing—and what you’re not doing—to take care of yourself.

What Will Change?

You might have heard that a change in habits is what leads to long-term success. For example, if you can get up an hour earlier every day, or add an extra mile of walking to your daily routine, you’ll start to see results after just a few days. But that isn’t always true—particularly when it comes to weight loss. Changing what you eat is one thing, but changing your behaviors (your habits) will probably be more important for reaching your goals. Don’t focus on creating new habits while giving up old ones; instead find small changes that you can make and keep them up over time!