Many of us would like to become healthier, but don’t want to commit to the total overhaul of lifestyle often thought to be the key to healthier living. In rare cases, a person will crop up who wants to be healthier, and can just give up all unhealthy factors in their life simultaneously, but this is far from being every person, and being that committed isn’t the norm.
However, there is still hope for those of us not willing to overhaul, but willing to modify and tweak our lifestyle to help our bodies a little. Like my chiropractor in sydney told me with every visit, “It’s sometimes the smallest changes that make the biggest differences”, and that’s true with lifestyle changes relating to health improvements, too.
Drink More Water
It cannot be overstated (as far as health tips go) that water is key to all life on Earth.
It is a key factor for humans, especially, as we need to keep ourselves hydrated and well fed, and many of us focus on being fed but not well hydrated. As slight modifications to lifestyle goes, this is perhaps the easiest to pull off, and requires the least amount of thought on your part.
Get a 2L bottle, fill it in the morning, and keep it with you all day, making sure to finish it before you go to bed. This is all it takes, and you will immediately feel better, your skin will be more hydrated, your body will adapt to the increase in water. Within a few days, you won’t even need to go to the bathroom any more than you used to do. In fact, you will most likely become thirstier as you drink more, because until now your body has most likely been getting by on the “basic survival” level of water needed, but now you’re giving more to work with. The benefits are staggering, as you will see and feel almost immediately.
Get More Exercise
Every doctor’s favorite go-to line seems to be “exercise regularly”, but can it really help THAT much?
Yes, it absolutely can.
Everything from mental health to day-to-day energy levels is affected by regular exercise, and as far as small tweaks to your lifestyle go, going for a walk in the afternoons or mornings won’t uproot your entire life as you know it. Things like cardio exercise, running, skipping, dancing even, are all great for your body and require little to no equipment, the exception being a pair of running shoes.
This will increase your energy levels and lower your risk of heart disease, and because it only requires your body to do it, there is nowhere you can’t exercise, and very few excuses not to partake. Take 15 minutes out of your day to walk around the block, and when that becomes easy, walk around two blocks, and so on as you get subtly fitter.
Snack Healthily
We all love to snack, there’s no point denying it. Mindlessly crunching away on some thing or another while you watch TV, scroll Tumblr, or push through homework is, for some reason, really satisfying. Unfortunately, many snacks are unhealthy, and are marketed specifically to make you want them to snack on over something healthier.
Beans or peas are a great healthy snack, as are raw carrots. It sounds strange, but crunching away on a carrot is easily as satisfying in texture and taste as a bag of chips, but is so much better for you that you can have many, many more carrots without withstanding the negative effects that come with an abundance of chips. If carrots or beans aren’t your chosen snack, unsalted nuts or trail mix can substitute nicely, although it is worth mentioning that some trail mixes contain chocolate or refined sugars, making them significantly less healthy.
These are all relatively small things to change, but they all have great health benefits that can turn around your energy levels and overall health in a matter of months. No need to spring off to the gym, throw out your biscuits, or pour your soft drink down the drain just yet, as these simple “shortcuts” can lend a helping hand in the meantime.
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