Good fitness habits don’t have to be difficult to get. A few small tweaks to your daily routine is all you need to help you start and keep going with your fitness.
These are seven habits that fit people live by.
1. Hydration
Our bodies are made up of about 60% water, therefore staying hydrated is very important. Drinking a big glass of water first thing in the morning has significant benefits, here are three solid reasons:
- It fires up your metabolism helping you to digest food better.
- Helps your body flush out toxins resulting from the body repairing its self during the night.
- Your brain tissue is 75% water, and rehydrating helps you wake up and be alert during your busy day.
Fit people stay hydrated.
2. Enough Sleep
There is a certain bravado among people who work on little sleep. However, scientists have discovered that only a small percentage of people with a gene mutation lead a fully functional life with under 6 hours sleep.
The rest of us need over 7 hours. Sleep is the way in which our brain prepares for the next day, and a common side effect of lack of sleep is impaired concentration, irritability, weight gain, depression, aging, and forgetfulness.
We have all experienced the feel good when we wake from a good night sleep; we feel refreshed, alive and ready for the day!
Fit people recognize the need for sleep as a priority.
3. Limit Alcohol
There is a cultural misconception that we need alcohol to be social, have a good time, relieve stress, unwind and feel good.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Alcohol dehydrates the body and mind, puts pressure on the liver to remove its toxicity, and contributes to muscle deterioration.
Drinking alcohol is a band-aid solution, it covers the sore but doesn’t heal the wound.
My stand on alcohol may seem server in the light of studies that hail red wine for its health benefits and links to longevity.
The real story is; red wine drunk by centenarian in remote villages of Greece and Italy is mixed with water; 1/3 wine 2/3 water and consumed with food.
Drinking wine this way comes with the right health benefits of helping to digest food with minimal adverse effects on the body.
Alcohol doesn’t form a necessary part of a fit person’s life.
4. 80/20 Rule
The Pareto principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, follows that about 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. Vilfredo Pareto developed the principle by observing that about 20% of the peapods in his garden contained 80% of the peas.
My observations have been similar; 80% of people who lead a balanced, healthy life include exercise that takes less than 5% of their day.
While you can’t out-exercise a poor diet, it is the exercise that clears the head, invigorates the body, develops physical strength, conditions the heart, and builds the confidence to make the dietary changes necessary for well being.
Fit people make structured exercise part of their early morning routine.
5. Keep a schedule
Small and insignificant decisions can consume time in a busy day; should I exercise now or later? Will I wear this or that? What should I make for breakfast/lunch/dinner?
These decisions zap energy and leave us unable to follow through with the healthy choice that takes some effort.
Scheduling time for exercise, what to wear and what to eat into your routine sounds obsessive compulsive at first.
However, following a schedule of pre-decisions eliminates wasting time procrastinating and empowers you with the energy necessary to prioritize your health and fitness.
Fit people consistently schedule their exercise and prepare weekly meal plans.
6. Cook and eat at home
The more we cook, the healthier we live; it is as simple as that.
The most significant lifestyle change that is leading to the rise in global obesity is that a vast majority of people now either eat out/takeout or use pre-packaged food/ ready meals daily.
We can all come up with a million reasons to not cook at home:-
- Fitting it into a busy schedule is hard.
- Meal planning is impossible.
- No one in the family likes the same thing.
- Grocery shopping takes too much time. etc .etc.
Cooking creates connection and gratitude for real food; it builds a healthy relationship with the body and mind.
Cooking heightens all our senses with an appreciation for the food we eat. Being able to touch the raw ingredients, hear food cooking, smell the flavors develop, and visually see food being transformed into a unique and delicious meal creates the desire to eat well.
Fit people almost always eat home cooked meals, on the occasion they eat out – they choose whole food options.
7. Adopt a Long-Term Mindset
Fit people who want to live life well, enjoy travel, be mobile and pain-free into retirement years are not interested in short-term or temporary fitness fixes.
They think starvation dieting and a brutal workout plan is too much hard work for a just a beach body selfie. I honestly admire anyone who has gone down this path with success.
Personally, perhaps I’m lazy, I have adopted a long-term mindset approach. I exercise most days and make nutritious eating a way of life.
I never fall off the fitness bandwagon, because I’m not on one. I don’t follow one straight and narrow road to fitness either. Life is too short! Being fit to me means having the strength, both physical and mental, to enjoy our beautiful world and the people in it.
If you resonate with any of these seven habits and would like to start exercising today then download your beginner 9 minute, Cardio, Core and Strength workout with the link below.
Live well with Health and WELLth!
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