In the modern age of technology, most people are living a sedentary lifestyle. From school-going kids to adults who work office jobs, people from all walks of life spend more time sitting in front of screens.
In addition to all that, healthy nutrition is hard to come by, as opposed to fast food which is readily available.
Tight schedules make it hard for people to take out time to go to the gym for a workout. All these problems compound to make it extremely hard to lead an active, healthy lifestyle.
These are the reasons why we need to incorporate small, healthy habits into our routine that can help us effortlessly lead a healthier lifestyle.
Here are a few common everyday things that you can try to stay active and healthy without putting in a lot of effort and time.
Address the root cause
Sometimes, no matter how much effort you make to stay healthy, it just doesn’t happen. In cases like that, the first step is to see if there is a deeper issue at play.
Identify the root cause of your unhealthy lifestyle by taking stock of your life. Are you suffering from bad habits that are hard to quit?
You should reach out to professionals, like those at Serenity at Summit, and specifically Summit Behavioral Health, who deal in issues related to addictive behaviors.
Once you have addressed the root cause, you can go on to adopting new habits and transition into a healthier lifestyle.
Try a home workout
Not everyone has the time – or the money – to go to the gym regularly, but don’t let that stop you from exercising.
The truth is, you don’t need expensive exercise equipment unless you’re into bodybuilding or compete as a powerlifter. If your goal is to get more active, you can start with simple workouts at home.
All you need is an exercise mat and exercise videos to follow along with to get you started. Slowly increase the length and intensity of your workout. Make sure you stretch before and after your session. Stretching prevents injuries and aids in recovery.
Don’t exercise every day; restrict your exercise days to only about 3 to 5 times a week.
Walk, walk, and walk some more
Walking is the simplest form of exercise. Anyone can do it to stay healthy and active.
It burns a significant number of calories without any special equipment. Carve some time out of your day to go outside for a walk.
If you can walk in the morning, that is even better because the fresh air in the morning is said to be beneficial for your mental and physical health.
To make sure that you get the most out of it, walk briskly instead of at a leisurely pace and swing your arms around. Use a pedometer app to keep track of your steps. Slowly increase your time spent walking until you can complete 10,000 steps every day.
Incorporate exercise into your daily chores
If you are someone with a hectic schedule, you might find it hard to take out some time for exercising or walking. Your chores may keep you swamped throughout the day. And, when you’re done, all you can think of is getting some downtime to relax.
In that case, you need to be creative to incorporate some exercise into your daily activities: Try walking briskly while you’re out shopping; park your car two blocks away from the grocery store and jog the rest of the way; start taking the stairs instead of the elevator and climb two steps at a time; and when watching TV, do some squats and crunches during the commercials.
If your commute allows it, cycle to work instead of taking your car.
Small changes like these can help you become more active throughout the day without even needing a lot of extra time.
Cook at home
A balanced diet is a huge aspect of living a healthy lifestyle. If you’re eating junk, it won’t matter how much you exercise or take care of yourself; you will still feel lazy and tired.
One of the keys to living an active life is caring about what you eat. Ditch the fast food and dine out only on special occasions that warrant a celebration.
Cook your meals yourself using healthy ingredients. Even if you have never cooked before, you can look up recipes online you can try at home.
Start by cooking the basic dishes and slowly move to cooking the complicated recipes. You will find that eating healthy keeps you active and energetic. You’re also less likely to spend your time lounging in front of the TV.
Conclusion
You should reach out to professionals, like those at Serenity at Summit Rehab, that deal with issues related to addictive behaviors.. Living a sedentary lifestyle isn’t healthy. It can be hard to find the time to exercise and stay active when most of your day is spent working and tending to other responsibilities. For people leading such busy lives, there are small steps they can take to become more active and healthier. First, identify the root cause of your problems and address it. Start working out at home or take time out to go for a walk. If you have absolutely no free time, incorporate exercise into your daily chores. Most importantly, start cooking your own food and avoid fast foods at all costs.