How to start a healthy lifestyle

Staying healthy can feel like an impossible task. Work, socialising and family time frequently take priority (and so they definitely should) but that doesn’t mean that you can’t stay healthy at the same time.

Contrary to general assumptions, getting healthier isn’t rocket science and it shouldn’t put you out of pocket either. But when there’s so much information out there, it’s hard to know where to begin. That’s why we’ve listed some of the best tips to help you kickstart your healthy lifestyle.

The basics

In a nutshell, becoming physically healthier falls into two categories. Eating well and moving more. Luckily, it’s far easier to incorporate this into your current lifestyle than you might think.

Start small

In order to be able to eat better and move more, it’s important that you start small and make incremental changes in your life. A classic example is swapping white bread for brown bread, ordering half a pint instead of a full pint, the list goes on. Or it can be as easy as cooking from scratch rather than getting a takeaway on a Saturday night. Food cooked in restaurants is far higher in salt and fat than almost anything that you would cook at home. A simple web search will reveal loads of easy swaps you can start adding into your week now. Remember: the smaller the change, the easier it will be to stick to.

Sleep

Getting enough sleep is fundamental to your health. It’s recommended that adults get at least eight hours of sleep a night. You can download apps on your mobile phone to assist with your sleep, from shutting off your notifications to changing the display lighting, there are many ways that you can gear yourself up for a good night’s sleep. An even better method to maximise high-quality z’s is to leave your phone in a different room to your bedroom. Try putting your phone away one hour before you go to bed. The absence of blue light, which is emitted from electronic devices and stimulates the brain into staying awake, will help you drift off much quicker. With more sleep you’ll also feel more motivated to stick to your new healthy lifestyle changes, allowing you to reach your health goals much easier.

Moving more

Building exercise into your daily routine can feel harder than just leaving out that extra teaspoon of sugar from your tea, but actually it’s not as difficult as you might expect. Treat moving more in the same way as you would a food swap. National health guidelines suggest you should aim for 30 minutes of movement a day. This could be easily achieved, for example, by getting off a few stops earlier on the train and walking for 15 minutes to work. By the time you’ve got home in the evening, you’ve already achieved 30 minutes of walking without drastically changing your lifestyle. Next time you are making plans with a friend suggest an activity that incorporates movement in some way. This could be as active as working out together, or you could walk around an exhibition, go shopping, even cooking a meal involves movement. These options are far healthier than sitting down in a restaurant, pub or cinema for hours.

Myth-busting

When it comes to health, it’s important to remember that everyone is different and everyone has different likes and dislikes. This sounds obvious but it’s crucial to bear in mind. Some people love running, others prefer yoga. You might love salad, someone else might hate it – overall it really comes down to personal choice at the end of the day. The most important thing is that you work out what healthy things you actually DO like and do more of it. You’re never going to stick to a running schedule if you detest running. Nor will you continue to eat soup for lunch if you think it tastes like baby food. Customise your healthier swaps to suit you and you’ll find them a joy to stick to.

The editorial unit