Small Changes for Great Results
Everyone knows that trying to keep up with the hectic pace of everyday life sometimes means letting your health suffer. Acknowledging that this can be a problem is the first step towards making small changes.
Changing your habits for the better doesn’t necessarily mean turning everything upside down. Small changes, those that are constant and consistent, are the best way to get great results.
Choosing to take a radical approach overnight to get fast results (magic or miracle solutions) can be as effective as not even trying.
Sudden lifestyle changes can lead to the complete opposite of what you wanted. Or rather, you can end up at the same place you started, only now you’ll also feel defeated.
The power of your mind
Although many believe the mind is powerful, there are also those who think it’s more science fiction than reality. In any case, for someone to change, the first thing they need is the want to do so.
The next step is to clearly establish what small changes you want to make and why. Make sure your goal is concrete, precise, and unambiguous. It’s not as simple as just thinking about exercising more. Firstly, you have to make a plan. For example, I’m going to play tennis twice a week on Tuesday and Thursday.
Start moving more
The main reason to include more exercise in your daily routine is that your body was designed to move. A sedentary lifestyle goes against your nature. What’s more, any muscle that isn’t used, will end up atrophying.
The most common reasons why we want to exercise includes, losing weight, increasing endurance, reducing stress and anxiety and improving mood.
Another very legitimate reason for wanting to move more includes, “My doctor prescribed it.”
You don’t need to be a high-performance athlete
Maintaining a moderate high-intensity exercise routine (once or twice a week) can be more than enough. Of course, that’s providing that this is done consistently, and over a long period of time.
A very common excuse why people don’t exercise is a lack of time. However, you don’t need to exercise for two or three hours a day in the gym.
The important thing is to make the most of a few minutes you have available, even if it’s literally just a few. Three miles of brisk walking every Sunday, will always be better than nothing and your body will thank you for it.
Better diet
Along with exercise, a balanced diet plays a key role in achieving great health results. Again, acknowledging what’s going on is key.
You should know exactly what foods you eat on a regular basis and their consequences (positive or negative). Once you’ve thought it over, continue accordingly.
With some exceptions, small changes are usually all you need to make to see results. You should lower your salt and sugar intake and eat more fruit and vegetables daily. When possible, avoid eating processed foods and saturated fat.
Drop your bad habits
Smoking is a classic example of a bad habit that impacts your health. Quitting is a small change that will give you immediate and positive effects.
It’s no secret that overcoming this addiction is an uphill battle for many who try. But it’s not impossible.
Small changes, realistic goals
One of the most common mistakes made by those who want to exercise more, is going from 0 to 60 in a matter of days. Remember, the longer you’ve been inactive, the slower the pace at which you should begin to exercise again.
Conclusion
Some might find goals such as- walking for 15 minutes, at a medium pace, three times a week, for a month -to be too much. Still, once these small changes become habits, they’ll lead to new challenges that will help you get into even better shape.