As many of you know, I recently returned from three weeks in Europe. And like the typical American baby boomer, I was intrigued by the history of the places–battles of the past, the castles, the palaces, the lessons learned. But as a fitness professional, I was keenly interested in the healthy lifestyles I saw–bicycle lanes in major cities, joggers, stairs everywhere, people walking briskly to catch the subway. And not a lot of obese folks.
Unfortunately, in the U.S., our living spaces are not always conducive to healthy habits. But there are ways you can transform your own environment by purposely “nudging yourself into movement,” a term that Dan Buettner, author of The Blue Zones, likes to use.
Here are a dozen ways to create your own healthy habits. Make small changes, enlist support from friends or family, be consistent. And don’t forget to have fun!
- Walk with a friend to kill two birds with one stone: physical activity plus social support.
- Sit less, move more. Too much sedentary time is killing us! Walk or march in place during commercials, or simply stand up and sit down 10 times.
- Or take the “30 & 3” challenge–for every 30 minutes of sitting, move for 3 minutes.
- Do squats or lunges while on the phone.
- Go outside and do gardening or take a brisk walk early in the morning for an extra dose of sunlight to help you sleep better at night.
- Park at the far corner of the parking lot; take the stairs whenever possible.
- Walk swiftly out to get your mail every day; march back to your house. Then repeat the process two more times. Your neighbors may give you a strange look at first, but who knows–they may eventually join you!
- Invest in an activity tracker (for example, Fitbit or Apple Watch). Get your baseline steps by monitoring for a week, then add 500 – 1,000 steps per week. Most people aim for 7,000 – 10,000 steps daily.
- Stretch by reaching over your head with both arms; interlace your fingers; turn your hands palms-up; keep arms as straight as possible and elbows near your ears.
- Concentrate on good posture: sit tall whenever possible, visualizing a string pulling at the top of your head.
- Open your chest by drawing your shoulder blades together in the back.
- Create your own playlist and dance! It doesn’t matter how you look, just move and laugh!
You get the idea. Don’t wait for your city to create bicycle lanes or your workplace to install showers so you can jog in every day. Create your own movement “nudges” and consistently add physical activity to your day. Your brain and your body will both thank you, now and for years to come!
And if you’re looking for the best way to improve your diet, think fruits and vegetables–the more, the better. For an easy, non-perishable, affordable supply of healthy plant-based benefits, check out Juice Plus products.