Living a healthy lifestyle might be easier than you think—especially when you know exactly which habits will make a significant impact on your overall health and well-being.
That's why we created this guide. Let's dive into what you need to know.
Incorporating strength training into your weekly routine goes well beyond looking good; it's a critical component for a longer, more resilient life. In fact, studies published in the American Journal of Medicine have highlighted a direct correlation between muscle mass and longevity, implying that the stronger you are, the longer you may live.
Beyond longevity, strength training offers numerous benefits, including:
Try to aim for three days of strength training per week, focusing on exercises that strengthen your upper-body, lower-body, and core.
Protein is essential for muscle repair and maintenance—especially as we age. And yet, many of us don't eat enough of it. Protein can help you build muscle and strength. It helps you burn fat by keeping you feeling full, for longer, after you finish a meal. And it also boosts your metabolism as it takes more calories to digest.
Make sure you're getting enough protein each day by including a portion in every meal or snack, whether it's chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, yogurt, cottage cheese, black beans, turkey burgers, lentils, protein powder, or something else.
Eating slower is an incredibly effective habit that can significantly impact your health and fat-loss journey. In fact, research consistently shows that by slowing down the pace of your meals, you can reduce your calorie intake by nearly 100 calories per meal.
How? Because it gives time for your stomach and brain to sync. More often than not, we're physically full before we think that we are. By adopting a slower pace, you give your brain the chance to catch up and get a more accurate sense of how full you are. Not only that, slow eating improves digestion and creates a healthier eating pattern. It also lets you enjoy your food and your company.
So next time you sit down for a meal, remember that you can take a step towards your fat-loss goals and overall health simply by eating slowly.
The truth is, convenience and healthy heating don't go together. Think about it. The food at the gas station or the drive thru might be the easiest to get to, but it's also the food with the most calories and the least nutrients.
That's why planning and preparing your meals in advance helps you make healthier choices, avoid impulse eating, and stay on track with your nutritional goals.
Here are a few tips to make meal prep easy:
Walking is one of the easiest and most effective ways to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Not only does it improve your cardiovascular health, weight loss, and joint health, but it also improves your mental health, cognitive function, and sleep.
Aim for at least 7,500 steps a day. Use a pedometer or a fitness tracker to monitor your daily steps because, as the saying goes, What gets measured, get's managed. If you track your steps you're more likely to reach your target each day.
Every day, the average American consumes 400-500 calories just from drinks. Just from drinks. Most calories from drinks are in the form of sugar, which increases the risk of weight gain and offers no nutritional value. This is a major hurdle for anyone trying to lose weight, as you'd need to cut out about 500 calories daily to lose one pound per week.
That's why opting for water instead of sugary drinks can drastically improve your weight-loss efforts, overall health, joint pain, energy, workout performance, and cognitive function.
Just like your daily steps, make sure you're getting enough water each day by tracking it. Use a refillable water bottle and aim for at least 64oz (8 cups) of water per day.
Quality sleep is always important, but it's even more important as we age. It affects everything from our energy levels to our overall health. Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night to support physical and cognitive health.
Establishing a consistent sleep routine is key. Start by:
One of the most important things you can do to ensure you get the most out of your workouts is to properly fuel your body beforehand. You don't want to eat a big meal—a small snack will do the trick.
A balanced combination of half protein and half carbs, eaten 30 minutes to 1 hour before your exercise can do a lot, like:
A few of the most popular pre-workout snacks are: peanut butter and banana, apple and almond butter, Greek yogurt with fruit, protein bar, or a protein drink.
Building habits take time, and it can feel overwhelming at first. Start slowly, incorporating one habit at a time, and gradually, you'll embark on a path toward enhanced well-being and vitality. Your journey towards a healthier, stronger life filled with energy and balance starts with these small, consistent steps.
