Staying healthy and living an active life go hand in hand. With these lifestyle choices, you can safeguard your body from various health issues and improve your mental health too. But while having a healthy active lifestyle seems to be a great goal, can you really achieve it? Follow the amazing tips below to help you in this journey towards an active lifestyle.
1. Set manageable goals
Setting short-term and long-term goals is usually fun. Do you want to eat clean starting this year? Are you trying to reach a specific weight before the month ends? When setting your goals, you have to ensure you’re being realistic. Avoid burning out or starve yourself just so you can speed up your fitness progress. So unless you want to lose motivation and be exhausted, only set goals that are attainable for you and your time. There’s no shortcut for having a fit body or having active lifestyle habits.
2. Optimize your time
Using your time efficiently is one of the best ways to be more active. Figure out your common distractions and time-wasters and get rid of them. Want to enhance productivity? Optimize your daily schedule. You can start by setting at least three tasks you need to get done for the day or plan your days according to the 3x8h rule. Also, before a month begins, list down your realistic goals and set deadlines. You can also use the Pareto Principle to optimize things that matter to you most and track your progress. Lastly, don’t forget to make time for your rest. Depriving yourself of sleep or rest will get you nowhere. It’ll just make your body weak.
3. Enjoy physical activity
When we think of an active lifestyle, physical activities are absolutely among the top priorities. But besides engaging with them, you must also learn to enjoy them. Create a daily workout routine that works for you and your schedule. If you enjoy stretching, practice pilates or yoga to boost your mood and happy hormones. If you love quiet time but still being on the move, take long walks in the morning and try to reach at least 10,000 steps a day. Whatever you opt for, make sure to do them regularly to boost your energy levels and keep you fit.
4. Practice self-care
You can’t possibly start an active lifestyle without taking care of yourself. Never underestimate the power of self-care as it involves many important aspects in your life such as self-awareness, self-management, active lifestyle, and mindful living. It will help you to stay focused, motivated, and productive towards reaching your goals. Start creating your own healthy self-care routine today and stick with it.
5. Get organized and clean
Our surroundings play an important role in our mindset and motivation. If everything around you is disorganized and messy, your mind is most definitely distracted as well. Make it a habit to do a general house cleaning. Do it yourself or hire services to clean every part of your home. How long since you’ve had a professional A/C, furnace, or professional air duct cleaning? How about that carpet in your living room or your storage cabinets? By organizing and cleaning your space, you can better navigate your life, from doing your hobbies to working at home, without any distractions.
6. Be social
Have you ever noticed that you are more active when doing stuff with family or close friends? Instead of always spending time alone, go see a movie with friends sometimes. Walk in the park or take a fitness class together to make things more fun. Have a play date with your kids or go swimming with family friends. Engage more with social activities. Doing this won’t just encourage you to be more active but also build a supportive company that can help you get motivated or change your mindset.
7. Know your limits
Indeed, you need to be ready for profound changes if you want to live an active lifestyle. You might need to eliminate some old habits, come out of your comfort zone, and push yourself. However, this process isn’t something you can rush and you must know your limits. Always listen to your body and gut. Are you working out too much? Do you have too many tasks on your schedule? An active lifestyle also means a balanced daily routine. It’s about being productive and efficient but still making time to recharge your batteries and celebrate your achievements.
As we’ve mentioned above, living an active lifestyle is not just about being productive or accomplishing multiple tasks a day. It is, more importantly, about listening and taking care of your body. It’s about doing things you enjoy or that make you feel good. Just remember, take it slow and work at your own phase, particularly if you haven’t been active for years.
