6 Life Hacks to Improve Your Health

Healthy living is a lifestyle, not a diet, not a workout plan, not a start now, end in 90 days program. It involves making small health conscious decisions every day that over time become habits, which will improve your overall health and longevity. Many people think the only way to improve their health is to go to the gym or try the latest diet trend but time and time again they get frustrated with the results they don’t get. You don't have to be a fitness fanatic or spend endless hours at the gym to live a healthy life. We have found there are so many opportunities throughout the day for a person to take advantage of in an effort to make their life just a little healthier. These little changes overtime add up to big results and lend themselves to healthier habits in the long run. We came up with the following 6 Life Hacks to Improve Your Health:

1) Pass on the closest parking spot.

Don't be afraid to add steps to your day! Instead, embrace the extra effort and calories burned. You will have to walk further to and from your destination but that is the whole point! This is so easy to do yet many of us find excuses whether we are running late, have to get kids in and out of a car, the weather is bad or we are in a hurry. A Fitbit or any other step-counting device is a great investment to your overall health. Set a daily goal of 10,000 steps. When you do this, you will find two things: 1) you are not as active during the day as you thought you were and 2) achieving your daily step goal gets easier and easier. Plus, by parking where the cars aren't, you will cut down on door dings and dents.

2) Pass on the elevator.

Another good way to get your steps in for the day is to pass on the elevator. Will getting on an elevator help firm your butt? No, however, climbing stairs will! If you are physically able and not running late you should opt for the stairs every time. Of course this hack should be exercised within reason so you're not climbing 20 stories and showing up to your appointment dripping in sweat. Pick a floor you're comfortable with (say 3 or 4) and climb away whenever your destination is on that floor or lower. Your butt and heart will be the real winners in this decision.

3) Stand at your desk when possible.

Sitting for hours and hours each day will shave time off of your life. Stand at your desk, or better yet, walk around your office with a wireless headset or Bluetooth on. This will burn more calories, improve your posture and increase your circulation. According to the Mayo Clinic, “research has linked sitting for long periods of time with a number of health concerns, including obesity and metabolic syndrome – a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol levels. Too much sitting also seems to increase the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.” Armed with this knowledge, commit to standing up as often as you can while at your desk. Even if every 10-15 minutes you get up and move around, any little bit helps.

4) Walk after dinner no matter the weather.

Walking is one of the best exercises you can do for long-term health benefits. Walking after a meal helps with your digestion and keeps you from going into that post-meal couch coma. Use those calories you just consumed by going for a nice stroll. You should walk fast enough to, at the very least, break a little sweat. Don't let the weather dictate your walking schedule. If it's cold, wear a jacket. Once you get moving you will warm right up. Grab an umbrella for a nice stroll in the rain. Setting the goal of a post dinner walk is also a great opportunity to connect with your partner. Leave your phone at home and take this time to unplug, talk and get your steps in. If your partner doesn’t show interest in walking, don’t use this as an excuse, walk anyway. Your digestive tract and waistline will love it!

5) Half portions/lunch portions.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, more and more Americans are losing the battle against obesity due to the increase in restaurant portion sizes over the past 20 years. Portions have increased by 50-60 percent as consumers are requesting more bang for their buck. However, the problem is the more people are served, the more people are eating. A great way to remedy this is by ordering lunch portions, half sizes or even better, splitting an entrée. You will find that you get more than enough to eat and you will avoid the guilt and excess calories that comes with overeating.

6) Ditch the scale.

We do not have a scale at home! In fact, the last time on the scale was at the doctor’s appointments during pregnancy. Use the mirror and the fit of your clothes to determine if you're on track to meeting your goals. Even post-pregnancy, forget the scale. If your goal is to fit back in your pre-pregnancy clothes or into a pair of jeans you haven’t worn in years, try them on the best you can and set fitting into them your goal. Even week after week if they don’t fit, don’t worry, just determine if they fit better than they did the month before. Too many people are obsessed with the number on the scale, weighing themselves every day and stressing about the 3-5 pounds of water weight they fluctuate daily. Stop doing that, healthy living is not about a number you see on the scale. There are plenty of “skinny” people who are not healthy. Trust the process, real results take time and remember, there is no end date to a healthy lifestyle.

Go out there and adopt a few or all of these life hacks and we guarantee you will feel way better and more energized. Good luck!

#healthylifehacks #ditchthescale #itsalifestylenotadiet