No, you don’t need to turn your life upside down to feel fitter or healthier. In my experience, too many changes all at once is a recipe for disaster. The trick is to start small, stay consistent, and stop waiting for “Monday”.
Here are 3 quick wins you can start today.
1. Move Yourself (No Gym Membership Required)
This isn’t about hitting 10,000 steps or buying a fitness watch. Just get up and move more than you usually do today.
- Park further away from wherever you are going.
- Walk the dog for an extra 5 minutes (or walk yourself if you don’t have one).
- Do a lap around the office while pretending you’re “getting coffee.”
Any extra steps you do in a day will help to improve your fitness. If you are sedentary right now, deciding that you will walk 10,000 steps a day on Monday and carry on forever is probably not going to stick. But adding 15 mins a day or a few hundered steps a day week-on-week will build up and before you know it you’ll be racing up the stairs at work without losing your breath.
2. Swap Takeaways For A 10-Minute Meal At Home
We all love a cheeky Uber Eats now and then, but making it a habit is a bad idea for your wallet and your waistline. Why not whip up something at home in less time than it takes to wait for that delivery and save yourself a bunch of cash and calories in the process? Get prepared when you do your weekly shop so you have a couple of emergency items in your kitchen to whip up on the days you can’t be bothered making a meal and want to fire up your Uber Eats app.
Here are a few ideas:
- Scrambled eggs on toast with or without avo.
- A wrap stuffed with last night’s leftovers.
- Frozen stir-fry veg, a splash of soy sauce, and a protein of your choice.
- Precooked rice sachets with frozen veg and Tuna.
- Home made Pizza using up all the bits and pieces from the fridge.
- Cottage cheese and tomato on toast.
Save time, money, and calories. Boom, that’s a big win for the day.
3. Drink Your Water
Dehydration is no joke. It can leave you feeling moody, tired and more likely to make poor food choices. So grab yourself a water bottle, I like to use a 1 liter and fill it up three times throughout the day. Water requirements are a bit different for everyone and can depend on the heat and your exertion but for me, three litres seems to be a good number.
Need a bit of help?
- Set a timer on your phone for 10am, 2pm & 6pm. Make sure you have finished (x amount) by each of these times (be careful drinking large quantities later than this or you will be up and down to the toilet all night).
- Just like moving your body, take small steps. If you currently drink very little water just start with a small glass per hour and build it up. If you don’t like that idea then just get half a litre in at a time and repeat a few times each day.
- Add lemon, ice, cucumber, or a splash of sugar-free cordial if you really need help getting it down.
When you have your hydration sorted you will feel a lot better. You will have higher energy levels, lmproved detoxification in your body and less desire to snack between meals. If you struggle with constipation or headaches improving your hydration can also help.
Make the 1% changes
Taking care of your health doesn’t have to be complicated just start small and keep at it. Building momentum over time is a lot more manageable for the long term.
Have a great week and I will be back with more tips soon. Join the mailing list if you don’t want to miss out on the next installment. If you try out these tips, I would love to hear how they have worked for you. Let me know in the comments or you can reply via email.
Jenna