You see the early-birds who hit the gym before the sun even comes up, the calorie-counters who diligently record every food they eat, and the avid water drinkers that have an alarm set to remind them to take a sip every hour. Our paths to healthy all look a bit different, and that’s okay! But we can all probably agree that it can be hard to stay the path sometimes, especially when life throws itself at us full force.
Whether you’ve been toying with the idea of starting a new health routine or working towards the healthiest you for many years, here are five ways to help you stick to your health goals.
Make Time For It
Just like you’d schedule a work meeting or make plans to visit friends on the weekend, make time for your health. Planning to walk during your lunch break? Write it down in your schedule! Planning to go grocery shopping on Sunday? Write it down in your schedule!
Treat your healthy habits just like any other important part of your life and make time for them. It will help you to hold yourself accountable and you can look back down the road and appreciate all the efforts you made.
Try Different Things
Variety is the name of the game because boredom can quickly lead to burn out. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Maybe it’s taking that spin class you’ve been wanting to try for the last few months or joining a meal-prepping group you found online, incorporating variety in your health routine can be a great way to stay engaged and motivated.
Purchase New Gear
Investing in your health is just as important as any other investment you make. Your health deserves to be a priority and sometimes splurging on some new gear can help keep us motivated. Be it a water bottle, tupperware for meal-prepping or those nutritious plant-based protein bars you keep seeing at the grocery store, invest in your health.
Set Small Goals
Setting goals can be a great way to stay motivated and on our path but it can be easy to set goals that aren’t necessarily the most realistic, like losing ten pounds in a week. This can quickly lead us to feel disheartened. Instead, focus on the small victories. Even if it’s as seemingly small as running for an extra minute on the treadmill or going to one more yoga class a week, give yourself a goal and set new ones once you meet the previous one. You’ll always have something to work towards and can enjoy the little celebrations that come with each victory.
Think About How You Feel
It’s not often that you hear someone leaving the gym say “I wish I didn’t do that” or someone who just finished a healthy meal say “My body didn’t need that.” Usually, we feel pretty good after we accomplish something like that. Remember that! Next time you workout, make a healthy meal or drink more water take a moment to notice how you feel and remember that
feeling. When you’re lacking motivation, try to remember that feeling of accomplishment and health.
Remember, health is a life-long journey, it’s not accomplished overnight. Every little effort is an accomplishment and should motivate and excite you to continue moving forward on your path to healthy.
