7 Simple Things You Can Do Today To Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle
The smallest steps can make the biggest difference!
Published for Lipton Ice Tea, 16 May 2018, 10:07 AM
Ever scrolled through Instagram looking for #fitspiration... only to end up feeling discouraged and hopeless?
It can be really overwhelming to see your fitness idols rocking hardcore gym sessions while knocking back perfectly-plated smoothie bowls but let's not forget - they had to start somewhere too! :)
1. Take the stairs
You've heard this time and time again and for good reason! It's an easy way to get fit - no pricey gym membership needed. ;)
Climbing stairs burns around 10 calories per minute, which may not seem like much but is way better than the 0 calories burned taking the lift. Plus, if you're taking the stairs a few times a day, it all adds up! Bonus: Taking the stairs strengthens your gluteal, thigh, and calf muscles too.
2. Conteng your water bottle
We all know the importance of drinking enough water everyday, but actually achieving that is a whole other matter...
To make it easier to hit your daily water intake, add some time stamps to your water bottle. This way, you can easily see if you're missing out on fluids every hour. What was once a dreary chore now becomes a fun challenge!
3. Go the kurang manis route
Excess sugar intake can lead to countless health conditions. The biggest challenge, however, is that sugar can get pretty addictive and it may not be easy to quit cold turkey. If you're finding it difficult to cut out sugar completely, start by cutting down on it first.
On the bright side, more and more products in the market currently offer lower-sugar alternatives, like the new range by Lipton Ice Tea.
4. Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting has become a staple in health circles for its long list of benefits, from improving mental alertness to aiding in weight loss. Essentially, intermittent fasting is where you eat in a designated period of time and fast for the rest.
There are different ways to do it, and beginners usually start small by skipping one meal a day. Once you feel more comfortable, you can extend your fasting across longer hours.
5. Stop scrolling through FB in bed
The artificial light from the screen disrupts your natural circadian clock, resulting in poor quality sleep, and lack of sleep is linked to many non-fun things from weight gain to hypertension.
Also, scrolling through your phone can be really hard to stop. You may mean to be online for just a couple of minutes, and next thing you know, it's 3am and you're in some weird corner of YouTube watching some lady dance on butter.
The best thing would be to leave your phone out of the bedroom, and sleep in pitch darkness to get that top-quality sleep. ;)
6. Surround yourself with the kind of people you aspire to be
Taking all these healthy little steps gets easier when you have inspiring people around you to look up to! Whether your role model is that CrossFit-loving colleague or a popular vegan chef on Instagram, use them as inspiration to get you on track to your health goals.
You can take it to the next level by getting your family and friends involved in your movement too by starting cool rituals like a quick jog in the park before that weekly Saturday brunch, or a designated gym night with the gang. This way, you'll get to spend quality time with your best peeps while getting healthy at the same time!
7. Tell yourself "Sure can wan!"
Self-affirmation is super important in starting new habits, and believing in yourself is the key to sustaining your new lifestyle!
On a more technical side, did you know your brain plays a huge role in ensuring your efforts end up a success? By telling yourself "I can do this", your brain picks that up as a signal to help get the necessary processes in motion, from releasing the right hormones to creating a healing environment for your body.