Healthy behaviours are for everyone - three little ways to improve your well-being

Healthy behaviours are for everyone.

You don’t need to look a certain way. You don’t need to be a certain size. And you don’t need to follow a certain exercise regime.

There seems to be a never-ending amount of 'advice' floating around from nutrition to fitness to, well, just about everything (yes, I am seeing the irony in this with this post). But too often there are blanket statements about  the food we eat and the movement we do, even down to the basic ways we live our lives. That isn’t helpful. Or healthful.

Claiming that the “only way” to be healthy is to eat organic, free-range, “real” food with no “nasties”, and to move your body in only a certain way for a minimum amount of time, is kind of blinkered and short-sighted. It presents a closed view that sees only those who are privileged enough to have access to and the ability to choose those things. It over-simplifies health and places the blame on those who may struggle while ignoring the very real social, economic and other issues that people face every day. And it unintentionally places roadblocks that inhibit people from implementing behaviours that could benefit them.

But there are some very basic things that we can all do to start forming healthier behaviours that can improve our quality of life. I’m not going to say they are simple - everyone has their own limitations - but they are things that we can all work towards slowly.

Get a little more active. Yes, we’ve all heard this, and then we jump into boot camp or start running, join a gym. And then get tired, or injured or busy.

Start small. Take a 5 minute walk around your house. If walking is difficult, do some stretches - the idea is to find what you can do, not what someone else tells you you should do. Start small, achieve that goal, and then add to it in increments. No step is too small, every journey is important, and every little bit counts.

Eat a few more fruits and veggies. Add more of your favourites to your day. If you want to try something new, go for it - there’s no right or wrong, no good or bad, and you don’t have to like it. If you don’t, just try something else. If accessing fresh produce is difficult, frozen is just fine, as is canned. Remember, you need to do what works for you, otherwise how else will you be able to make it happen? Also, beans and lentils are technically classified as vegetables AND protein. They are also fairly inexpensive. So if you like them, go for it!

Get some sleep. I think sleep is the current buzzword, but seriously, getting enough will set your day up to be so much better. I find that I think more clearly, I am in a better mood, and feel more energetic and sometimes even more motivated when I am well-rested. Do not underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep. If you are currently in the trenches of parenthood or have otherwise interrupted sleep patterns - do the best you can. Have a bedtime routine, keep electronic use to a minimum and figure out what helps you to relax and wind down at night that is conducive to falling (and hopefully staying) asleep.

Forming healthy behaviours will benefit your life over time. Do what you can with what you have. Choose to do things in a way that is sustainable to you and that fits your lifestyle and abilities, knowing that these will fluctuate with life stages. You don’t need to wait for Monday, and you don’t need to wait “until I’m … x,y or z…”. Just start small, and start where you are.