Being health is more than just working. Implement these 7 tips for simple ways to get healthier right now.
When you think of “health,” do you instantly think of working out for endless hours a day? While exercise is important and what I consider to be a top priority in life, beyond that, there are other ways to get healthier right now that don’t require exercise. Being healthy is more than just fitness; it’s having soundness of mind and body.
If you want to instantly be healthier, try a few of these.
Watch less TV
Do you know how many hours the average American wastes watching television each year? No? Well I looked it up for you. The average American watches over 4 hours of TV a day. That’s 28 hours/week, 2 months (nonstop) a year, and over 9 years in a lifetime (assuming someone lives to be 65 years old). Puts things into perspective doesn’t it?
Think of all the things you could be doing with that time! Try journaling, going for a walk, talking to someone, sitting in silence for a bit. The possibilities are endless!
Take Vitamins
Vitamins are essential to a healthy, strong body. If you aren’t getting enough vitamins in your food, you need to be taking supplements on a daily basis. Currently I’m taking a prenatal (since I’m nursing) as well as Omega-3s. Figuring out what vitamins to take can be overwhelming sometimes, so I broke out what I normally take in my vitamins & supplements post (need to update the photos in that post, ha!).
Drink water instead of soda
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Cut out the soda! It has no nutritional value and does your body no good. Plus it has so much sugar (39 grams in a can of Coke). Just stop!
Get more sleep
Not getting enough sleep can be detrimental to more than just your energy level. Lack of sleep contributes to weight gain, excessive eating and memory loss. It can also increase stress levels in the body and nobody needs more stress in their lives. I definitely don’t!
Eat more whole foods
If you’ve read my post on how to eat clean, then you know that eating whole foods is one of the easiest ways to detox your body and lose weight. Our bodies work best when we eat fruits, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains.
Spend time in silence
Let your mind rest. This is the #1 thing I struggle to do; just sit in silence and rest. I always feel like I have so much to do that I can’t waste a moment. But our minds need rest. Constantly being on the go can lead to added stress on the mind and body. Just being is hard for many of us, but a great way to rest and rejuvenate.
Try going natural
Look for ways to incorporate more natural remedies into your life. Herbal remedies, essential oils (my personal fave), even acupuncture, are all great things that can help you be healthier without exercise.
Being healthy isn’t always about how much you exercise. Yes a good fitness routine definitely helps, but if you’re like many of us, it takes thoughtful planning to devote time to exercise. I am right there with you when it comes to finding time to “fit it in.” So when I fail at getting my fitness on, I try to make sure I’m incorporating a few other healthy habits. There’s a lot I can’t control in my life, but my health is one thing that I can. So I do my best to live a healthy lifestyle. Try incorporating a few of these simple principals and you’ll most likely start to see some changes in your mind and body.
I like the notion of spending time in silence and away from the TV. I have a sleep disorder that is heightened in pregnancy and need to work on cutting off TV and phone at least an hour before bed.
So many good tips! Thank you for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed them Megan!
omg T, I can’t have vitamins because they make my hair + eyebrows grow like CRAZY. #HairyBrownGirlProblems, ya feel? I love the idea of spending time in silence. Might try practicing that a bit in the evenings instead of listening to music.
Yes to all of these! Especially watching less TV. When I started staying home, I made a rule that the TV doesn’t come on until 5:30 and we watch the news. Then we do a bedtime routine that includes about 15-20 mins of a child’s movie to help them wind down. They only get about 30 mins of screen time a day, and I’ll keep it that way for as long as I can! And if I’m being really honest, I can’t believe people drink soda daily. So gross!
Love all of these tips! I am struggling so much with the TV one. I was watching RHOC last night and in the middle of it, was like why am I watching grown woman yell at each other? As much as it’s a guilty pleasure, it’s so destructive and kind of saddens me that it’s our form of entertainment. I started using MFP again to pay closer attention to what I’m eating and it’s always such a wakeup call when I see how much sugar is in things!
You’ve hit on all the points!!! You rock lady! Inspiring mamas daily!
You had me at no exercise! But seriously, spend time in silence. That is SO HARD!!! But I’ll try
This is such a great list! I think sometimes I forget that there ar either things I can to do to be healthy besides eating right and exercising. Sitting in silence isn’t one I’ve ever thought about. I’m going to have to try that.
Yes! I totally agree with all of these! I wouldn’t even have enough time to watch that much TV if I wanted to! :-p
Great list! Water is usually my choice of drink, but I’m constantly challenging myself to drink enough of it.
These are fantastic tips, Tiffany! Sitting in silence is one of my #1 struggles as well. I completely agree though, it’s so incredibly important. Thanks for these healthy reminders!
Heyyyy. These are brilliant tips! Thanks for being my personal health-guru.
Stopping by from #SHINEbloghop. These are all great tips and most of them are things that I have incorporated into my own healthy journey. The spending time in silence is still hard, there’s not much of that when you have kids.
I have really just being trying to take a few minutes every day and just be with no technology or noise. It really is such a nice mind clearing luxury.
Great ideas! It’s so easy to forget that there are simply ways to have a healthier life each day! Thanks!
My wife and I love down to earth, practical tips for getting healthier. You’ve shared some great, simple and inexpensive ways to build wellness. I think the hardest, for me personally, will be spending time in silence. There’s always so much to think about and do! Thanks so much for sharing this great post.
You’ve shared such great suggestions here Tiffany! Watching television can be a huge time-sucker and automatically invades time to exercise (except when riding an exercise bike while watching tv *wink*)!
Drinking water is my #1 way to being healthier. If I can get a couple glasses in first thing in the morning, it seems to lend itself to me drinking more water throughout the day.
Thanks for sharing!
xoxo