4 Surprising and Simple Moves That Can Make Your Health Goals a Reality

If you are feeling motivated to improve your health, you’ve already won half the battle. Getting into the right mindset is often the most difficult step in taking control of your health, fitness and well-being. Once you’re there, however, you’re going to need a few tips to make your renewed health and wellness goals really come true. Wondering what those tips are? You may be surprised at the simple steps you can take to take better care of your body and your mind.

Keep Your Indoor Air Clean

It comes as no surprise that air pollution can harm your health. Exposure to toxins, chemicals and irritants lower your ability to fight off disease while putting you at risk for cancer, lung problems and breathing difficulties. What may come as a surprise, however, is that the air inside your home can be just as filled with harmful pollutants as outdoor air. Before you make any other moves to boost your health, consider changing your air filter. Not any old filter will do when it comes to protecting your health, though. Filters with a MERV 13 rating remove nearly 100% of the smoke, pollen, dander, dust and mold that other filters leave behind, which can make the air in your home less likely to worsen allergies or asthma.

Plan to Eat Better Each Week

A quality filter is the easiest way to clean up your air, but proper planning is the key to cleaning up your diet. Too many people rush into a new diet without really planning for success, and they typically end up straying from their health goals pretty quickly. For lasting benefits to your health, try making small changes to your eating habits. Even simply cutting out processed foods, like chips, frozen dinners and sugary cereals, can help you clean up your diet for more weight loss, improved focus and better overall health. It’s a small change that can make a big impact, but even tiny lifestyle changes can be difficult to maintain. To make your cleaned-up diet stick, consider prepping healthy meals once or twice a week.

Sit Down for Breakfast

Meal prepping is a great way to have healthier options for those super-rushed mornings. Why is that important? There’s a lot of debate as to the importance of breakfast, but when your goal is long-term wellness, you’re better off not skipping it. Not eating breakfast can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes that can make it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight, but you may also have a hard time focusing on your morning tasks. As you get into the habit of meal prepping, be sure to look for make-ahead morning meals to keep in your kitchen. How you eat may be as important as when and what you eat, so if you tend to rush through your meals, try slowing down enough to stay mindful of your portions.

Meditate When You Wake Up  

Breakfast isn’t the only healthy morning habit that can boost your health. It turns out that meditating in the morning can also get your day off to a positive start. By taking this time to focus on yourself when you wake up instead of checking out social media or jumping right into your day, you are setting a less stressful pace for the rest of your day. You can meditate for 10 minutes or try shorter meditations to get yourself in the habit. It may also be beneficial for you to set meditation reminders to help wake you up and remind you to incorporate mindfulness into your morning routine.

Taking better care of your physical and mental health does not have to take a monumental effort. In fact, the best ways to improve your health are often the most basic to fold into your normal, everyday life. You just need motivation and planning to keep you on track and make attaining your wellness goals easier. So, what are you waiting for? Start boosting your health today!

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Author: Jennifer McGregor
jmcgreg@publichealthlibrary.org 
PublicHealthLibrary.org

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