Small Changes Create Lasting Results
No matter what your goals are, small habitual changes can lead to big improvements. This article dives deeper into the meaning of small changes in day-to-day living.
HOW MANY TIMES have you started a fitness program with the best of intentions, only to lose motivation and give up after a few weeks?
You’re not alone.
It can be hard to stick with a routine when you don’t see results right away. But what if we told you that you don’t really have to start right away with workout routines and diets? What if there were some small changes you could make that would have a big impact on your fitness goals? Keep reading to find out how even the smallest tweaks can help you achieve meaningful results for your health, fitness and wellbeing!
Regimens VS Habits
Anyone who has gone on a diet knows that it is not easy to change eating habits. The same can be said of starting a fitness regimen. It is hard to stick to a new routine, especially if it means giving up foods that you love or working out when you would rather be doing something else.
However, there is the notion that it is easier to stick to a healthy lifestyle if you first change your habits. In other words, rather than going on a strict diet or exercising for hours each day, it is better to start by making small changes to how you actually live.
Making these small changes will not only help you to be more successful in achieving your fitness goals, but it will also make it more likely that you will stick with your new routine in the long term.
So again, don’t dive head-first into restrictive diets and hardcore training regimens. That would only mean going from 0 to 100 too quickly.
Instead, focus on making better choices in your daily life and eventually, snowball this into the above-mentioned training and nutrition regimens.
So, what are these small changes we’re talking about? Let’s find out!
Food Choices
So you want to diet. You’ve done your research, consulted friends and even spoken to a professional or two. But have you considered starting off by just making better food choices? Jumping right into a diet plan may seem like the obvious solution, but it’s not always the most effective one.
Making better food choices is a slow and steady process that leads to lasting results. And it all starts with becoming more aware of what you’re eating. Think about it: when you’re on a diet, you’re usually depriving yourself of certain foods or food groups, which can make you feel cranky and deprived.
They say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. When it comes to starting a training regimen, that couldn't be more true.
But when you make better food choices, you’re simply choosing to eat more nutrient-rich foods and fewer processed foods. This doesn’t mean you have to give up all of your favorite foods. But it does mean being more mindful of what you’re eating and making conscious choices that will benefit your health in the long run.
The best part about making better food choices is that it’s something you can do at your own pace. Because there’s no need to jump into a restrictive diet plan. So, consciously choose more nutritious foods and make sure to add your favorite foods (even if processed) here and there!
Daily Activities
They say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. When it comes to starting a training regimen, that couldn’t be more true. In fact, you don’t even need to go to the gym to get started. You can simply choose to be more active in your daily life.
By doing things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away from your destination, you can increase your level of activity and train your brain to WANT to be more active. And who knows? Once you start down the path of being more active, you may find yourself wanting to go even further.
So again, choose the stairs rather than the elevator. Choose the 10-15 minute walk instead of the taxi. Get yourself a bicycle for urban transportation. Find ways to be more active in your daily life!
Leisure Activities
It’s the age-old question: how do we find time to get fit when we’re so busy with work and other responsibilities? And it turns out that the answer may be simpler than we think.
It may just turn out that our leisure time is actually one of the biggest obstacles to fitness. That’s because we tend to use our free time for sedentary activities like watching television or surfing the internet. And even when we do engage in physical activity, it’s often far less strenuous than what we need to maintain our fitness levels.
In other words, our leisure time is robbing us of the chance to stay in shape. So, if we want to get and stay fit, we need to be more intentional about how we use our free time. Instead of vegging out in front of the TV, we should try something that gets our heart rate up, like going for a walk or a bike ride.
And instead of sitting down to play video games, we should try an active game that gets us moving around. By being more mindful of how we spend our leisure time, we can make sure that it’s actually helping us be more fit and healthy!
To Wrap It Up
Even if you don’t see dramatic results overnight, making small changes in your daily routine is the best way to create healthy habits that will last a lifetime. So what are you waiting for? Start making healthy choices today and see how they benefit not only your body, but also your mind and spirit.
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