We have all heard that having healthy habits such as eating well, staying active, and staying on top of our health screenings is really important.
But have you ever really thought about why these things are so important, and how they all work together?
Healthy habits include anything that you do to benefit your physical, mental, or emotional well-being. When put together, these habits help create a framework for a healthy life.
If you are not used to living a healthy lifestyle, these habits can be difficult to develop, because you have to alter your mindset a bit and even change up your daily schedule.
However, if you are ready to become committed to improving your health, creating healthy habits can greatly benefit you in the long run.
No matter how old you are or how bad your former habits have been, you can move forward to improve them and create a better life for you.
It is important to remember that healthy habits can be created in stages. What might be an unhealthy habit for one person today may be a healthy habit for someone else.
For example, pretend you have an unhealthy habit of eating two bowls of ice cream every night. Cutting this down to one bowl or even just half a bowl is making progress towards the healthy habit of cutting down on unhealthy food. However, for someone who doesn’t eat these foods to begin with, eating a bowl of ice cream a night would not be considered a healthy habit.
Start where you are and make progress towards habits that will be healthy for you.
If you have a health condition, it may not be healthy to start training for a marathon like it would be for an experienced runner. But you may be able to start going for daily walks to become more active.
In this list of 192 healthy habits, you will learn about eating better, exercising, and having an overall healthy lifestyle.
While some may not apply to all people, these habits are a great starting point for anyone who may be looking to better themselves.
Physical Activity (Fitness)
Getting physical activity benefits both your body and your mind. It helps keep your weight in control, fights off chronic diseases, reduces stress, improves your mood, and gives you a sense of accomplishment.
Getting physical activity does not have to involve hours at the gym. Instead, there are many ways that you can make small changes throughout the day to make your life less sedentary and get your body moving.
You can even involve your friends or family in your physical activity so you can have some time to interact with the people you love while also benefiting your body. There are so many types of physical activities that you could add to your day, it is just important to find one that you enjoy and stick with it.
1. Do housework.
2. Take 30-minute early morning walks.
3. Implement the two-minute walking habit for every hour that you sit.
4. Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
6. Use a treadmill desk.
7. Use a height-adjustable desk.
8. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. Wear a step-tracking device.
9. Take a dance break.
10. Go hiking more often.
11. Do yoga.
12. Go rock climbing.
13. Go geocaching.
14. Workout during TV commercials.
15. Do some Deskercise.
Forgiveness (Healthy Lifestyle)
While forgiveness may seem like an antiquated notion our rushed and quick-to-react society, there are many health benefits to it, even today.
When you are consciously able to let something go, even without an apology, it reduces your anger, stress, and tension.
The physical burden of feeling hurt takes a toll on the body, so being able to release those negative feelings and replace them with positivity is a healthy habit.
Being able to forgive someone will also improve your sleep. You will not spend time lying in bed at night ruminating over something that happened in the past, or planning what kind of retaliation you want to make. If you can meditate and fully forgive someone else, you can focus more on you and your own well-being.
Finally, being able to forgive can strengthen your relationship with your friends and family. Avoiding deep-seeded strains in close relationships is an important part of feeling connected to those around you and living life in harmony with people who cross your path. Maintaining healthy relationships is a key component of living a healthy lifestyle.
16. Don’t go to sleep angry.
17. Focus on understanding yourself instead of blaming others.
18. Live in the present instead of being stuck in the past.
19. Do it for yourself and your own peace of mind.
20. Remember the times when you were forgiven.
21. Remember people when they were children.
22. Remember why you love people.
23. Remember that it’s better to be kind instead of right.
24. Observe, don’t judge.
25. Take responsibility for your own shortcomings.
26. Acknowledge your growth from the experience.
Portion Size Control (Healthy Eating)
Sometimes, it isn’t what you eat, but how much of it you are eating.
For example, avocados are extremely healthy and have a lot to offer in terms of nutrients and healthy fats. However, they are very dense in calories, so eating three avocados per day would not be a healthy habit.
Eat until you are physically satisfied, and then stop. If you think you may still be hungry, wait 20 minutes, drink a glass of water, and reconsider if you really need another helping.
Also, start eating on smaller plates so you feel as if your plate is full before you sit down to a meal. You will probably be surprised at the amount of food that actually accounts for a serving size.
Remember that eating is not a pastime or something to do when you are bored or stressed out. Make sure you are mindfully eating when it is time to do so, and that you sit down and only focus on your food.
Mindlessly eating in front of the television or running to the refrigerator if you have had a bad day are both bad eating habits that cause further health problems down the road.
27. Avoid eating when feeling stressed.
28. Use portion-control containers to store your meals.
29. Use portion-control plates when eating at home.
30. Listen to your hunger cues.
31. Drink plenty of water and healthy fluids.
32. Keep a food diary or journal.
33. Make and drink healthy smoothies.
34. Learn how to read nutrition labels.
35. Stay away from fun-size candy bars and other treats.
36. Plan your meals every week.
37. Make your own single-serving snack packs.
38. Limit distractions during meal times.
40. Stick to your grocery list.
42. Take smaller bites and eat slowly.
43. Chew your food at least five times before swallowing.
Preventive Health Care Screening
People tend to go to the doctor when they become ill, or when an unfamiliar symptom pops up. From there, the doctor works with the patient to treat the problem in hopes that it will go away. But what if the problem never happened in the first place?
For example, if you notice a small mark on your skin that has seemingly popped up out of nowhere and you don’t know what it is, this could be a sign of skin cancer that can rapidly spread throughout your body. Don’t ignore these things and hope they will go away. Instead, be proactive and visit a dermatologist every year to get checkups so they can look over your skin for anything that they may find suspicious.
It is important to be proactive about your health, regardless of if you are sick or not. Doctors may give advice on preventative measures for diseases that run in your family, or even just catch a health problem before it becomes too late. Catching health issues early is the key, so make sure that you are paying attention to your physical health no matter how you actually feel.
43. Annual physical exam.
44. Thyroid test (for women only).
45. Bone mineral density test (women).
46. Mammogram (women).
47. Colonoscopy.
48. Fasting plasma glucose test.
49. Eye exam.
50. Hearing test.
Suggested Timeline for Routine Health Screening:
Schedule for men:
- Physical exam: Every two to three years for men 18 and over.
- Colonoscopy: Every 7-10 years for men 50 and over.
- Eye exam: One before the age of 30, as recommended by a doctor after age 40, every one to two years after age 65.
- Hearing test: Once every 10 years for men ages 18-50, once every 3 years for men 51 and over.
- Dental cleaning: Twice a year for men over 18.
- Blood pressure screening: Every two years after the age of 18.
- Cholesterol screening: Every five years starting at age 35.
- Prostate screening: Beginning at age 50.
- Skin exam: Yearly, beginning at the age of 18.
Schedule for women
- Physical exam: Annual.
- Bone mineral density test: Beginning at age 65.
- Mammogram: Every one to two years starting at age 40.
- Clinical breast exam: Every three years for women who are 20-40.
- Colonoscopy: Every 7-10 years for women 50 and over.
- Fasting plasma glucose test: Every three years beginning at age 45.
- Eye exam: One before the age of 30, as recommended by a doctor after age 40, every one to two years after age 65.
- Dental cleaning: Twice a year for women over 18.
- Blood pressure screening: Every two years beginning at the age of 18.
- Cholesterol screening: Every five years starting at age 35.
- Pap test: Every three years for women ages 21-29, every five years for women 30-65, testing may be discontinued at age 65 if no previous problems have occurred.
- Skin exam: Yearly after the age of 18.
Adequate Sleep. (Healthy Living)
Sleep plays a very important role in maintaining general well-being and a healthy lifestyle. Getting enough deep sleep at night can help protect your mental and physical health, your overall quality of life, and your safety.
How you feel while you’re awake is greatly dependent on the quality of sleep you are getting at night. While you are sleeping, your body is replenishing itself to support healthy brain function and optimize your physical health. Sleep also plays a large role in the growth and development of children.
Sleep deficiency can happen both quickly and over time. If you are losing sleep on a regular basis, you may raise your risk for chronic health problems, experience trouble thinking during the day, have delayed reactions, have poor performance at work, experience learning difficulties, and have problems developing relationships.
If you do not give your body a chance to restore itself from expending energy all day and prepare itself for the energy you will need the following day, your health will certainly suffer.
