I thought I’d share some of my top tips for building healthy habits as I am doing this right now in my online WalkFit program. As well as doing walking workouts and reaching a daily step quota we are also building daily healthy habits. 

If you do something enough times it becomes a habit and this is what I’m trying to encourage with my clients. 

I think that taking small steps and changing things gradually is more sustainable than trying to change everything all at once. 

Here are my top tips…..

• Drink plenty of water – staying hydrated is key for optimum health and one of the easier habits to achieve. You can flavour water with a squeeze of lime, lemon or some mint to make it more appealing. Considering our bodies are made up of about 70% water it makes total sense.
• Walk every day – this doesn’t have to mean a hike but a 30/45/60 minute walk does wonders for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Enjoying nature and stopping to literally smell the roses can really improve your mood and sense of wellness.
• Eat enough fruit and vegetables and steer clear of the beige food! Always vary the fruits and vegetables that you are eating as different ones contain different nutrients. Add as much colour to your plate as you can. 
• Avoid snacking – you shouldn’t need to snack in between meals if you are eating enough at mealtimes. Be sure to add lean protein, carbs and healthy fats to your plate so that you stay satiated for longer. Unless of course it’s homemade cake, then eat the cake!!
• Eat slowly – this will help to reduce the chance of overeating as it will give your brain time to register that you have had enough. Try putting your knife and fork down in between mouthfuls.
• Close the kitchen after dinner – this really helps to stop evening snacking which is the most common time that we snack as we are normally sat down watching tv and relaxing and our mind starts to wander to the fridge! Treat your kitchen like a restaurant, it’s shut after you’ve had your evening meal!

That is just a few and I’ll be back next time with more. Please remember that you don’t have to suddenly do all of these at the same time, gradually introduce one habit then another and so on until you are doing the above without thinking!

Be healthy. Be happy. Be fit