Pam's Top 10 Healthy Habits
by Pam Sherman, Founder of The Perfect Balance
Forget the fads and shortcuts. I've helped hundreds of people over the years achieve better health, and these are the Top 10 essentials. If it feels overwhelming, just pick 2 to try today, and work up from there. Your health is your wealth - prioritize yours today.
Sleep more. This is the single most important thing you can do for your health every single day. Try to keep the same bedtime hour daily. Don’t be on your phone until just before you go to sleep. Your brain needs to wind down for an hour before bed. If you can, grab a 15 minute nap during the day. Rest is essential for overall health.
Drink more water. This should be your main beverage throughout the day. Yes, I know coffee is a necessity - but water is vital for our bodies. Don’t leave home without your water bottle.
Get outside and walk. Our bodies are not meant to sit all day long. We are meant to get up and walk around. Long before we had gyms, our ancestors roamed the earth - slow walking for hours a day. Most of us don’t have hours to walk, but I bet we could all fit in 30 minutes in our day to get outside, breathe the fresh air and walk. If you don't live in an area where this is possible or safe, one of the best exercise equipment investments you can make is a treadmill. Or just put on some music and dance!
Eat more veggies. Think about half your plate being filled with veggies two out of three meals daily. Shocking to some, but it's the single most important dietary addition to your day. View my site for great, easy recipes with veggies.
Eat real food. Our bodies don’t recognize the chemicals in processed foods. Our digestive systems haven’t evolved that much over the last few hundred years. A rule of thumb - if your grandma (or great grandma, for you younger ones!) wouldn’t recognize what you’re eating, skip it.
Find an exercise you love and make it your passion. I’ve worked in gyms for 20 years and have seen some miserable people on various pieces of equipment. If you hate it, don’t do it. There are so many choices for exercise these days - try them all and find one you like and be passionate about it. Zumba, rock climbing, crossfit, yoga, pilates, group classes- and the list goes on and on. Don’t say you don’t like exercise. Keep trying and find friends to join you!
Find your people. Having friends or a tribe counting on you to show up daily can keep you accountable and active. With social media it’s easy to call out your friends for missing class. It’s more fun with people who have the same interests as you.
Plan out your day. For the most part, we all know what our day will look like. Pack snacks, lunch, bring extra water- plan for success. If you have an apple in the car, you’ll eat it when you get hungry and be satisfied. Going a long time without eating and being dehydrated leads to disaster.
Don’t reward yourself for a workout. A friend once said, "I’m not a dog, I don’t need a treat." I go to Starbucks almost daily and see so many people negating their workout with one drink order. Your reward is feeling like a badass the rest of the day for a job well done. For making yourself and your health a priority - that’s a fabulous reward.
Be KIND to yourself. You are AWESOME!