Healthy Habits
EASY TIPS FOR A HEALTHIER YOU
At the Y, we’re all about healthy living – healthy people and healthy communities
Healthy habits can be hard to form, so we’re here to help.
Our #HealthyHabits program will make healthy living easier!
You can look at all 5 categories at once, or focus on one each month as we help you build a new healthy habit. Click on the “cards” for tips.
As you’re working on your Healthy Habits, share your efforts on social media and be sure to tag us! Use the hashtags #YMCA and #HealthyHabits, plus the tag associated with each habit, so we can cheer you on.
Healthy Habits
- Add flavor to your water (fruit, cucumbers, mint)
- Drink a glass after every bathroom break
- Sip before, during & after each meal
- Get a “fun” bottle you enjoy carrying, especially one that marks water levels
- Take your water bottle everywhere with you!
- Dilute any sugary drinks with water & ice
- Invest in a water filter so your water tastes clean & fresh
- Choose water over soda
- Use the “pee test” – urine should be light yellow to clear, or else you need to drink more water!
- To get the recommended 5 servings a day, start eating them early, such as having fruit in your breakfast cereal.
- Enjoy a smoothie by blending low-fat yogurt with fresh or frozen fruits.
- Stock your freezer with frozen veggies to steam and stir fry for a quick and easy side dish.
- Keep cut veggies handy for healthy snacks on the go.
- Get a pretty fruit bowl – visibility encourages eating.
- Try crunchy vegetables instead of chips and use your favorite low-fat dressing as a dip.
- Make fruit your dessert, like a frozen fruit pop!
- Shoot for at least 150 min. moderate or 75 min. vigorous aerobic exercise weekly.
- Try to add a few more minutes each day.
- Park the car away from your destination, walk briskly and swing your arms.
- Include sprinting intervals: You burn more calories and build endurance when you have fast bursts of movement.
- Do more than two types of cardio a week. Now’s the perfect time to jump in the pool, try Zumba, cycle or BodyPump classes!
- Hold walking meetings with your coworkers. Bike or walk to work if you can.
- If you don’t love to do cardio, schedule these workouts on your calendar. Think of it as an appointment for a healthier you!
- Warm up and cool down for 5-10 minutes. Walking and stretching are great for this.
- Focus on form and body alignment, not weight. Move smoothly through each exercise.
- Breathe. Exhale as you lift, push, or pull; inhale as you release.
- Make a healthy habit and challenge muscles by slowly increasing weight or resistance.
- Get a routine. Working all the major muscles of your body 2 or 3 times a week is ideal.
- Recover. Strength training causes tiny tears in muscles, which grow stronger as the tears repair. Give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover between strength training sessions.
- Stick to a bedtime and wake up schedule, even on weekends.
- Exercising during the day will help you make a healthy habit and sleep better at night.
- Electronic light is stimulating, not relaxing. Keep TV, phones and computers out of the bedroom. And turn off those devices at least an hour before bedtime.
- Design your perfect sleep environment. The room should be cool – between 60-67 degrees, and free from any disruptive light and noise. Consider using ear plugs, eye shades, blackout curtains, “white noise” machines, humidifiers, or fans.
- Invest in a comfortable and supportive pillow and mattress.
- Nurture the positive relationships that you have, and seek out more of those relationships that help uplift you.
- Serve others.
- Treat everyone with kindness.
- Live in the present. Make a healthy habit of observing yourself in the moment.
- Nurture your spirit.
- Strive to always learn new things
- Improve breathing, relaxation and centeredness with yoga, tai chi or meditation.
- Connect with nature. Observe the natural beauty that surrounds you and feel a sense of connection in the world.