Page 3 - Healthy Living

5. Swap your less healthy choices for healthy habits
Do you often sit still for long periods of time? Get out of your chair regularly and stand up or go for a walk. You could also choose a different form of physical activity: go for a bike ride instead of spending time playing on the internet for example.
Maybe sitting still is not so much of a problem for you, but you want to be more active and improve your fitness. Take it up a gear: replace your daily dose of light-intensity activities with moderately intensive pursuits. Don’t increase the length of time you walk, just up the pace. This will work better than immediately aiming for intensive jogging.
6. Feel good
Do you enjoy a mix of sitting, standing and moving in your daily life? It will leave you feeling better, fitter and healthier. But it’s difficult to take the first steps and to keep pursuing them. Think of a reward for yourself that fits into your healthy approach. For example, you could plan a nice trip with family or friends. Give yourself a pat on the shoulder after a healthy day. And most of all: choose something that you would really like to do. Otherwise, you’ll give up in no time.
7. Think ahead and plan accordingly
Make deals with yourself—and with others too. For a lot of people, this approach makes it easier to sit less and move more. Construct your own plan as follows:
✓ What are you going to do? For example: ‘I’ll watch less TV and go walking more frequently.’
✓ Where are you going to do it? For example: at home and in your neighbourhood.
✓ When are you going to do it and for how long? For example: a quarter of an hour
every Saturday afternoon.
✓ Who will help you with this? Or are you going to do it alone? Moving together is more
motivating and more enjoyable. Especially as a family: you encourage your children and set a good example.
Think in advance about the possible difficulties. And work out solutions. For example: pack wet-weather gear when you go biking and it’s cloudy. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best!
8. Adjust your environment
Set up your environment so that the healthy choice is the most accessible. And make it more difficult for yourself to choose the less healthy option. You can ‘block out’ sitting still for shorter periods and moving more. Put your walking shoes and jacket at the front of the cupboard so that it’s easier to get ready and go for your walk.
Flemish Institute Healthy Living, 2017