Are you interested in developing healthy habits in the year 2024? It can be challenging to know where to begin, especially if this is your first time focusing on healthy habits. You might be wondering which habits you should prioritize and how to make them stick. If you want to live a healthier life this year, read our guide on the best nutritional and exercise-based habits to focus on in 2024.
Focus on Incremental Changes
Incremental changes are small habits that you build up over time. It might be drinking one more glass of water a day or only drinking one glass of wine on the weekend rather than two. Aiming for short, sustainable habit changes also helps you build consistency over time, making healthy habits more likely to stick.
Make Time for Friends and Family
One of the most neglected yet important healthy habits to focus on in 2024 is spending time with friends and family. As social creatures, connecting with people we love is essential for boosting resilience, a sense of perspective, and happiness. Small group fitness classes are a great way to combine socializing with exercise and make new friends.
Make time to engage with people in meaningful activities to improve your wellbeing and consider joining a fitness class with your friends or family. Spending time with your loved ones while working out can boost your mental health, making you less likely to depend on unhealthy habits like excessive drinking to relieve stress.
Drink One Less Cup of Coffee Each Day
Completely cutting out caffeine could lead to withdrawal symptoms, headaches, and mood swings. To continue experiencing the mental focus and better heart health that one to two cups of coffee a day can bring, consider cutting out just one cup of coffee or caffeinated beverage from your daily routine.
By making a small change and dropping one cup of coffee, you increase the likelihood of this new habit sticking over time. When you’re tired, it’s tempting to rely on caffeine to keep you going. However, forming a habit will help you resist having another coffee after a poor night’s sleep.
Get a Good Sleep Schedule
Sleep helps your brain refresh and recharge for the next day. Poor sleep can reduce resilience, lower brain function, and deplete willpower. You rely on willpower when you first form a habit; you’re more likely to fall back into unhealthy habits and coping mechanisms without it.
Create a consistent sleep schedule by cutting out technology an hour before bed and creating a calm environment to wind down before sleep. Put a journal by your bed to jot down thoughts lingering before bedtime, and set an alarm to wake up at the same time each day.
Exercise for 15 Minutes a Day
Exercise is getting more tailored to shorter time spans as people’s lives get busier. Make time to exercise for at least 15 minutes every day. This could mean walking, doing a 15-minute yoga session, or looking on YouTube for a weights workout. Build in 15 minutes each day for exercise until it becomes a habit, then build it up in small increments for longer workouts.
Replace One Processed Snack With Fruit
Cutting out processed snacks like chips or chocolate can feel more like a punishment than a healthy habit, making it difficult to sustain long term. If you’re finding it hard to cut out processed food, consider putting them in harder-to-access areas and instead replace one processed snack a day with fruit or a healthy alternative.
Make Unhealthy Habits Harder to Do
Unhealthy habits like vaping, drinking, or overeating can be easy to fall into simply because they are easily accessible. To make these habits less appealing, you can try things like not ordering alcohol when you go grocery shopping or preparing your meals in advance to avoid overeating.
Instead, make healthy habits easier to do. Put your running gear beside your bed when you wake up. Put fruit next to your workstation, and take technology out of the bedroom so you’re not tempted to watch shows or scroll aimlessly through your phone before going to sleep.
Small Steps Matter
Small habits can have a significant impact over time. If you want to learn how to develop healthy habits, it’s important to identify small changes you can make to your daily routine.
By joining Fit Body Boot Camp, you can kickstart a healthier lifestyle and make sustainable changes. Our team of highly qualified and experienced nutrition and fitness experts will guide you every step of the way. Start building healthy habits that will benefit your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing for years to come. Sign up now at a location near you and take the first step towards a healthier you!
