Switch Things Up to Create Healthy Habits

PLAY Switch Things Up TO CREATE

HEALTHY HABITS

by Blayne Soriano, Level 2 CrossFit Coach and CrossFit Kids Coach

What you do every day in your life is a habit. Brushing your teeth, the time you set your alarm, pouring your cup of coffee or tea, these things are all habits. So if you can create good habits and break some bad ones consider yourself ahead of the game.

Let’s talk about adding in good habits first, such as drinking a glass of water when you wake up, adding greens into your breakfast routine, finding quiet time away from your phone for 15 minutes, committing to an exercise routine three to four times a week for 30 to 60 minutes and adding 40 to 50 grams more protein into your diet than you already consume.

These are all good habits to create into your day-to-day life. Some bad habits to drop are drinking alcohol every weekend, hitting snooze on your alarm more than once, driving through fast-food places more than twice a month, skipping workouts, drinking more coffee than water and so forth.

If you can switch these things with better choices, the compound effect will play out for the better of you.

It takes three days to break a habit and 21 days to change it completely, so I challenge you to make some changes for yourself.

The National Institutes of Health recommends these strategies:

*Avoid tempting situations.

*Replace unhealthy behaviors with healthy ones such as exercise, a favorite hobby or spending time with family.

*Prepare mentally.

*Enlist support.

*Reward yourself for small steps with healthy treats.