The Power of Habits

As we begin this new adventure here at the Tahoe Body Loft, it has become clear how important healthy habits are in achieving and maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle. A negative habit can break your routine and cause that dreadful plateau, affecting your motivation to reinforce the healthy habits. "A unhealthy habit is easy to develop and hard to live with; a healthy habit is harder to develop but easier to live with" (Whitfield, 2015). So how do we replace our unhealthy habits for healthy ones?

First it is important to remember that although we may not gain instant gratification from a healthy habit, these positive choices will have a much bigger reward in the long term. Sometimes that is hard to remember when we are taunted daily by poor choices that satisfy a craving in the short term. To ward off these evil bad habits it is important to break your long term goal (weight loss, strength, health, maybe even quitting smoking) into smaller manageable goals (Whitfield, 2015). This will help the larger goal seem less daunting to achieve. The smaller goals will also help you see the benefits of your new healthy habits and build your motivation to achieve your larger goals!

So in celebration of opening our new fitness gym, here are some tips on how to build physical exercise into one of your healthy habits. The benefits of physical exercise are not only for your physical health, but can help you unwind, socialize, get out doors, challenge yourself, and maybe even have some fun! In general, 30 minuets of exercise is a good goal and habit to add to your daily routine, and this doesn't necessarily have to be a fitness routine (Zeratsky, 2014). Start out by taking an extra 15-20 minute walk or taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Are you in a job where you sit a lot? Take a stand break every hour to stretch or walk around. If your ready to take it up a notch, join us for one of our group fitness classes or personal training sessions. Once you get that ball rolling, it become habit!

References
Whitfield, R. (2015). How to change bad habits and live a heart healthy lifestyle. American Heart Association. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/How-to-Change-Bad-Habits-and-Live-a-Heart-Healthy-Lifestyle_UCM_434369_Article.jsp#.Vyo-52Mw2fQ
Zeratsky, S. (2014) The 12 habits of highly healthy people. Mayo Clinic Nutrition Wise-blog. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/physical-activity-habits/bgp-20085745