89 Simple Lifestyle Changes to Healthier You

Leading a healthier life doesn’t have to be a challenge. By making simple changes in your daily lifestyle, you can lose weight and boost your health.

It’s time to choose “this” (see tips below) for “that” (meaning whatever you are currently doing).

Check out some of these great tips from Greatist.com and Laura Schwecherl.

• Swap planks for crunches. Planks target your entire abs instead of only sections. Aim for 30 seconds straight then continue increasing until you can hold a steady plank for over 2 minutes.
• Choose intervals over relaxing cardio. Interval workouts are great ways to burn fat fast and get in shape. Ditch those lengthy cardio sessions for intervals. They will really kick up the heat.
• Opt for an incline over a flat treadmill. While Orlando is pretty flat, our landscape is not even as flat as a treadmill. Add some variation to your treadmill workout by increasing the incline and feel the burn.
• Add some dance moves to your workout. Forget about a boring elliptical session and opt for a more interesting way to burn some fat. Try Zumba or if you have a Wii or Xbox, invest in Zumba or Just Dance games. These workouts definitely beat 30 minutes on a stationary elliptical.
• Standing over sitting. Increase your circulation and overall health by swapping your desk chair for your legs. Invest in desk stand that you can raise or invest in cheap shoe racks (you can find them at Target or Walmart) and place your monitors and keyboards on them.
• Swap your desk chair for a yoga ball. If standing at your desk is not an option, simply opt for a yoga ball instead of a traditional desk chair. Sitting on a yoga ball helps with stability and increasing your core muscles.
• Gym for napping. Don’t snooze after a hard day at the office. Keep your energy flowing by exercising instead of napping on the couch. You’ll get a boost of energy and burn far more calories then if you took a nap.
• Foam rollers over static stretching. Not sure what those cylinder pieces of foam are at the gym? They are foam rollers and are fantastic for rolling out tense muscles. Ask a personal trainer how to utilize them to work out your after workout kinks.
• Swap out exergames for MarioKart. If you or your family is big on video game playing, try swapping out some of your games for ones that require movements like Wii Fit, Just Dance or Wii Sports. They are tons of fun and they help you burn calories. These games are designed to provide light to moderate exercise.
• Stairs for the escalator or elevator. Burn extra calories throughout the day and strengthen your leg muscles by choosing stairs instead of escalators or elevators. When available, go the old-fashioned route.
• Fun workout instead of a loathed workout. Workouts don’t have to be something you dread. If you don’t like the elliptical, try the stair climber or treadmill. Not a fan of cardio machines, try a class at the gym instead. Find a workout that you enjoy and stick to that. You can change yourself without doing the exercises you hate.
• Active date instead of dinner and a movie. Skip dinner and a movie and instead opt for an active date such as tennis, a walk around Cranes Roost, a theme park adventure, or canoeing at Wekiva.
• Cooking for eating out. Take control of the food you put into your body. Even when you try to eat healthy at a restaurant, those “healthy” dishes may pack more calories then you intended. Cooking at home can yield healthier meals and a healthier wallet.
• Oil and balsamic for other dressings. Ever peek at all the ingredients in your salad dressing? Not sure what most of them are? Less is more so stick with a salad dressing of oil and balsamic. A great recipe is an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and a packet of Garlic & Herb spices.
• Toss out iceberg. Love eating salads? Pack your salad full of spinach and romaine lettuce to boost the nutritional value of your salad.
• Greek yogurt for sour cream. Amp up the protein and slash the fat by using Greek yogurt instead of sour cream.

Check out: 89 Simple Swaps that Could Change Your Life for the full list of simple changes you can make in your daily routine.

And if you’d like more information on how to lead a healthier lifestyle, make smarter food choices and lose weight, contact Calla Slimspa today!

We’ve helped thousands of local Orlando residents lose weight and keep it off with our medically supervised weight loss program. But don’t take our word, check out our real patient weight loss success stories.