The Journey to Healthier Living

June 17, 2016

The journey to healthier living isn’t an easy one. That said, it doesn’t have to be all that hard. Don’t force yourself into someone else’s healthy lifestyle. Find what works for you, and step by step you’ll become healthier and healthier.

Most people have that one exercise that just feels natural for them. It might still be difficult, but the movements come naturally, making the process easier and more enjoyable. I have a friend who can step out and run at any time. Depending on his physical condition, he might not make it far, but it’s natural for him. It’s not something he has to mentally pump himself up to do. For me, it’s pull-ups. Forget set workout routines. If I leave a pull-up bar hanging in a doorway at my house (preferably one I pass frequently), I can just stop and do some pull-ups every time I pass it. The hardest thing is remembering to stop and do them. Again, I can’t do many. Currently, I max out at six pull-ups, but that doesn’t matter. What does matter is that it’s a physical activity that I can casually do. Of course I look forward to being able to do 20 or 30 again, but for now, doing six is better than doing none. Healthier.

What physical activity comes naturally to you? Is it jumping jacks, lunges, crunches, jogging? Embrace that activity and let it become part of your daily routine. You can always step out of your comfort zone and try new things, but find your naturally activity and keep it as a sort of baseline. “If nothing else, I can do _________ today!”

I started off my morning by letting my puppy out to go to the bathroom. Then I kissed my wife who was already up with the baby. I kissed him too. On the way to brush my teeth, I passed my pull-up bar and did a set of six. Healthier. Then I got ready for work. Heading back to the kitchen, I passed the pull-up bar again and did six more. Healthier. When I get home from work, I’m sure I’ll end up passing it a couple more times, and just like that I’ll have done 20 or 30 pull-ups today. It won’t be in one set, but it’s a start.

At work, I sit at a desk for most of my day. More and more studies show that this is incredibly bad for you. So, I try to work in a break or two to stand up and walk around. Usually these breaks would include a quick drive to grab a soda. I’m not going to say I’ll never do that again. I will. But I can easily cut down the size of the soda and how many times a week I do that. Healthier.

Lunch is essential for me. Not just for the food, but the experience of getting out of the office and clearing my mind. I love restaurants and cafes where I can eat outside and enjoy our beautiful St. George weather. Usually, I drive to lunch, but today I decided to walk the three blocks from The Independent office to Twisted Noodle Café. Healthier.

I love walking places, especially in the center of town. Anytime I get in the car, I find myself feeling rushed. Traffic is never going fast enough. I always catch the red light. There is never anything good on the radio. When I drive during my lunch break, I find that I don’t actually start to unwind until I get to my destination, and I start to tense again as soon as I get back in my car. Walking, on the other hand, has always been peaceful to me. There is something about walking that allows me to slow my mind. I’ll get where I’m going when I get there, no rush. Plus it gives me some extra vitamin D.

Once I got to Twisted Noodle Café, I scanned the menu and decided on the dish of their namesake “The Twisted Noodle,” a creamy garlic pasta with artichokes, spinach, and sun dried tomatoes — ridiculously delicious! When you’re at a fast-food drive-through and they ask you if you’d like to upgrade to a large, do you find yourself blurting out “yes” and then immediately cursing yourself, “Damn! Well, too late now.” The same thing can work in reverse. When they asked me if I wanted white or wheat noodles, I forced myself to blurt out “wheat” before I had a chance to really think about it. Healthier. Of course, when I asked for a soda and they looked at me like, “Really, dude?” (They know that I’m there for this article) it was much harder to concede, “I’ll have a water.” Still, healthier.

When I get home, I already have a plan in place for my snacks. Usually, I would come up with some delicious but questionable treat like microwaving a bowl of marshmallows and chocolate chips. Not healthier. But, I’ve recently fallen in love with grapes. They may be the perfect St. George snack. Keep them chilled and you have dozens of little cold bursts of flavor to help you beat the heat.

Do you have a favorite healthy treat? I’d love to hear about it and the physical activity that comes most naturally to you. Feel free to answer in the comments.

Until Monday, remember that little steps are still progress on your journey to healthier living.