Staying Committed to Exercise and Good Nutrition

It's easy to fall off the wellness track. After a long week of work, it's easy to opt for a Saturday nap rather than a jog or bike ride. Sometimes it feels like every time you're on a good run of healthy eating habits, a sports-watching party or night out at a restaurant sets you back again. Don't worry. Any day is a good one for refreshing your dedication to good nutrition and fitness. Begin by taking some of these simple steps:

• Map out how you spend your time over a week, including basic tasks (such as brushing your teeth) to discover when and where you can find chances to introduce new exercise routines.
• Try habit stacking: adding a new habit to an old one. Do jumping jacks while waiting for coffee or lift one leg to strengthen your core as you brush your hair. Habit stacking is helpful because you're not carving out time for new habits. According to a 2022 study reported by Harvard Health, even two-minute bursts of activity are good for your heart. Your kids may laugh watching you, but they won't laugh when you have more energy to play with them.
• Keep your fitness goals small and gradual. Don't aim for an eight-mile run when your longest fitness routine lately has been a walk to the mailbox. That will only give you cramps and a desire to never run again. Instead, take the slow and steady approach. The goal is to reach 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity each week, but don't begin there if you are inactive now. Even a few minutes of additional exercise a day will add up to significant gains over time if you keep increasing those minutes.
• Combine something you like with your fitness routine. Play tunes you love that no one else in your home can stand. Listen to a silly podcast. Watch a reality TV program or favorite sport while using resistance bands or marching in place.
• Try out some new healthy foods. You may have discovered that some nutritious foods are bland or not for you. That doesn't mean you hate them all. Try at least one new vegetable, fruit, legume or whole grain every week.
• Cut one unhealthy habit weekly instead of revamping your whole diet at once. For example, reduce the sugar in your coffee or put aside the saltshaker. See if you can keep that new routine in place for the next week, when you cut another unhealthy habit.
• Let yourself be inspired by the company of others. Eskenazi Health has free fitness and nutrition groups for patients (eskenazihealth.edu/programs/healthy-me). Even if you don't join in, consider finding a buddy who will work out with you or check on your progress.
• Give yourself a break. We all slip. One trip to your favorite fast-food restaurant doesn't undo all the good work you've already achieved. Breathe. Let it go. Get back to it.

The enemy of motivation is discouragement. Make reasonable plans and then celebrate each step you take in the right direction - I'll be doing the same!

Dana-Lynn Hiller, M.D., pediatrician at Eskenazi Health