10 easy-to-implement lifestyle changes for healthier living
Key Takeaways
The phrase healthier living is likely to call up certain images in your mind: meals that look like they’re meant for rabbits, never-ending torture on cardio machines in crowded gyms, and hours of monk-like spiritual practice. Nobody — especially doctors — has time for that.
But as we’ve highlighted before on this blog, you can make meaningful change by making better choices more often. Making major changes can unlock a healthier life, but they often are not sustainable. You accomplish meaningful change over longer periods of time by making smaller, positive choices into habits. What follows are 10 of those choices: easy-to-implement lifestyle changes that will help you live a healthier life.
Sit less
Is sitting the new smoking? The jury is still out on just how bad sedentary living is for us, but a recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology makes it clear that it isn’t good. The study found that sitting is linked to a higher mortality risk from all causes.
All of that time spent rounding on patients is actually a blessing in disguise. But for doctors who spend an uncomfortable amount of time behind a desk, perhaps consider switching to one that adjusts between sitting and standing. Also, consider logging more time on your feet after hours. Maybe watch a little TV standing if you have to. Sometimes you have to look a little weird to be healthier, doctor.
Move more throughout the day
Any physical therapist will tell you that movement is great medicine. Unfortunately, many of us get our daily dose of movement when we go to the gym — if we get it at all. There are tangible benefits, however, to getting small doses of movement throughout the day.
The physical activity guidelines issued by the American Medical Association say that adults require 150 minutes weekly of “vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity aerobic activity.” That breaks down to a little more than 21 minutes daily. To help meet your goal, take the stairs at every opportunity, walk or bike to work if possible, and work in one of these quick, gym-free workouts.
Listen to music
The feel-good state that music creates is undeniable, and so are the documented health benefits. Looking for a short, cognitive-enhancing boost? Try Mozart, this famous study suggests. Feeling anxious? This study shows that music has the ability to allay feelings of nervousness. Elderly cataract surgery patients said they felt more at ease with the elective procedure if they were listening to some tunes. It seems that music may even help with chronic pain. One study suggests an analgesic effect. Something to consider in this era of opioid dependency.
Limit screen time
Prior to the advent of the electric light, our sleep pattern followed the rising and setting of the sun. While electric lights have been a cornerstone of scientific and medical progress, they’ve also been a major source of sleep disruption. This study shows how room lighting suppresses the production of melatonin — a hormone responsible for sleep onset. Many of us are exacerbating this problem by staring into blue light-emitting smartphones and laptops late into the night. This study looked specifically at the blue-light spectrum emitted by smartphones and found that those who filtered out blue had higher melatonin levels than those who didn’t.
Doctors wishing to get to sleep faster would do well to put their phones away for the evening. If you can’t break your phone addiction, purchase a pair of blue-blocking glasses to get by.
Be more grateful
Gratitude has proven benefits for physical and mental health. This study, published in Personality and Individual Differences, found that grateful people experienced less pain and self-reported higher levels of happiness. Also, a series of University of Kentucky studies showed that grateful people tend to be more empathetic and less aggressive.
Want to cultivate some gratitude in your life? Write down three things you’re grateful for daily. There’s even a journal for that, if you’re the journaling type.