Of recent, I realised I have been frequently repeating these few words during my consult.
Consistency, Moderation and Spice up your life. Today, let’s talk about Consistency. Consistency to what? Health routine of course! Some patients may hear me say it too often, Consistency is Key!
Sustaining a healthy routine can be challenging, even I struggle it too myself. I constantly reminded myself again on my Goals when I slide off my routine for a while. Here are some tips to help you succeed:
- Set Clear, Achievable, Realistic Goals: Define specific, achievable health goals. Having a clear purpose will motivate you to stick to your routine.
- Start Small, but in all areas: Begin with manageable changes. Gradual adjustments are more likely to become habits than drastic ones.
- Create a Schedule: Establish a consistent daily or weekly schedule for your health activities, like workouts or meal prep.
- Find Activities You Enjoy: Choose exercises and activities you like to do, and not just doing what others are doing. What do you enjoy? Swim, Dance, Youtube Dance routine, Gym Classes, Hiking, Badminton maybe? When you enjoy them, you’re more likely to stick with them.
- Accountability: Partner with a friend, join a class, or hire a trainer to hold you accountable. Sometime you just need an annoying reminder to bug you, or perhaps a cheerleader to cheer you on.
- Track Your Progress: Keep a journal or use apps to monitor your progress. Seeing improvements can be highly motivating.
- Plan Meals: Prepare balanced, healthy meals in advance to avoid unhealthy food choices. Not all meals if your daily schedule or arrangements at home are not suitable, but at least try to have one healthy balanced meal a day.
- Stay Hydrated: Drink plenty of water throughout the day to stay hydrated and maintain energy levels. Like I mentioned before, water is the cheapest most available Supplement! Never runs out of stock.
- Prioritize Sleep: Ensure you get enough quality sleep as it’s essential for recovery and overall health. Many of my patients took this for granted not knowing its importance.
- Manage Stress: Incorporate stress-reduction techniques like meditation or yoga into your routine. Even talking about your stress helps, find a good listener. Having Me-Time on daily basis, or at least during stressful periods help. A cup of (hopefully no sugar) coffee works wonder for coffee lovers, a hot shower, an episode of K-drama may get your mind off for a bit. Infact a short 20 minutes nap may just do it.
- Be Flexible: Life can be unpredictable. Accept that there may be setbacks, but don’t let them derail your entire routine. Adapt and keep going. We are human after all. Don’t dwell or stress about it if you miss your routine. No biggie, carry on!
- Celebrate Milestones: Acknowledge your achievements, no matter how small. Rewarding yourself can boost motivation. Have Reward days for doing such a great job for the past 1-2 weeks. Have something to look forward to. Enjoy your favourite food, with your favourite people. You earned it! Also, we need some colours in our life. Day-in day-out routine is so bleh!
- Seek Professional Guidance: Consult with a healthcare provider or a fitness expert to ensure your routine is safe and effective. Do serial checks on your health to motivate yourself to keep at it, or make changes as you go if the method is not working for you.
- Stay Informed: Keep learning about nutrition, fitness, and overall health to make informed choices. Knowledge is power. Get the information and tweak to your liking, your time-table and your capability. Get creative!
- Mindset Matters: Develop a positive attitude toward your routine. Believe in yourself and your ability to make lasting changes. Lasting changes peeps, we are talking about 2 years at least. If you can
- manage 2 years, 20 years is easy peasy.
Remember, sustaining a healthy routine is a journey, and there may be ups and downs along the way. The key is to stay committed, be patient, and focus on long-term health and well-being.