Although it may seem like it, fit and healthy people are not just born that way with an innate sense of how to keep their bodies looking and feeling great. They have to learn, just like everyone else. The difference between the fittest people and those who just can’t get motivated to work out at all is the habits that are formed in their lives. Some habits are good, and some are bad, but all will have some kind of impact on your health. Here are the habits to quit if you want to be fit and healthy.

Being Sedentary

For many of us, a sedentary lifestyle is how we spent most of our days. We lie down all night, then get up and get in the car, or onto a train or bus where we sit down again, and in the case of those working a desk job, you will be sat down for the whole day. By the time we get home we’re usually exhausted by working all day, so may take it easy and be even more sedentary. All this sitting around is not good for our health; it causes issues with our circulation and our weight (which has a knock-on effect on everything else).

This sedentary way of living is a habit that needs to be broken if you want to be fit and healthy. That means going for a walk, a run, heading out to the gym, swimming, and doing anything and everything you can to get moving. This is especially important if you do sit at a desk all day. The more you exercise, the easier, and more enjoyable, it will become.

Poisoning Ourselves

Many of the worst habits that people pick up including smoking, drinking, and taking drugs, either prescription or illegal. Putting these products into our bodies on a regular basis is definitely not the way to keep fit and stay healthy. Our bodies will eventually rebel, shutting down and not working as they are meant to.

Quitting these habits can be difficult, but once it is done, you will be amazed at how much better you feel and how much more you can do when it comes to exercise and life in general. If you are finding it hard to quit drinking or drugs, speak to a professional at The Recovery Village Indianapolis (or somewhere similar) who may be able to offer a recovery programme to suit you. When it comes to smoking, vaping is often used as an alternative and many stores stock a variety of vape juice flavors, if that is your thing. 

Eating Junk

This is not far off the previous point about poisoning ourselves. It may not be as harmful as smoking, drinking alcohol or taking drugs, but in the longer term, a poor diet can have some pretty serious effects on your body. Of course, we all know that if we eat too much and do not exercise enough, we are going to put on weight, and being too overweight is not good for our bodies, but there are other side effects. Even if we are perfectly within our ideal weight range, we can still be very unhealthy on the inside. Our arteries can clog up, leading to an increased risk of a heart attack and various forms of cancer, we feel sluggish and lethargic (and therefore less likely to go out and do physical exercise) and our minds can be less sharp.

Junk food is absolutely fine, if eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Try to aim for at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, plenty of protein to keep you full for longer, calcium for strong bones and teeth and carbs. Limit the amount of fat and sugar in your diet, as well as salt. Do not forget to check the labels for hidden nasties – things like jars of pasta sauce can contain up to ten teaspoons of sugar. Where possible, try making your own and cooking from scratch.

Lacking In Self Confidence

Self-confidence is a huge element of looking and feeling healthy, fit, and most importantly, happy. When we are not feeling good about ourselves, it is easy to fall into a rut of staying at home, gorging on junk food and closing ourselves off from the world. While that might feel safe and good at that time – and we all need moments like that – in the long-term, it is going to damage both your mental and physical health. When you feel good, you will be out there, exercising, and will be more open to eating better and looking after your body in the way that it deserves.

Being Part Of The Group

Just because your friends and family are (or are not) doing something that doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. This habit of falling in with the crowd and agreeing to follow what everyone else is doing is something that can cause a lot of problems. If you know you want to go to the gym after work but everyone else you know is heading out to a bar, it can seem like the easiest path to take to just join them.

Breaking this habit and being your own person when you want and need to be is essential. Once you can forge your own path, you will be able to choose to do the things that make you healthier, including heading to the gym and not the bar, for example. It does not matter what everyone else is doing – what matters is what you do.