15 simple steps to live better for longer
We think the best way to get the most out of your Good health for Life Wellness Journal is to spend 30 minutes setting your targets and goals. Xand’s goal is to lose a few pounds before the new Year, and Chris is following the nhS ‘Couch to 5k’ weekly plan (find it at nhs.uk) on his way to a half marathon in the spring. here are a few basic rules we follow (or are about to) to put us on the road to better health. these are the basis of the checklist in your Wellness Journal.
1CHARGE your phone in the kitchen. Doing this has changed both our lives — that’s because phones steal sleep and create anxiety. The blue light from the screen prevents sleep hormones from being released, while the possibility of using the internet keeps your brain churning. You’ll need to buy an alarm clock — and get your partner to move their phone away too.
2WEIGH yourself weekly, but be patient with weight loss — it’s slow. You can’t shed more than a handful of fat per day unless you’re on an Arctic expedition.
3WALK loads every day — 1,000 steps is better than 100, and 10,000 is better still. Humans are built to walk. We need to do it.
4GPs are an amazing resource, but use them wisely. You can safely start walking without an appointment. It’s dangerous to just sit around. It’s not dangerous to walk.
5MAKE sure you eat three meals per day.
6PLAN your snacks. If you need a boost, choose dried fruit and raw nuts (in small amounts — don’t go overboard) and ditch processed foods completely: abstinence is easier than moderation.
7DON’T drink any calories — no pop (fizzy or otherwise), no milkshakes, no sugar in
tea or coffee. After a week you’ll never look back.
8AIM for as much fruit and veg as you can: five-a-day is good, ten is better (vegans live for ages), and it should be more veg than fruit.
9ALWAYS use stairs, unless you work above the 20th floor —
then get the lift to the 10th floor and walk from there.
10DON’T eat in bed, on the sofa (apart from fruit), or when driving. Weight gain occurs when we’re sedentary and eating mindlessly.
11TRY to avoid alcohol. We all get a lift from the first drink, but even if you’re going to a special dinner with old friends, set a limit.
12GO A week or two without alcohol, or even a whole month. You’ll find you need it way less than you think. If you feel you don’t have control over alcohol, seek help (for further information see
nhs.uk/ live-well/alcohol-support).
13TAKE five minutes a day to sit still quietly with your thoughts. That time won’t appear — you have to create it.
14KEEP exercise really simple. Use our easy strength exercises to build muscle strength, and just do one movement well (see Page 30 of the Wellness Journal for more information). Pretty soon you’ll be doing ten, then 20. But do at least one every day: one press-up is so much better than zero.
15BOOK to see a physio if you’ve got an injury, and make the rehab exercises your strength routine.