It has been said that it takes three weeks of repeating a specific action before it becomes a habit. After this time, the action takes less thought to initiate and less effort to perform. Basically, it’s like cruise control. As long as you continue to steer in the right direction, the pre-programmed car will take you where you want to go. In the same manner, establishing these healthy habits in your life will take much of the struggle out of eating and living well. Sure you will still have to put in some effort to initiate and maintain these habits, but after a while, your fitness plan will be on autopilot.
One of my habits that I’ve developed lately is regular exercise. 3-4 times a week I have an workout consisting of either a 3+ mile jog or an hour or two of Ultimate Frisbee. If I don’t get 3 running workouts a week I feel noticeably groggier. I’m also currently trying to create a habit of strength training. Since I’m actually in between gym memberships, I am trying to accomplish this through pushups and free weights that I have at home. For some reason this is much harder for me to establish than my running was. Maybe it’s because I have more fun when I’m out sprinting or jogging but I know that upperbody strength is much needed.
I’m also continuously working on my eating habits. Over the last two years I’ve made significant changes in my diet. However, once I achieved my goal weight, I became a little slack about what I put on my plate. Just because I’m no longer trying to lose massive amounts of weight doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be trying my best to eat well. For me this will mean drinking more water and having more fresh fruits and vegetables mixed in with my meals with a bunch of lean protein (like grilled chicken). I’m very thankful for the healthy habits that I have developed in the past, like my new found love of unsweetened iced tea, but I still have plenty of room to grow.
Are there any healthy habits you have established (or need to establish) in your life?
