10 Tips and Tricks to Help You Live a Healthy Lifestyle

Keeping hydrated is key to being healthy, and having energy. In addition, drinking water before meals can help curb portion sizes, because it makes you feel fuller before you've eaten. Nevertheless, don't overdo it. Don't exceed 2-3 Liters per day depending on physical activity and weather to avoid negative effects.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is for you. It builds your self-confidence, boosts your happiness, and gives you a sense of fulfillment. So why should you do what others prescribe? Do your research, see what worked for others, and adapt those things to your personal needs and circumstances. Don't just blindly imitate other people's strategies, because if you don't own it, you won't be motivated to do it in the long term. Do what you enjoy and what is useful to you!

Having set days where you do sports, go to the gym, or do workouts at home, is the best way to keep at it. Just like you have meals at regular times, go to work at regular times, exercising at regular times makes it seem normal, and you won't be tempted to skip it.

I know, I know, we all have problems with sleeping enough hours (I say while typing this up at 2 am)... But we have to try. Because when you don't sleep enough, a load of stuff goes wrong with your body. You feel sluggish, you can't focus, your skin breaks out, you get hungrier... And no one wants that, right? The appropriate amount of sleep varies per person, but you feel it when you don't get enough. Then just get more.

Nothing to it, really. There's absolutely no need for you to just eat greens day in, day out. If that's what you want to do, cool, but if it's not, don't do it. Just try to eat different types of food throughout the day. If you're having pasta, have some chicken and some veg with it. Then, have some fruit as a snack, and maybe a salad with smoked salmon or egg in the evening. Simple, right? There's no need to follow a meal plan if you just take care to vary your food! But if you have no idea how to and you want to follow a meal plan, do it!:)

What's your goal? Think long term. What do you want to be like when you're older? Healthy, fit, able to travel and walk around without assistance? Or do you just want to look really good? Whatever it is, make sure it's YOUR goal. It's nobody else's business why you're losing weight, trying to get fit, getting fitter, staying healthy, etc. Just yours. And if you make your goal personal, no one can stop you from doing it, and you'll keep being motivated.

Give your body regular breaks. This helps avoid injuries as well as giving you a chance to rest, evaluate your progress, and re-energise. It's important to take breaks because you risk burning out if you don't.

Having the right sports equipment is crucial, because you're much more likely to get injured if you're using low-quality or the wrong stuff. Think of it as an investment: you're way less likely to get injured (reduced medical bills), it's going to last longer (save money in the long term), and you're more likely to use it often! The right equipment also makes exercising more enjoyable because you feel more comfortable.

You don't have to work out at the gym every day to get fit. Go wandering with your friends at the weekend, swim at the lake or at the pool when it's hot outside, go for a walk in the city to explore new places, just participate in as many activities as you can! There are so many things that get you moving without you even realising it! Even things like window shopping (or real shopping if you have the money) get you moving and keeping fit.

This is the one weight loss guideline that I try to stick to as much as possible. I've found that, as long as you eat a varied diet, what you eat isn't nearly as important as how much of it you eat. Just try to listen to your stomach and stop when you don't feel hungry anymore. You yourself know when you're stuffing yourself just to finish that delicious piece of cake or whatever it is you're having. You know it! Just don't do it. You can have the yummy food, just don't overeat.