Looking for resources to help you get fit can be an intimidating journey. All you want is to improve your general health and fitness. But take a wrong turn and you can end up in a world of protein shakes, competition, and people who think it's funny to say "do you even lift?"


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Not everyone who wants to live a healthy lifestyle wants to take it so seriously that it becomes their whole life. And that's perfectly okay. You don't need to commit yourself to a special diet or celebrity exercise regime if you want to be healthier. There are many ways you can instantly start living a healthier lifestyle without it taking up all your time and energy. With a little willpower and motivation, you can get in shape around your routine.

Make a Healthy Meal Plan

Diets are so much effort. You have to watch what you eat so carefully; you can't eat this, and you need to get enough of that. Most of them only last for a short period, and if they work you often put the weight back on soon afterward. If you want to eat healthily, you need to make a change in the long-term. So make a healthy, balanced meal plan with some go-to recipes. Include things you can cook in a hurry, healthier takeout options you can grab when you don't want to cook, and allow yourself something naughty now and then. If you start to get bored of the same meals, go in search of new recipes. If making a meal plan is too much effort, just find one that someone else has drawn up.

Find Healthy Snacks You Love

We've all tried to swap out our snacks for healthier options; carrot sticks instead of chips, or a handful of nuts instead of cookies. But even when they taste good, they're just not as tempting as the stuff that's not good for us. To help you stick to snacks that are better for you, experiment to find things that you love. Try lots of different things, and when you find something you like, make sure to switch it up to keep it exciting. Planning your snacks in advance will help too.


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Schedule a Regular Workout

People often start their journey to fitness by trying to find the perfect workout. There might be better workouts if you want to lose weight in a particular area or build muscle. But if you want to improve your general health, you just need to get moving. Increase your chances of actually getting out and doing some exercise by scheduling it in your routine. For example, promise yourself you'll do three runs a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Look for something you enjoy too. If you don't like running, try riding a bike, joining a Zumba class or visiting your local rock climbing center.

Walk Sometimes

Are you guilty of taking your car, a bus or a taxi when you could probably walk? Many of us could spend more time walking than we do. Next time you have somewhere to be, think about whether you could leave enough time to walk. You don't even have to walk all the way to your destination. Drive or take public transport most of the way, and then use your legs to get you the rest of the way there.

Quit Smoking

Everyone has bad habits, but smoking is one of the worst if you want to be healthier. Even if you think you're fairly healthy already, you can discover you weren't as fit as you thought when you quit smoking. As soon as you give up, you can find that you breathe better, your blood pressure goes down, and you get sick less often. If you need help with quitting, there are lots of tools you can use. Try nicotine gum or nicotine patches to ease you off. Or try electronic cigarettes, available from White Cloud Electronic Cigarettes and similar retailers. E-cigs have become a favorite for many people wanting to quit, and there's some evidence that people who use them every day are more likely to stop for good. Of course, you can also try going cold turkey.

If you want to improve your overall health, you will have to put in some effort. But you don't have to give over your whole life to it. Once you've made some lifestyle alterations and managed to stick to them for a while, you've achieved your goals. It won't feel like effort after that; it will just be the way you live your life.