Summer is the perfect time to work on new health goals. Take advantage of the warm, sunny days by getting outside and building habits to make you look and feel your best.
When it comes to finding healthy habits to integrate into your routine, find things that nourish you physically, as well as mentally.
Here are some key habits that are great to start this summer.
1. Stay hydrated
Although a task as simple as drinking water sounds easy, it’s often overlooked. However, especially in the summer heat, maintaining your body’s optimal hydration status is key to your overall health.
Good hydration allows muscles to work properly, nourishes skin, and helps maintain satiety between meals. Increasing your daily water intake can even protect kidney health and may help lower blood pressure (2).
Plus, dehydration can lead to tiredness and fatigue, so it’s important to drink plenty of fluids to combat sluggishness that may be stemming from inadequate hydration.
Beyond just drinking water, incorporating electrolytes can help bring your hydration status to the next level.
Nakedade is a great option for optimal hydration on the go. Simply add a packet of Nakedade to your water for a tasty flavor boost and essential electrolytes to help your body best retain fluids.
To work on staying hydrated, keep a large refillable water bottle with you throughout the day. You can even try adding a squeeze of citrus, sliced cucumber, or muddled berries to add flavor.
2. Move your body daily
It’s well-understood that physical activity is crucial to overall health. There is overwhelming evidence to support the benefits of exercise such as reducing risk for illness and disease, improving mood and energy levels, and supporting a healthy weight (3).
Summer is a great time to be outdoors and engage in physical activity. It’s the perfect time to enjoy long bike rides, walks with friends, a hike, or swimming at your local beach or pool.
Keep in mind that bad weather is not an excuse to be sedentary. If you can’t get outside for your exercise, consider exercises you can do indoors such as taking a fitness class, having a dance party, or finding an online aerobics class, for example.
Regular exercise habits can be difficult for many. Instead of defaulting to saying “I don’t have time to workout”, it’s imperative to make the time. When it comes to exercise and our health, we have to carve out time and prioritize regular engagement in movement.
Perhaps you commit to waking up 30 minutes earlier every day. With this additional 30 minutes, you can walk around your neighborhood, engage in strength training, go for a jog, or even practice yoga.
Maybe the first step is setting your alarm earlier and laying out your exercise clothes before you go to sleep.
3. Practice meditation
Introducing a regular mindfulness or meditation practice has the potential to reduce anxiety and improve your quality of life.
Research consistently shows that meditation reduces stress levels and increases creativity and efficiency (4).
Are you wondering how exactly you can start to add meditation into your routine? Many apps offer guided meditations that can easily be incorporated into your day. You can also simply sit still in a comfortable position with your eyes closed, and focus on your breathing.
Whether you commit to practicing meditation on your daily commute, during your lunch break, or you carve out 5 minutes each morning to meditate (as long as you’re not driving), consistency is key. Find a practice that works for you.
4. Eat a protein-rich breakfast
If there is one key nutrition tip you should know, it’s eating a protein-rich breakfast.
Breakfast-eaters tend to maintain a healthier weight and have more stable blood sugars, compared to those who don’t eat breakfast (5).
Plus, protein is important for satiety, so consuming a breakfast rich in protein can help prevent overeating and reduce cravings later in the day.
If breakfast is not currently part of your routine, consider finding a protein supplement to make your morning meal a no-brainer. With our strawberry banana protein shake, simply blend 2 scoops with water or your favorite milk for a quick and easy protein-rich breakfast on the go.
When starting a new habit, start small by adding an easy behavior to your routine. For example, leave your protein powder on your kitchen counter as your morning reminder to fuel your body with protein.
5. Get your daily dose of greens
Are you someone who always eats your vegetables, or do busy days cause your vegetable intake to fall to the wayside?
If you identify with the latter, make it a goal to always get your daily dose of greens.
Vegetables are vital for our health, as they not only contain many vitamins and minerals, but are a great source of antioxidants. The compounds found in vegetables can help support health and longevity, reduce inflammation, and help prevent disease.
Perhaps simply start by always adding a vegetable side with your dinner, whether you choose grilled zucchini or a fresh mixed green salad.
You may even choose to integrate a supplement to make getting in your greens even easier. Simply add 1 scoop of Naked Greens to a shake or smoothie for a nutritious blend of organic vegetables.
How to build a habit
When it comes to building habits, it’s important to do more than simply tell yourself that you are going to drink more water or eat more vegetables.
Research on the psychology of habit-formation suggests that behavior change must be small, specific, and consistent. Plus, it takes about 10 weeks of consistently engaging in a new behavior to form a habit (1).
The first step is deciding on a goal that you would like to achieve to improve your health. The next important step is choosing a simple daily action that will propel you towards your goal. Lastly, plan when and where you will do this action, and of course, consistency is key.
The following sections of this article will explain 5 healthy habits to start this summer, as well as tips and tricks to adapt these habits into your current daily routine.
Key takeaways
There are many healthy habits that we can incorporate to improve our well-being.
Regardless of what habits you choose to make a part of your routine, it’s important to make sure you are consistent with your efforts.
If you are looking for simple habits to start this summer, consider boosting your hydration, exercising daily, finding a meditation practice, eating a protein-rich breakfast, and consuming vegetables daily, as explained in this article.
Whatever healthy habits you choose to adopt, find a routine and a flow that works best for you to support your health both physically and mentally.
