Cultivating An Active Lifestyle

While many people may understand the plethora of benefits that an active lifestyle has to offer, living an active lifestyle can be hard to do. We know and understand the rewards of good sleep, exercise, and everyday activity but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we practice it! As they say – knowing is only half the battle. Finding time in your hectic work week, busy social schedule, or stay-at-home parenting duties to be active is a real challenge. It may seem nearly impossible but that couldn’t be farther from the truth! Cultivating an active lifestyle is something that everyone can achieve.

Changing your lifestyle is a family affair. Just imagine trying to be active in a house full of couch potatoes! It’s always more fun to enjoy your new active lifestyle with loved ones. Finding group activities that everyone in your family can enjoy is crucial to the success of your new lifestyle change. Local recreation centers are a great place to find fun activities for the whole family. Taking advantage of what your local rec centers have to offer is a great way to stay active, save money, and enjoy quality time with your family. Activities like organized sports, open gym time, ice skating, free exercise classes, and so much more are typically offered at recreation centers.

Another fun and easy way to enjoy an active lifestyle with the whole family is by finding the right outdoor activities. Camping is a popular family activity that promotes an active lifestyle. By spending all your time outdoors you and your family are forced to partake in healthy activities like hiking, swimming, and playing catch. When you eliminate technology you’d be amazed at what you can accomplish in terms of activity, exercise, and family fun! Natchez has amazing deals on camping and trail gear. Everything you need for a successful family camping trip you can find there. Check out this ammunition depot coupon from Natchez, great for parents who hunt!

Now that you’ve found fun activities that promote healthy living the next step is creating good habits. Building new habits can be tricky and breaking bad ones, even more so! Learning how to develop good habits is a useful skill that anyone can posses. Thankfully through the power of scientific research we’ve discovered ways to form good, lasting habits. One of these ways is by creating what’s called “behavior chains”. This strategy is founded on what’s called environmental triggers. Here’s how to create a behavior chain;

1. Select a part of your schedule or routine
2. Add the new habit into the schedule or routine
   1. For example: instead of thinking “I will work out more often” think “After I finish my schoolwork I will do a 15 minute yoga routine”
   2. This way it becomes a part of your schedule or routine instead of simply being an unspecified goal

Research shows us that building behavior chains is far more successful than simply relying on willpower. Creating new tasks that fit into your already established schedule is a surefire way to create a more active, healthy, and empowering life!