Habit Stacking in 6 Steps!

by Denise Austin |

Jan 25, 2024 |

Lifestyle

Hi everyone! If you are looking for small, simple, yet totally effective steps to a healthier and happier year, try habit stacking! It's shown that once you add a new mini goal to your daily routine, it can become habit after 30 days...so now is the time to try habit stacking! Below are six suggestions I have to help you get started with habit stacking!

When cooking dinner, fill up a glass with water and sip it while you cook. In fact, you can do this at every meal you prepare, for additional water intake throughout the day! This will help keep you hydrated, which is important for proper digestion, energy and even to help keep your skin looking plump and glowing!

While you brush and floss your teeth, do squats! Keeping your mouth healthy is important, especially as we age - plaque buildup is associated with heart concerns. So every time you brush and floss, do some squats to take your healthy routine up a notch! (And if you want to mix it up, try my other Fidgetcisers - tried-and-true ways to burn more calories and build muscle!)

When making a salad, stack in nutrient-rich extras. I love salad because it is light and offers up veggies filled with fiber and nutrients. If you want to make it even more nutrient dense and filling, add in beans (extra fiber and calcium!), nuts (protein!), a hard-boiled egg (omega-3s - if you opt for that type - and protein!), and a squeeze of lemon (extra vitamin C!). You will have loaded up on nutrients while enjoying what you eat!

When drinking your morning tea or coffee, write down your gratitudes for the day. Both coffee and tea offer health benefits (green tea has so many, and acts as an antioxidant!), make a goal to write down what you are grateful for. I like to do this in a basic notebook like this one, so I can easily go back and see how my mindset and mood progressed. Practicing daily gratitude can really be a perspective-shifter! A morning win-win!

When going for a walk, pick up the pace for 10 seconds every minute. If you would like to run, go for it, but even if you just go as fast as you can, so you are out of breath (pump your arms to take it up a notch!), this type of Interval Walking will help you burn more calories and fat, and is great for your cardiovascular health!

When getting ready for bed, lay out your workout clothes. This is part of my nighttime routine (along with making sure the lighting and temp in our bedroom is where we like it!), and it makes getting up and working out a no brainer! It really is a great way to encourage you to get up and do a workout so you can mark that off your day!

I hope these habit stacking ideas help you this year and onward!

Let's live FIT, HAPPY and HEALTHY - together!

Denise