Five Healthy Habits to Adopt Today

Healthy habits don't have to cost the earth or take up hours of your day. Making time for a walk, packing healthy snacks and taking time out to read a good book are little things that help keep the Prevention team in shape.

Here are our top 5 smart ways to live well.

1. Walk Your Way to Better Health

I always feel (and no doubt look) better after a walk. If I'm not feeling very energetic, I take a mindful, meditative walk and listen to the birdsong and rustling trees while I concentrate on my breathing. If I have energy to burn, I switch my iPod to the 'On-The-Go' playlist and walk for increasingly faster intervals—alternating between Stevie Wonder or Grace Jones for intensity, and Simon and Garfunkel or Rufus Wainwright to catch my breath. The music is so motivating; sometimes it's hard to head home.

-Charlotte Fish

Copy Editor

I've been slack with my exercise routine so I'm really trying to stick to a four times a week walking schedule to get me going again before summer. It's not a huge amount but I'd rather start by doing that and then build than take on too much and give up.

-Sue Wheeler

Editor-in-Chief

Since moving to Sydney in June, I walk almost everywhere—to work, to the shops, with my dog—so I probably get a solid 60 minutes of walking each day.

-Kasey Clark

Chief Copy Editor

2. Snack on Nuts

After doing Prevention's Flat Belly Diet! a year ago and making MUFAs (monounsaturated fats) a permanent fixture in my diet I haven't stopped snacking on nuts as part of my daily routine. When I get that 'must nibble' feeling and resist something sugary to have a handful of cashews or roasted almonds instead I'm always amazed that 15 minutes later I'm not hungry anymore. A small amount really fills you up—and they're so great for you.

-Sue Wheeler

Editor-in-Chief

I arm myself with Brazil nuts and apples while I'm at work so I don't hang out for cake o'clock—doesn't always work. Nuts.

-Jennifer Pinkerton

Features Editor

3. Don't make excuses

Exercise and medical check-ups are two healthy-lifestyle habits I never miss. In fact I'm almost obsessive about them these days. Skipping either can cause you harm in the long-run so you just have to grin and bear them.

-Karen Burge

Health Editor

I always make time to visit my doctor. Having had a health complication in the past, health is one thing I never take for granted. Without good health, I wouldn't be the mother, the partner and the worker I want to be.

-Amanda Goff

Beauty Editor

I always pack my gym bag the night before as a guarantee that I will exercise the following morning. When I open my eyes and see my gym bag sitting next to my bed ready to go it makes it harder to procrastinate or think up excuses of why it's too hard to exercise.

-Christina Sexton

Editorial Coordinator

I try to start off my week with some kind of exercise, even if I don't feel like it. It kick starts my Monday and sets the tone for the rest of the week.

-Nikki Price

Art Editor

I always make time to do a boxing class. With two kids, time is of the essence and taking out the frustrations out of the week out on a boxing pad makes me feel great.

-Amanda Goff

Beauty Editor

4. Take Time for Relaxation

I always start my day with 5 minutes of meditation. I know this doesn't sound like much, but I have realised that for me five minutes is the perfect time. All I do is shut my eyes and focus on my breath. It relaxes me and puts me in a calm state of mind before I begin my day.

-Christina Sexton

Editorial Coordinator

To relax, I make time to read quietly every day, often in the morning before starting what is sure to be another action-packed day and also usually before bed, to wind down.

-Kasey Clark

Chief Copy Editor

I like to unleash my inner geek by getting up half an hour early to read some non-fiction (at the moment, a great book called Sex, sleep, eat, drink, dream: a day in the life of your body). My mind is most awake early in the morning and it helps me switch on for the rest of the day.

-Jennifer Pinkerton

Features Editor

For me, yoga is the best way to prepare for the day. I recently bought a yoga mat and book of poses so that if I don't have time to go to a class I can roll straight out of bed and do half an hour of yoga before work.

-Donna Kilby

Online Editor

5. Make Plans

I always make sure I eat as many vegies at night as possible - I plan ahead by buying frozen vegies as it's easier. Eating lots of vegies gets in all the goodness ... and makes me feel better about splurging on other nights!

-Nikki Price

Art Editor

I always plan my meals the night before. I make sure I pack a filling breakfast, a healthy lunch and enough snacks to see me through the day—without an afternoon chocolate run.

-Donna Kilby

Online Editor

My most important healthy habit is list writing. I note all the things I wish I was doing more of (exercising, eating fish, writing to friends, flossing etc.) to remind me of my goals. I consider it a small victory to have penned one list a day, and a triumph to achieve anything on the list. My priorities change daily, but the themes are consistent: to be a healthier, fitter person, a better friend and daughter, and to be more informed about the world in which I live. If I get a swim into my day, or remember to take my multivitamin; if I call a girlfriend, listen to the news or skip the afternoon chocolate bullets, it is a good day. My lists are my conscience, trainer, dietitian, and life coach—they are my rock.

-Sam Gibbs

Writer/Researcher

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