5 Good Habits To Take Up For A Healthy Daily Routine

26 August, 2022

A healthy daily routine can help you to live a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life. But just what is a healthy daily routine? And how can you start one?

If you’re not sure exactly what a healthy daily routine looks like or how to go about creating your own, you’ve come to the right place.

In this article, we’ll be looking at five key lifestyle changes you can make to set a healthy daily routine, as well as the benefits that each good habit brings.

1. Start each day with breakfast

One of the first things you can do to follow a healthy daily routine is to start each day with a healthy, balanced breakfast. Skipping breakfast can leave you low on energy, slow your metabolism down and affect your body in all sorts of ways.

Ideally, you want to aim for nutritional breakfast foods that are rich in fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals that can give your body everything it needs to get going and work well throughout the day.

Unhealthy options like pastries will just fill you up with sugar and saturated (bad) fats with zero health benefits. Instead, try to incorporate a range of nutrient-rich foods into your first meal of the day — such as fruit, wholegrain breads and cereals, eggs or yoghurt.

Nutritional supplements such as SUSTAGEN Hospital Formula can also help to add more nutrition to your breakfast if your nutrient intake is low. You can mix this specially formulated mix into recipes like omelettes (though be sure to use the neutral flavour) or breakfast bowls, or add super smoothies for a nutritional addition to your meal.

To find out more about the most important meal of the day, head to our ‘Why is breakfast important?’ article.

2. Move your body

An important part of any healthy daily routine is exercise.

The health benefits of exercise — both physical and mental — have long been recognised, but it really is important. Regular exercise can help you to lead a longer, healthier and more fulfilling life — and help reduce your chances of chronic illness.

The Australian government recommends at least 30 minutes of exercise on most (preferably all) days for over 65s, so try to hit this target if you can.

It’s up to you how you spend this time. You could head to the gym, do some gardening, take part in a dance class, go for a swim or walk your dog. The important thing is to find an activity that works for you — and that you enjoy. You’re much more likely to stick to a daily exercise routine if you’re having fun.

3. Use your brain

It’s not enough to get some physical activity in during your day — you need to work your brain as well!

Staying mentally active is important, particularly as we get older. Various age-related changes can affect the brain, such as problems with our memory, and certain neurological disorders, such as dementia, become more common with age.

However, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your mind sharp. In particular, doing something fun or creative uses certain parts of your brain and can help keep it in tip-top condition.

Here are some activities you can do to improve your mental fitness and workout your brain:

Playing logic or word games such as crosswords, sudoku or chess
Learning a new language
Socialising with friends and family
Writing a diary or journal
Taking part in quizzes, or question and answer games
Learning to play a musical instrument
Take up a new hobby that uses fine motor skills, such as knitting, drawing or painting

Even an everyday task like cooking is good for your brain because it uses different skills, such as problem-solving, memory, fine motor skills, organisation and multi-tasking. In particular, learning new recipes is a great mental workout.

4. Factor in some downtime

Taking some time to relax during the day can help you to de-stress, tackling health issues such as anxiety and high blood pressure.

There are a number of ways you can slow down and unwind. Find something you enjoy and find relaxing — whether that’s reading a book, listening to music, or sitting in your garden.

Some people find that meditation can help reduce stress and promote wellbeing. There are all sorts of different ways to meditate, such as mindfulness, guided meditation, breathing exercises, yoga and positive affirmations. There is no right or wrong way to meditate, so take your time and find techniques that work for you.

If you don’t like the idea of meditation or you’ve tried and you feel like it doesn’t work for you, just take 10 minutes each morning to sit down in a quiet setting with a cup of tea or coffee. Remove any distractions — such as your phone — and take a moment to relax.

5. Practice healthy sleeping habits

We all know that getting our eight hours a night is important, but many of us don’t hit that target for a variety of reasons.

Practicing healthy sleeping habits, such as a bedtime routine can help us achieve this. A good bedtime routine can reduce stress and anxiety, which can promote good quality sleep, reduce insomnia and help you fall asleep faster.

Here are a few tips to follow for a healthy nighttime routine:

Go to bed at the same time every night: sticking to a routine helps your brain recognise when it is time to start winding down and get ready for sleep. This can help to reduce late-night stress and worrisome thoughts (which can impact sleep quality and cause insomnia).
Stay away from screens: your smartphone, laptop, and other electronic devices that emit artificial blue light trick your brain into thinking it is still daytime, keeping you up at night.
Take a bath: a warm bath will relax you before going to sleep, preparing your body for bedtime.
Drink a bedtime tea: soothing herbal teas that contain herbs like chamomile or lavender can help to calm your mind and naturally promote relaxation before bed. Avoid drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee or black tea in the evening — caffeine is a stimulant that can make it hard for you to fall asleep.
Create the ideal sleeping environment: keep your bedroom cool, dark and quiet to promote sleep. Use blackout curtains or blinds, set your aircon or turn on a fan, and turn off any noisy devices (if there are noises outside of your control, use earplugs).

Following these steps can improve your nighttime routine and help you to get better sleep.

Add the above habits to your day-to-day life to create a healthy daily routine.

For more advice on healthy living, visit our nutrition resources hub. You can also browse our product range of nutritional supplements that can support a healthy daily routine and lifestyle.

SUSTAGEN Hospital Formula is a formulated meal replacement and cannot be used as a total diet replacement. Consume as part of a varied and balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.

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