5 Things Healthy People Do That Make Them More Successful Than You
Healthy lifestyles come in different shapes and sizes. But whether you’re a regular on the Spartan course or a rookie in the gym, there are certain things that generally healthy people do each day to lead a healthier, happier life.
If you don’t know where to start, we’ve got you covered. Here are five things healthy people do every day that you can easily incorporate into your daily life — starting now.
Things Healthy People Do That You Don't
1. They Exercise No Matter the Weather
Healthy people don’t wimp out on their workouts. Come hail or heat, they take their commitment to their health and fitness seriously.
Related: 5 Reasons You Need to Exercise Outside This Winter
“No matter the time of year, nor if it’s raining or snowing, you still find a way to work out,” Brooklyn-based personal trainer and Spartan SGX coach Morit Summers says. “If you’re a runner, you gear up if it's cold out or you find a gym. You don’t make excuses. You find a way around the barriers to make it happen.”
2. They Schedule Sleep
The benefits of a good night’s sleep are no secret, but many of us still sidestep a regular eight-hour slumber, and often for nothing more than surfing late-night TV or scrolling through social media.
Healthy, disciplined people don't. They know that a lack of sleep can lead to bad moods, fuzzy brains, high blood pressure, and a compromised immune system.
And if you're in training, research has also shown that slacking on proper sleep can interfere with muscle and central nervous system recovery.
Related: Want to Be a Great Athlete? Here Are 7 Ways to Start Sleeping Like One.
3. They Fuel Up
Healthy people ditch dieting and eat for energy.
“Many people claim they forget to eat or don’t have time,” Summers says. “But in order to be active, you must have fuel in your system.”
Sure, you're busy, but regularly running on empty is an unhealthy habit to cultivate. Studies have shown that those who frequently skip main meals of the day are more likely to be overweight, and it can even increase risks of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.
But if you often get to the end of the day and realize that you’ve forgotten to feed yourself, do as the healthy people do.
“Actively schedule eating into your life to make sure you always have fuel in your body,” Summers says.
4. They Stretch
Whether it’s being hunched over our work desks and digital devices or slumped on the sofa binging on Netflix, the modern American lifestyle encourages sitting down for lengthy periods. But this can lead to bad posture, chronic back pain, and a decline in range of motion.
Related: How to Unleash Your Inner Spartan If You Work at a Desk All Day
One way that healthy people combat this is to stand up and stretch. Recent research from the Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul, in São Paulo, Brazil, revealed how stretch breaks in the work setting can improve flexibility and grip strength, and reduce musculoskeletal complaints.
And according to Dr. David Behm, professor of sports medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland — and author of The Science and Physiology of Flexibility and Stretching — even stretching for as little as five to 10 minutes per day can pay off with a positive difference in your mood, muscles, and ability to move with ease.
5. They Get Out of Their Comfort Zones
One of the most important things healthy people do every day is venture outside of their comfort zone. Whether this involves learning a new skill or signing up for something that scares them — like a Spartan Beast when they’ve only ever run Spartan Sprints — doing something that scares you helps you grow as a person.
“In order to really overcome stressors, we need to learn that we can handle the discomfort that we experience when confronting that stressor,” Dr. Patrick McGrath, an expert in anxiety and OCD and the author of The OCD Answer Book, says.
Related: Here's Why Having a Little Bit of Anxiety Is Actually Good for You
According to McGrath, facing down your fears — or moving beyond perceived limitations — can help you become more confident, more content in yourself, and better prepared for any new and unexpected changes in your life.
