Exercise has so many benefits. Healthline sites the top ten as:

• It Can Make You Feel Happier. …

• It Can Help With Weight Loss. …

• It Is Good for Your Muscles and Bones. …

• It Can Increase Your Energy Levels. …

• It Can Reduce Your Risk of Chronic Disease. …

• It Can Help Skin Health. …

• It Can Help Your Brain Health and Memory. …

• It Can Help With Relaxation and Sleep Quality.

• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-exercise

You do not have to be a fitness fanatic or in good shape to reap the physical and mental benefits of exercise. Everyone should move their body at least 20-30 minutes per day, three to five days per week when possible. I aim for 30-40 minutes five times per week. The nice thing about exercise is there is not a one size fits all approach. You should do what feels good and keeps you motivated. I love Zumba and HIIT. My husband would not be caught dead doing Zumba. He does a mix of running and weight lifting. I will only run for exercise if chased! If you are just starting out, start out slow. You can always break up your workouts into two to three ten minute sessions per day.

Still don’t think you have time?…ok, well here are some other ways to fit in exercise:

• Take a 10 minute break twice a day from working and take a quick walk, or do some jumping jacks, jogging in place, push ups, jumping jacks etc..

• If you watch TV at night with the family, instead of sitting down the entire time, walk or run in pace during all of the commercial breaks.

• Kids need too much attention to workout…have them join you

• Take a family walk after dinner

• Instead of just watching your kids in the pool, get in and do some running or jumping in place

• Cooking, cleaning and running errands also count…but it is a stretch

To keep yourself motivated, make sure to change things up and do not always do the same workout.

Exercise goes hand in hand with a good diet. In fact, losing weight is 80% diet and only 20% exercise. I have heard lots of reasons why people do not eat healthy. One of the main reasons is that it is to expensive. Although eating totally organic or all protein and veggies can be expensive, eating healthy does not have to be. Also, think of how costly it is in the long run to not eat healthy. Illnesses are very costly. Small tweaks in your current diet can lead to big gains.

Medical News today sites these 10 benefits of eating healthy:

• Weight loss.

• Reduced cancer risk.

• Diabetes management.

• Heart health and stroke prevention.

• The health of the next generation.

• Strong bones and teeth.

• Better mood.

• Improved memory.

Here are some small tweaks you can make to your diet:

• Swap out processed foods for fresh foods – fruit and veggies instead of pastries, chips, cookies, bagels or pop tarts

• Increase your water intake – Aim for half your weight in ounces of water

• Not a fan of water? Add some flavor to it by adding fruit, cucumber, lemon

• Eliminate sugary soda and juices

• Cut down on Alcohol consumption

• Swap out sugary alcohol drinks for lighter, less carb, less sugar options – Spiked seltzer, vodka soda, whiskey

• Add in more fiber – Oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa, lentil pasta

• Add in more veggies – If you do not like veggies, look at my article on how to creatively add them in to your meals

• Put dressings on the side

• Eat healthy fats – Avocado, Greek Yogurt, Nuts, Olives

• Substitute leaner meats – make ground turkey tacos instead of ground or shredded beef

• Cook at home instead of going out

• Have one or two meatless dinners per week

• Cut down your portions – This is a huge problem for most people. Try smaller portions more time throughout the day

• Get a side salad instead of fries

• Don’t skip meals

• Lower your sodium intake

• Drink a glass of water before you put anything in your mouth. This helps to fill you up so you eat less and helps with your water intake

• Add fish to your diet weekly – Salmon is an excellent source of Omega’s

I have heard many people say that eating healthy means that your food will not taste good. This is not true. There are so many yummy, healthy recipes. Check out https://www.pinterest.com/. they have tons of great healthy recipes.

Here are some of my favorite Pinterest recipes:

https://diethood.com/roasted-garlic-parmesan-carrots/

https://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/361/Low-Carb-Squash-Au-Gratin88425.shtml

https://www.homemadeinterest.com/keto-chicken-gyro-bowl/?

https://reciperunner.com/everything-bagel-chicken-tenders/

https://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/sheet-pan-greek-meatballs/

https://www.plainchicken.com/bbq-ranch-grilled-chicken/

https://www.organizeyourselfskinny.com/banana-chocolate-overnight-oats/

https://livingwellmom.com/2-ingredient-banana-pancakes/

Now don’t get me wrong, I like a delicious unhealthy meal like everyone else. I just make it the exception, not the rule. I have one splurge meal weekly and one dessert. This may be pizza, ice cream, cheesecake, tacos etc.. This also helps me not to crave bad foods throughout the week.

Many people feel that eating healthy means that you have to spend a lot of time cooking. Here are some ways to save time:

• I take three hours on Sundays to food prep for the week and then all I have to do is heat the food

• I use my slow cooker a lot, as I can just dump ingredients into it and it does the cooking for me

• Air Fryers and instapots, make dinners in a snap

• Make a plan for the week and have all the ingredients on hand

• Use a meal delivery service

• You can still eat out or get take out, just make healthy choices

• Cooking at home will always be the healthiest option, but sometimes, you just do not have time. Don’t beat yourself up for ordering takeout.

In summary, exercise and a healthy diet are crucial to a healthy, happy life, both mentally and physically. You do not have to have lots of money, lots of time or be a fitness fanatic to accomplish this. Just move your body a little each day and try to make some small healthy changes to your current diet. It takes three weeks to develop a habit. So, don’t give up if it seems hard at the beginning.