Cris Welsh • January 16, 2018
Micro Habits For Macro Health
Here are 10 “microbehaviors” to keep your health goals on track.
Make goals that are specific, measurable, and achievable; enlist accountability buddies; create a plan for how you’re going to achieve them; be sure that they align with your values, and that they’re (at least somewhat) enjoyable; break them down into bite-sized pieces. Sound familiar?
That guidance is great, and can be helpful if you already know exactly what your goal is and how to achieve it. But what if you don’t know where to start, or feel overwhelmed by the prospect of making big changes to your lifestyle?
I have good news: there are some relatively minor tweaks you can make to your daily routines that can have an outsized impact on your health.
I call these “microbehaviors,” and they’re the perfect first steps toward forging long-lasting habits. Starting with these can help you build momentum toward bigger lifestyle changes you may want to make down the line. Microbehaviors are easier to adopt than other, more “traditional” health behaviors. Here are some behavioral reasons why:
- Planning fallacy: People tend to underestimate the amount of time things will take, and overestimate the amount of time they’ll have to dedicate to something. These microbehaviors can be done any time, any place, don’t require any advance planning, and can be completed in five minutes or less.
- Choice overload: There are about a zillion things you can do to improve your health, and it can be hard to know which ones to try. The list of microbehaviors I’ve curated for you below take the guesswork out of the equation.
- Endowed progress: How good does it feel to cross something off your list? With microbehaviors, you can give yourself this sense of accomplishment every day, multiple times a day, instead of waiting to reach longer-term, yearlong milestones.
- Habits and automaticity: These microbehaviors fold in seamlessly with things you’re already doing as you go about your day. No need to add a reminder in your phone, pack a gym bag, or buy any special equipment.
Nutrition
- Up your veggie intake by adding a handful of microgreens
- Drink more water by filling up a big jug with markings to keep you on track throughout the day, and keep it on your desk. The jug itself will serve as a reminder to drink, and the markings will serve as an accountability mechanism.
- Snack healthier by replacing a sugary or salty afternoon snack with a sour one. Fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, and kombucha stay good for a long time, so you can stock up and always have it in the house.
Physical Activity
- Gain strength with “exercise snacking.” A few times a day, perhaps when you find yourself mindlessly scrolling on your phone, do a quick “full body circuit”: 10-20 push-ups (on your knees is fine), 10-20 squats, and a 30-60 second plank. You’ll feel the burn and get all the benefits of moving your body, without having to change your clothes, wash your hair, or drive to the gym. If those movements aren’t accessible to you, try stretching as you’re able, or contracting a muscle group for a few seconds at a time.
- Get extra movement by taking the long way. Instead of grabbing the parking spot closest to the store, consider parking a bit farther away or getting off a stop early. Five minutes of walking here and there can really add up over time, bringing benefits like reduced joint pain, decreased cancer risk, and increased immune function, to name just a few!
- Stretch out with a three-minute circuit right when you get out of bed in the morning and right before getting into bed at night. Run through two series of cat/cow, downward dog, and forward fold, holding each for 30 seconds while taking deep breaths. After doing these three poses, you’ll feel taller, lighter, and more relaxed.
Mental Health
- Nurture your relationships by calling friends and family members while you’re doing other tasks, like driving to pick up your kids, walking to the metro, or folding laundry. Connecting with others, even briefly (about eight minutes seems to be the sweet spot) can reduce feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.
- Cut out the noise by performing a social media audit. People spend hours of our lives on social media, which has been linked to depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem. However, you have the power to curate your virtual spaces so they bring you joy. There are a few ways to do this, one of them being to unfollow any accounts that make you feel upset, anxious, or bad about yourself with the content they post.
- Re-center yourself with a one-minute breathing exercise when you return to work after a break. With feet flat on the floor and eyes closed, breathe in for seven seconds, hold for seven seconds, and breathe out for seven seconds; repeat three times. Simple mindfulness practices like this one can help reduce stress, improve your focus, and relieve anxiety—potentially even as much as medication.
- Protect your peace and quiet by setting your phone to “do not disturb” during working and resting hours. Most phones can be set to automatically do this during specified hours, so you don’t have to remember every day. You won’t miss the constant pinging, but you will almost definitely increase your productivity and focus. Just do it. Now. Go.
We’re living in a world where many people want to get healthier, but believe that they need to drastically change their behavior—and give up things that make them happy—in order to do so. We’re also inundated with information about different diets, workouts, and other healthy habits we should adopt, making it hard to know where to start.
The microbehaviors offered here are meant to be actionable, simple steps that you can easily take to get over that first hurdle and build momentum on a path toward your best health.
What are your favorite healthy microbehaviors? Let us know by sharing this post to your social media and tagging.
At Eaton Chiropractic we look at your body and your life as a whole. If you have a friend, family member or coworker who is looking to truly elevate their health have them give the team a call at 770-429-9733 for an initial consultation done at our expense. We are in network with all insurance, including Medicare and Kaiser.
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Many groups of centenarians (people 100+ year old) are living around the world today. Author Dan Buettner teamed up with National Geographic and sought out these groups and places, compiling his findings into two editions of his book, The Blue Zones. The title is what he calls the centenarian groups he found in the Barbagia region of Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica; Seventh Day Adventists of Loma Linda, Calif.; and Okinawa, Japan. With a team of medical researchers, anthropologists, demographers, and epidemiologists, the author searched for evidence-based common denominators among all of these places. He found nine things in common between the five groups: 1. Move naturally Emphasize incidental activities such as walking to work or school, cycling, walking when talking on the phone. Work in your garden or yard with hand tools rather than mechanical conveniences. 2. Know your purpose Have a reason for waking up in the morning. According to the author, knowing your sense of purpose adds up to seven years to your life expectancy. 3. Take it easy / banish stress Even people in the Blue Zones experience stress, but they’ve created routines to shed stress, whether it’s meditating, napping, or going to happy hour like the Sardinians. 4. Don’t over eat The Okinawans call it Hara Hachi Bu, and it’s a mantra that reminds them to stop eating when they’re 80% full. 5. Eat plants Beans are a cornerstone of most centenarians’ diets, with small portions of meat consumed five times per month on average. 6. Drink in moderation, if you choose Moderate and regular consumption of alcohol—1 to 2 drinks per day— is also a common theme among Blue Zone inhabitants. But only if this fits with your ethos—a group of Seventh-day Adventists in California abstain from alcohol and are still in a Blue Zone. 7. Belong to a spiritual community Denomination doesn’t seem to matter, but belonging to a spiritual community that shares beliefs was a common theme among Blue Zone inhabitants. 8. Put loved ones first Put families first, including investing in your children, committing to a partner, and keeping aging parents and grandparents nearby. 9. Stay social Build a social circle that supports healthy behaviors. Happiness is contagious.
Yoga is an ideal activity for the elderly population. One area where yoga can be particularly beneficial is in fall prevention. Yoga can improve balance and fall prevention in elderly peopleYoga can improve balance and fall prevention in elderly people. Falls are a major concern for the elderly population. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), falls are the leading cause of injury-related deaths among adults aged 65 and older. Falls can also lead to serious injuries such as broken bones, head trauma, and even death. This is where yoga comes in. Here are 5 yoga poses that can improve balance and prevent falls of the elderly. Yoga can help prevent falls in the elderly by improving balance, strength, flexibility, and overall physical fitness. Balance is a key component of fall prevention. Yoga improves strength and flexibility, which can help to prevent falls by making it easier for seniors to get up from a seated position or to catch themselves if they begin to fall. In addition to physical benefits, yoga also has mental and emotional benefits that can help to prevent falls. It helps to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, which can lead to an increased risk of falls. Yoga also helps to improve focus and concentration, which can help seniors to better navigate their environment and avoid hazards. Yoga asanas for better balance and fall prevention 1. Mountain pose (Tadasana) Stand with your feet and heels together. As you inhale, draw in your abdominals and exhale to relax your shoulders down and back. Take deep breaths while actively engaging your whole body. This will help the elderly in maintaining their posture. 2. Chair Pose (Utkatasana) Begin with your feet and heels together. Join palms in a Namaste gesture and lift up your arms. Bend your knees and slowly sit back like you would on a chair. Maintain your pelvis parallel to the floor and bend your knees at a 90 degree angle. Keep your back absolutely straight. 3. Tree pose (Vrikshasana) Begin with your feet and heels together. Lift your left leg and place the foot at the inner thigh of your right leg. If this is not possible, you can also place it at the ankle or calf. Join palms in a Namaste and lift up your arms. Repeat for the other leg as well. 4. Thunderbolt pose (Vajrasana) Gently get into a kneeling position on any soft surface. Sit your hip on your heels and arrange the big toes next to each other. Place your palms on your knees, straighten your back and look forward. Hold this position for 2-3 minutes. 5. One foot pose (Eka Padasana) Begin with your feet and heels together. Bend forward until you are parallel to the floor. Slowly lift your right leg up straight behind you. Your right leg, pelvis, upper body and arms should all form a straight line. Focus your gaze on a point at the floor to maintain balance Yoga can help seniors to live a more active and independent life. If you are an older adult, or know someone who is, consider incorporating yoga into their daily routine to help improve their overall well-being and reduce their risk of falls. At Eaton Chiropractic we look at your body and your life as a whole. If you have a friend, family member or coworker who is looking to truly elevate their health have them give the team a call at 770-429-9733 for an initial consultation done at our expense. We are in network with all insurance, including Medicare and Kaiser
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