The phrase 'healthy lifestyle' is an abbreviated definition of how you should live if you want to get the healthiest body you canone that both looks good and feels good. You know the obvious behaviors that describe someone who is healthy and takes care of themselves. A healthy person doesn't smoke, tries to maintain a healthy weight, eats healthy foods with plenty of fruits, vegetables and fiber and, of course, exercises on a regular basis.

Then there are other elements to add to the list. A healthy person also knows how to manage stress, gets good quality sleep each night, doesn't drink too much, doesn't sit too muchbasically, does everything in moderation all the time. When you look at everything that could possibly go into a healthy lifestyle, you can see just how hard all of those things are in our current world.

The good news is, you don't have to change everything at the same time. In fact, the trick to healthy living is making small changestaking more steps each day, adding fruit to your cereal, having an extra glass of water, or saying no to that second helping of buttery mashed potatoes. One thing you can do right now to make your lifestyle healthier is to move more.

You know you need to exercise, but there are many excuses not to do it. You're too busy, don't know where to start, you'renot motivated or you're afraid you'll injure yourself.

Maybe youthink exercise has to be really hard or it isn't good enough.

Whatever definition you have about what exercise is or isn't, the bottom line is that exercise is movement. Whether it's walking around the block or running a marathon, thatmovement is exercise and every time you move more than you normally do, it counts.

It's great if you can spend time exercisingmeaning you're sweating, working in your target heart rate zone,or doing something to strengthen your body. But it doesn't always have to be that way. Moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking can make a difference.

The great thing about moving is thatjust a few minutes a day can have lasting benefits, many of which you may not even be aware of.

Just some of the benefits include:

Even if you opt for small changes and a more modest weight loss, you can see the benefits are still pretty amazing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that if you are overweight, reduction of 5 to 10 percent of your total body weight can help lowerblood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.

In fact, you don't even have to have a goal to lose weight, especially if you have trouble sticking to a program.

Why not focus on being healthy to start and worry about the weight loss once you've got some healthy habits under your belt?

You can start the process of being healthy and now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you're not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older. You already know about the food groups and the fact that you should eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. You probably have a list of things you know you should do for a healthier diet but, again, making too many changes at once can backfire. Going on a restrictive diet may make you crave the very foods you're trying to avoid.

Another approach is to look for ways to make smaller changes each day. Just a few ideas for changing how you eat include:

Creating a healthy lifestyle doesn't have to mean drastic changes.Making small changes in how you live may seem like a slow process, and it is. You may adapt to change better when it doesn't require you to overhaul your entire life. Just pick one thing and work on that one thing every day, letting the rest of your life and habits stay the same. You may be surprised that those small changes really can make a difference.

Sources:

Losing Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html.

Physical Activity for a Healthy Weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html.

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Simple Ways to Live a Healthy Lifestyle - verywellfit.com