Whether you’re looking to improve your diet, get more active, or practice mindfulness, embracing a healthy lifestyle can often be challenging.

Fortunately, there are some basic strategies to help you break out of old patterns and adopt new health-conscious habits. Plus, with the beginning of a new year, it’s the perfect opportunity for a fresh start.

Below, we’ve compiled five top tips to help you embrace an overall healthy lifestyle. Read on and find out how to get started.

Get moving – even in small doses

According to the Department of Health, adults should spend at least 2.5 hours per week completing moderate-intensity activities. Unfortunately, many people aren’t getting the recommended amount of exercise each week – especially as a large percentage continue working from home.

If you’re struggling to exercise, try to start small. Even with a quick morning walk around your neighbourhood or a few sets of lunges during your lunch break, you’ll likely notice an improvement in your mindset and be encouraged to keep going.

Ease into a healthy diet

Like physical activity, diet is another critical component of a healthy lifestyle. However, if you’re accustomed to eating foods that lack nutritional value, it isn’t always easy to overhaul your diet completely.

The good news: there are plenty of ways to ease into a healthier diet. For example, you can begin by incorporating nutrient-rich juices, smoothies, and juice shots into your routine. These products are a fantastic way to boost your essential vitamins and minerals without making immediate, drastic modifications to your dietary regimen.

Increase your water intake

When you don’t drink enough water each day, you may notice a decline in your physical and mental wellbeing. In fact, experts have found that even 1% dehydration can impact your attention span, mood, coordination, and mood.

On average, women require eight cups of water per day, whereas men need around 10. If you’re finding that you aren’t reaching these targets, it may help to set reminders throughout the day to monitor your intake. It could also help to have bottled spring water available in your home, office, and car so you can stay hydrated from anywhere.

Follow a sleep schedule

When life gets busy, sleep is often one of the first things you sacrifice to make time for other commitments. But in reality, getting enough sleep sets the foundation for everything else in your day, including work, exercise, socialising, and more. Without it, it’s hard to function at 100%.

For adults, eight hours of sleep per night is recommended – but 40% of Australians don’t achieve that. To get more restful, good-quality sleep, try establishing a nighttime routine that encourages you to relax, put away your phone, and go to bed at the same time each night. You can also ask your doctor about other options.

Cut down on caffeine

Coffee culture is huge in Australia, with many Aussies consuming multiple cups of coffee each day. Unfortunately, drinking too much caffeine – whether it’s from coffee, tea, or energy drinks – can trigger feelings of anxiety and make it hard to sleep.

If you enjoy the energy boost from caffeine but don’t want the adverse side effects, consider switching to a natural energy enhancer, like a protein ball.