Top 11 Habits For a Healthy Lifestyle

Introduction

Being healthy and fit isn’t a trend, it’s a lifestyle; and a good lifestyle is crucial not just for physical health but also mental wellness and quality of life¹. Unfortunately, nowadays, maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be difficult due to changing way of living, increased expectations, and expenses. Achieving our goals with shortcuts can be stressful and it may lead to an invitation for various illnesses and disabilities.   

Though various factors affect the quality of life, we can purposefully change our lifestyle & habits to live a more productive life. In this blog, we’ll share some tips for keeping a healthy lifestyle. Even these small changes in your lifestyle can impact your physical and mental health greatly.   

Good Habits for a Healthy Lifestyle

1. Move Your Body

‘The body thrives on movement. Keeping your body in movement can keep your bones and muscles strong. Regular exercise is one of the best and easiest ways to keep your lifestyle healthy. Regular exercise can help maintain weight, strengthen your bones and muscles, reduce the risk of getting diabetes, heart problems, and stroke¹.  
Current WHO and CDC guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, along with 2 days of strength training. This can be broken into 30 minutes, 5 days/week².  Moreover, just taking some simple steps in your daily routine like using the stairs, walking for errands or using public transport, can add up to the physical activity required for achieving your health goals. 

2. Eat Healthy Food

Apart from factors like genetics and environment, when it comes to lifestyle for good health, your diet plays a significant role. The habit of eating a balanced diet can help you maintain weight and keep good health. Your regular diet should include a balanced proportion of different fruits, green leafy vegetables, sprouts, pulses, whole grain, nuts, seeds and healthy oils. Your diet should be high in protein, fibres, vitamins, minerals, and low in meat, high-fat dairy, complex carbohydrates, sodium and highly processed foods³.   

Also, eating mindfully is important. Play attention to what you eat and how you eat your food. You should chew your food about 20-30 times to make it digestible.   

3. Don’t Skip Breakfast

Research⁹ suggests that having breakfast daily can help to boost your metabolism and keep your system healthy. You should include more dietary fibres, vitamins, minerals, and less fat and carbohydrates in your breakfast. Eating the right food can keep you energised and fresh and avoid cravings for unhealthy snacking.   

4. Drink Plenty of Water

Water is the soul of our body and drinking the required amount of water is essential for every cell, tissue, and organ of our body. Drinking water is always a better option than drinking other beverages. It is advisable to keep a small water bottle with you and drink water at frequent intervals to stay hydrated. For adults, about 2–3 liters (8–12 cups) per day is often cited, but individualized hydration is key⁴. 

5. Get Sound Sleep

Sleep is a crucial function of your body which helps to keep your body and mind stable. Sleep supports physical and mental health. It helps to restore the normal function of the body and recovers the nervous system.  

It is recommended to sleep for 7-8 hours daily. Lack of sleep can lead to drowsiness, fatigue, loss of concentration, which directly affect your lifestyle. Chronic sleep deprivation can also lead to mood disorders (depression, anxiety), increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lowered immunity. Severe sleep deprivation can impair brain function, leading to confusion, mood changes, and even psychotic symptoms⁵. 

If you are having trouble getting sleep then read a book, listen to soft and calming music, try meditation, or seek medical attention.   

Restricting salt (less than 5 g or one teaspoon per day) and sugar (less than 30 g per day for adults) intake is a very important step in maintaining a healthy lifestyle to reduce the chances of high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and multiple other health conditions.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D. in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology

6. Avoid Stress

Stress can be a major cause of physical and mental illnesses. Stress can be a major causative factor for heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Live stress-free for a better life ahead. Try simple exercises, meditation, and yoga to relieve stress¹.   

7. Maintain Good Hygiene

Small habits like brushing your teeth or taking a bath regularly can not only aid in maintaining good health but also have positive effects on your mood as well as improve your social life.   

8. Limit Alcohol Intake

Alcohol is also a risk factor for some health issues, particularly those related to the liver. So, it is advised to consume in moderation. To be specific, women can drink 1 drink per day and men can have 2 drinks per day⁶. However, it’s important to note that no level of alcohol is considered completely “safe”. The safest choice for health is to avoid or minimize alcohol intake  

9. Stop Smoking

It is crucial to stop smoking as it affects your health adversely. Smoking has been related to heart diseases, lung problems and even some cancers⁷. Though some may find it difficult to quit smoking but it is not impossible. Consult a cessation specialist if you are unable to do this by yourself. 

Yoga is best for good health. Yoga has been shown to have important psychological benefits, as the practice of yoga can help to increase alertness and positive feelings, and decrease negative feelings of aggressiveness, depression and anxiety.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD(Pediatrics)

10. Spend Time with Loved Ones

This is the easiest way to fill your life with positive vibes. Being around people who care for you and vice-versa brings laughter and joy. Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, which are hormones that elevate your mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Live, laugh & stay healthy!   

11. Prioritise Mental Health

Apart from managing your stress levels, taking care of your mental health is equally important as being physically fit. Mental health can affect your body and vice versa, making this one of the most vital healthy lifestyle tips. Mental well-being isn’t only about seeking help when problems arise; it’s also about proactively maintaining mental resilience⁸. A few things you can try: 

• Spend time offline, away from the internet and screens. Set time limits and don’t use your phone after that. 
• Challenge yourself with games, puzzles, new adventures or trying something new (like learning to dance or picking up an instrument). Not only will this keep you thoroughly engaged, but it can also keep your mind sharp. 
• Meditate as often as you can. Meditation has been shown in studies¹⁰ to reduce anxiety, lower blood pressure, improve attention, and promote emotional regulation . 

Also Read: 12 Ways How Avocado (Butter Fruit) Can Benefit Your Overall Health And Skin

Conclusion

Living a healthy lifestyle is all about making smart, everyday choices. Eat well, stay active, get enough sleep, avoid smoking and alcohol and take care of your mental health. Start small, stay consistent, and enjoy the positive changes along the way! 

References

1. Rippe JM. Lifestyle Medicine: The Health Promoting Power of Daily Habits and Practices. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2018;12(6):499-512. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6367881/  
2. Physical activity basics: CDC (Internet) https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/guidelines/adults.html 
3. Weber RM, Anand C, Koeder C, Husain S, Schoch N, Kettler C, Buyken A, Englert H. Healthy lifestyle changes can improve quality of life: the Healthy Lifestyle Community Program (cohort 2; HLCP-2). Journal of Public Health. 2025 Feb 8:1-5. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10389-025-02409-0 
4. Popkin BM, D’Anci KE, Rosenberg IH. Water, hydration, and health. Nutr Rev. 2010;68(8):439-458. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2908954/ 
5. Colten HR, Altevogt BM. Extent and health consequences of chronic sleep loss and sleep disorders. Sleep Disorders and Sleep Deprivation: An Unmet Public Health Problem. Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. 2006:55-135. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK19961/ 
6. The Healthcare Professional’s Core Resource on Alcohol Knowledge. Impacts. Strategies: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (Internet) https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/health-professionals-communities/core-resource-on-alcohol/basics-defining-how-much-alcohol-too-much 
7. Cigarette Smoking: CDC (Internet) http://cdc.gov/tobacco/about/index.html 
8. Barry MM, Kuosmanen T, Keppler T, Dowling K, Harte P. Priority actions for promoting population mental health and wellbeing. Mental Health & Prevention. 2024 Mar 1;33:200312.http://sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212657023000533  
9. Li ZH, Xu L, Dai R, Li LJ, Wang HJ. Effects of regular breakfast habits on metabolic and cardiovascular diseases: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021 Nov 5;100(44):e27629. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000027629. PMID: 34871228; PMCID: PMC8568444. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8568444/
10. Jamil A, Gutlapalli SD, Ali M, Oble MJP, Sonia SN, George S, Shahi SR, Ali Z, Abaza A, Mohammed L. Meditation and its mental and physical health benefits in 2023. Cureus. 2023 Jun 19;15(6):e40650. doi:10.7759/cureus.40650. PMID:37476142; PMCID:PMC10355843. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10355843/

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof. 

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