Health recommendations can be daunting. For one thing, they often mean not-so-easy habit changes.
For example, if you are told a certain food is not good for you, it’s not so easy to cut back or stop eating it:
It’s likely a food you have enjoyed eating for a very long time.
It’s easier to continue eating the unhealthful food than to find something healthful to replace it.
It’s easier to not exercise than to exercise.
It’s easier to procrastinate than to get to a task you would like to attend to.
As I have written here countless times, the secret to making changes that stick is to break them down into small pieces and work on one at a time.
I recently read about two small changes that can improve your health.
As someone with a family history of Alzheimer’s, I am particularly interested in brain health. The New York Times wrote about a study that showed that even a 10-minute walk may be good for your brain. “Ten minutes of mild… exercise can immediately alter how certain parts of the brain communicate and coordinate with one another and improve memory function.”
That’s very encouraging for all of us—those who have an exercise routine, and those who do not. If you do not, use this as a small goal. Walk for 10 minutes a day for the 21 days it takes for create a habit. If 10 minutes is too much, start even smaller and work your way up to 10 minutes over successive 21-day periods. Then, build even further from there if you wish.
Another New York Times article explained: going to bed just a little bit earlier can measurably improve your memory, overall cognitive performance, ability to learn new information, metabolism, risk for heart disease and more.
Why not try one of these small changes for the next 21 days?
After you do, let me know how it goes…
Best regards,
David