When it comes to your health, real change doesnt happen overnight. It consists of making smaller lifestyle changes along the way, seeing in what ways you can break harmful habits to contribute you your overall health. Looking at it from this perspective, living a healthier lifestyle is much more achievable, and can be accomplished with enough discipline.

There are plenty of things that prevent us from taking these important steps; it could be a complete unwillingness, someone else influencing our decisions, or you simply just have no idea where to start? Whatever the case, overcoming this should be a priority and taking steps to improve your health should never be ignored. So what are the best ways to improve your health long-term?

Smoking

Cutting out smoking is one of the smallest yet most effective changes you can make for your health. Not only will cutting out cigarettes hugely improve your well-being, but also the well-being of those around you, as we now fully know the dangerous effects of second hand smoke.

Unfortunately, there is no guaranteed way of kicking the habit. Some find it most helpful with the assistance of nicotine gum or patches, where-as others choose to go cold turkey and cut themselves off completely. Another new method for quitting is with the help of e-cigarettes; although these provide effective relief from smoking, the side-effects of these new devices is not fully known yet.

Sleep

Getting a good nights rest can impact us in more ways than most people assume. How well-rested we are largely influences how well we can concentrate and focus on tasks, how well we deal with stress, and even how effectively we can control our appetites. Without adequate sleep, we are continuously out of balance and it is almost guaranteed to have a knock-on effect on many other aspects of our lives.

To ensure you are getting enough sleep, aim to catch between 7 and 9 hours of full-on sleep, preferably without any kind of distraction or disruption. In the age of smartphones, many people also fail to get enough sleep on account of being glued to their screens all night; put down the phone and avoid stimulating your brain too much whilst in bed, as it will end up keeping you awake for far longer than intended.

Exercise

Exercise is an essential part of maintaining a healthy body. Try and exercise every single day, whether its a full blow work-out or just a 30 minute walk to work each day, every bit will help towards your goal. If youre finding it hard to motivate yourself, it might be better to join a weekly class. This will divide your work-out into more easily manageable chunks, as well as provide a source of positive encouragement from both your trainer and classmates.

If youre going to be exercising regularly, you must also take care of yourself and make sure you dont overburden your body. To avoid this, dedicate some fitness time to a full post exercise recovery routine, such as stretches and massages, after each work-out. This will help your muscles recover adequately and ensure you can continue regularly exercising.

Diet

Diet is arguably the most important aspect of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. If you havent yet, introduce some fruit and veg into your diet to see the most improvement in your health; around 5 portions a day should be sufficient, as well a varied mix of nutritious, energy-boosting lean proteins and whole grains.

Whilst you should aim to be strict in whats included in your daily diet, a treat every so often is not going to cause much harm, and will help to keep your motivated. If you are consistently eating well, you should find your consumption of snacks such as these limiting itself as time goes on.

Repeat

Combining these elements to achieve a healthier lifestyle also requires one more thing; persistence. Without any perseverance, you will most likely fall into the same bad habits and not be able to maintain your lifestyle changes. Avoid making this mistake at all costs, as it could negate all the hard work youve already done.

To avoid this, you need to find some kind of important motivation to ensure these routines are kept up, as well as to make your end goal more achievable. Always remember that making these seemingly large lifestyle changes is all about changing your attitude, and you always will have the power to improve yourself.