Thank you to UnitedHealthcare for sponsoring this conversation. The ideas, thoughts, and opinions are all mine.
One of the main reasons people put their health on the back burner is that it feels too overwhelming.
Home-cooked dinners every single evening? Definitely don’t have time for that.
An hour of exercise seven days a week? Never gonna happen.
Drop twenty pounds by summer? Keep dreamin’!
We’re simply too busy and too stressed to overhaul our entire lifestyles in one fell swoop.
But here’s the good news: Major overhauls like that aren’t actually necessary to getting your life on the healthy track. Focusing on small, baby stepsโlittle changes you can incorporate one day at a timeโis not only more doable, but also more sustainable for the longterm.
That’s the message behind UnitedHealthcare’s We Dare You to Share campaign.
We Dare You to Share Campaign
The We Dare You to Share Campaign from UnitedHealthcare is encouraging people to take one small step every day toward a better life.
To keep you motivated and provide some direction, they have three particular steps they’re DARING you to take each month. For March, the steps are:
1) Share a photo of your healthy breakfast;
2) Take a short nutrition quiz; and
3) Share your opinion about a short video on food labels.
And to motivate you even more, participating in each DARE makes you eligible for some great prizes, like a $400 pre-paid gift card (the grand prize) or a $25 pre-paid gift card (the weekly prize).
That’s a pretty great reward on top of the health rewards you’ll receive! If you’re up for the challenge, just head to the We Dare You to Share website to complete your dare and enter to win.
Need some more ideas for how you can get healthier without revamping your entire life all at once? Try one or more of these 20 possibilities.
20 Small Steps to a Healthier You
1. Eat regularly. Skipping meals can leave you feeling so famished that you end up overeating later in the day.
2. Guzzle H20. The benefits of drinking water range from increasing energy to regulating appetite to improving digestion.
3. Overhaul your morning meal. Eating a healthy breakfast is so very important and will help keep you on track the rest of the day. (And remember to snap a picture of it for a chance to win $400! Here’s the one I submitted: protein-packed Greek yogurt mixed with high fiber cereal and banana slices.)
4. Take the stairs, choose a faraway parking spot, or walk the perimeter of that big box storeโanything to sneak in a few extra steps each day.
5. Eat out of physical hunger. Take steps to stop emotional eating.
6. Learn how to decode food labels. (Start with this simple video and be eligible for prizes!)
7. Get outside. Now that the weather is finally improving, try to get some fresh air three times a day for at least five minutes at a time. You’ll feel refreshed, more productive, and better equipped to make healthier choices.
8. Keep expectations about your weight realistic.
9. Make small, healthy swaps. Substitute olive oil for butter, plain Greek yogurt for sour cream, fresh fruit for candy, baked foods for fried ones, etc.
10. Commit to exercising for just 30 minutes a day.
11. Stay on track even on the weekends. Don’t use the fact that it’s Saturday or Sunday as an excuse to make unhealthy choices.
12. Get some extra zzzzzzz’s. If you’re not getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, try going to bed just 10 minutes earlier each night for a week and see how you feel.
13. Sit less, stand more.
14. Improve your nutrition IQ. (Test your smarts with the We Dare You to Share campaign and you’ll be entered to win a $400 pre-paid gift card.)
15. Decompress daily. Spend just a few minutes praying, meditating, or taking deep, cleansing breaths.
16. Snack wisely.
17. Use technology to reach your goals. Check out these healthy living apps for some great ideas!
18. Identify your true motivation. What is it about living a healthier life that’s appealing to you?
19. Try data-driven, research-supported solutions (like these inspired by Google Headquarters!) to navigate your biggest healthy eating pitfalls.
20. Refuse to believe you’ve ever “blown it”โbecause you haven’t! Instead, try this inspiring and easy-to-apply 5-word motto truly healthy people live by.
39 responses to “20 Small Steps to a Healthier You”
all very good ideas! 2 and 5 are words to live by for me!
It’s so hard to get enough sleep sometimes, but I’m going to try your 10 minutes earlier trick. Nice way to ease it in.
Exactly! 10 minutes sounds more doable than, say, an hour.
Some of these I’ve been actively doing and it helps a lot! I’m getting really good about drinking lots of water!
Such good advice! I was doing well, but now that the kids are out of school for spring break; I am so busy that I am not doing well anymore. I will have to make plans for summertime.
I have a standing desk (standing right now) and it works like a CHARM ๐
I really want to try using one!
I actually bought a breakfast in bed trey and put it on top of my desk! Works like a charm!
GENIUS! So simple!
So many people underestimate the value of drinking a lot of water. There are endless benefits!
It’s so true!
Thanks for this inspiration to becoming healthier. It’s true that baby steps can help you reach your goals.
Good simple tips! For someone needing to change their lifestyle, implementing these tips two or three at a time is the perfect way to go.
I’ll be honest, #2 drinking more water, is my biggest downfall. These are great tips. I really appreciate them!
These are great steps. I have started going upstairs to grab things, rather than asking the kids to do it. I also walk the whole store when I go in, whether I need something or not. It is a great way to see new things and get some steps in.
Those are both such great ideas!
these are all wonderful tips now I just need to follow them a little better.
Great tips here and now to just put them to practice – thanks for the boost
I think slow and steady wins the race. Taking it in small steps like adding water and then eating less fats, etc. will help with being successful.
I am adding healthier practices to my life regularly. I like the idea of changing something daily. Today I choose life and to speak positively to myself.
Great tips. Consistency is key. Making small changes you can do consistently.
These are some great tips, thank you! Now that Spring is here, it will be much easier to get outside for some fresh air and exercise!
YES! The weather can make such a difference!
I definitely notice what a difference drinking more water can do for me
Good info. I drink water all day.
Today I am going grocery shopping with a meal plan in mind so that my family and I can make better eating choices throughout the week. We’ve been depending on eating out too much recently for convenience and it doesn’t always lead to the healthiest choices! This is a great list! I’m adding this to my weekly button up!
Thanks so much for including it in your weekly feature!
I think the best choice I don’t make enough is sleep. Too often I use my baby’s naps to get things done, or stay up after she’s in bed. But I never regret getting more sleep.
I think the advice to “sleep when the baby sleeps” is REALLY tough to follow.
These are excellent tips. I am so ready to make a change now that spring is here. More water and more sleep are so important!
Emotional eating is something I struggle with. I need to drink more water and get more sleep to get on the right path!
I’ve been #1-3 everyday and it does make a difference ( especially water ) it does take getting use to , but I can literally feel the difference it makes
Um, yes. Yes yes yes. This was a timely article for me, as I’ve been trying to prioritize this lately. Thanks, Katie.
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Thanks, great advise! I’ve written a similar article on 50 small tips for losing weight, take a look: http://www.weightever.com/50-small-tips-for-losing-weight/
These are really excellent tips. Thanks for sharing these.
Awesome list of suggestions! Always nice to get you back adjusted too to keep everything in line! Thanks for sharing.
Sleeping better, exercising and eating healthier will also help lower your stress. When youโre stressed out what happens? You want to eat! So, getting your stress levels under control, keeping your goals in perspective and focusing on taking good care of yourself will help with your successful weight loss.
[…] can be challenging for you it can also present challenges for your family. So, it is best to take it slow. Instead of trashing every sugary or salty item from your pantry, perhaps you start by finding […]