Little Things DO Matter!
Can small changes really make a difference when it comes to your health?
Ideal healthy habits often sound like this…
– walk 10,000 steps a day
– strength train at least 2 times per week
– eat 30g of protein at each meal
– hit 30g fiber each day
– get 3 cups veggies + 2 cups fruit daily
– drink at least 8 glasses of water per day
– sleep at least 8 hours each night
– etc., etc., etc.
But what if you aren’t doing all of those things?
What if this list feels overwhelming or unattainable?
Can you do less and still get a benefit?
Well, a new study gives us the answer.
And, it’s encouraging news…
The study followed over 53,000 people over 8 years and tracked their sleep + activity + diet.
The study found:
People who got 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night + did moderate to vigorous activity for at least 42 minutes each day + ate a high-quality diet had a 57% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
BUT HERE’S WHERE IT GETS VERY ENCOURAGING…
The study also looked into the benefits of smaller changes.
Researchers found that adding just 11 extra minutes of sleep + 5 extra minutes of movement + 1/4 cup of extra veggies each day was linked to a 10% lower risk of heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
Meaning: Small changes DO make a difference.
This is encouraging because even on your busiest days, you can crawl into bed for an extra 11 minutes of sleep, sneak in a 5-minute walk, and take a few extra bites of veggies!
If you’ve ever talked yourself out of doing something small for your health, thinking that it won’t make a difference, remember that any act of health DOES matter to your body.
Health is not all or nothing.
Anything is better than nothing.
You got this.
xx DJB
