What are your lifestyle habits? Do they help or hinder your health and well-being? Habits are human nature and are formed to help us cope with life. Habits can be conscious or unconscious and are often pleasure-seeking actions that lead to a sense of calm and comfort or productivity and satisfaction. We condition ourselves to repeat a habit when we obtain or experience desired results.

Habits can be harmless, harmful, or beneficial to your health. Consider twirling a lock of hair, for example. It’s a harmless habit that can reduce stress and enhance relaxation. So, too, can smoking a cigarette, which is undoubtedly harmful to one’s health. Yet another habit is regular exercise, which some would argue is painful, but for practitioners, the pleasure found in stress management and endorphin release outweighs the discomfort.

Healthy people choose beneficial habits more often. When seeking better health, fitness, and longevity, we can learn from these habits to inform and influence our behaviours. This article will explore a dozen tiny but hugely impactful habits in three key areas of eating, moving, and thinking to optimize your health and physical performance.

Eating

Food choices of both quality and quantity are developed early in life. Of course, these decisions aren’t made independently in the early years and are influenced by culture, environment, and socio-economic status. While we need food to survive, preferences for certain foods and meal structures have incredibly strong social, familial, and emotional connections.

Related to healthy habits, it’s important to reflect on how closely aligned your eating habits are to recommended nutrient guidelines and your current health status. In an age where food is heavily manufactured and processed and delivered for speed and convenience, a focus on “slow food” has gained increasing popularity.

1) Drink purified water - 2 litres/day.

2) Eat close to the earth - the fresher and less processed, the better.

3) Choose lean or vegetarian protein more often - animal proteins (particularly processed meats) have been connected to increased cancer risk.

4) Honor hunger cues and eat slowly. Avoid eating in front of a screen and to a level of uncomfortable fullness.

5) Treat yourself! Food is to be enjoyed and savoured. Recognize that complete denial will likely lead to overindulgence later.

Moving

Most of us struggle with moving often enough and intensely enough to benefit our health. Modern conveniences and the rise of remote work or school options can make it easy to be sedentary, which is now coined as the “new smoking”.

Intentional movement is non-negotiable as a lifestyle habit that has a profound effect on wellness. Here are a few tips to ensure you get enough movement and learn to love it!

6) Choose active socializing and commuting whenever possible. A group hike or biking to work can serve as a strong and enjoyable motivation to move.

7) Consider events for sustained training motivation and memorable life experiences. Neighborhood fun runs or an adventurous excursion will build on your purpose to move and create memorable events where you’ll feel challenged and inspired.

8) Set a sitting timer or use a fitness app. Use technology to inform and support your fitness goals and a reminder to move regularly when your time gets absorbed by other obligations.

Thinking

Successful pro athletes are terrific examples of the power of positive thinking. We can learn a great deal from their many inspiring stories of overcoming adversity and “failing forward”, not to mention their incredible commitment to honing their craft and competitive edge.

Roger Federer won 20 Grand Slam titles as a record-breaking tennis pro. He won nearly 80% of his matches despite winning only 54% of the points played. Alex Rodriquez is ranked 5th on the list of Major League Baseball career strikeouts, but this stat is countered by being ranked 4th on most number of career home runs. And Simone Biles is the only gymnast in history to have abandoned a likely team Olympic gold medal in 2020, citing mental health concerns, only to redeem herself and her team with winning the team gold for the US in 2024 and becoming the most decorated gymnast in US history with a total of 11 Olympic medals. These are just a few examples of overcoming adversity to attain a goal.

Alex Rodriquez, in particular, shared three things to focus on for mental health and peak performance during his keynote address at the Health & Fitness Association Show in Las Vegas in March 2025:

9) Slow down - take the time you need to think things through.

10) Fill the seats - this is about whom you surround yourself with. Seek quality, trusted people who have your best interests at heart.

11) Ask for feedback - from those same trusted individuals, be humble enough to ask for feedback and courageous enough to act on it.

Last but not least, I add my own personal tiny habit, which is to “smile inwardly, smile outwardly”:

12) The mantra “Smile Inwardly, Smile Outwardly” is inherent to MSINGI - an elemental movement practice that celebrates building muscle, enhancing mobility, and cultivating a positive mindset. Smiling inwardly represents self-love and self-care. This manifests in smiling outwardly, treating people around you with kindness and compassion, creating a ripple effect for sustaining a happy and healthy community.

Embracing these 12 tips will lead to healthy eating, moving, and thinking habits that will support and enhance your well-being, regardless of age or life stage. Here’s to your healthy habits!