8 Habits Of Healthy People

Eating well and exercising go a long way, but fighting-fit folk also have other behaviours in common. Read on for their top lifestyle tips and how you can adopt them

Everyone knows someone who seems to be a walking health advert. They have endless energy and never seem to succumb to those seasonal colds and flus. You know the type – you might even be one!

The good news is that although genetics play a part, lifestyle choices are likely to have an even bigger role because many healthy people seem to have similar attitudes and behaviours. The even better news is all of their habits are adoptable. Here’s what you need to know.

1 They don’t let stress derail their health

Rather than ditching a workout for wine when times get tough, many healthy people hit the gym. Stress naturally makes us revert to our ‘default’ behaviours, so when a healthy activity is second nature, it’ll stick rather than slide when life gets hectic.

STEAL IT: Do the healthy activity you want to become your default behaviour at least four times a week. After just over two months, it’s much more likely to stick as a long-term habit, including when you’re under stress.

2 They’ve given up trying to be perfect

There’s a strong connection between self-compassion and four key areas of health and wellbeing: eating well, exercising regularly, stress management and good-quality sleep. That’s because being self-compassionate, which means cutting yourself some slack when you make a mistake, makes it easier to get a healthy lifestyle back on track when things go off course.