10 healthy habits that have changed my life

My health and fitness journey started 5 years ago when I decided to stretch at home for the first time. At the time, I was the girl in the back of the dance class who was struggling to touch her toes. I remember going home crying after every dance class because I was the least flexible 11 year old there. So I decided that I had to change. I put on some music and did some basic stretches in my small bedroom. Ever since then, stretching has become one of my daily habits. That initial choice to stretch sparked a chain reaction as my unhealthier habits slowly developed into healthier ones. I started eating healthy in 2015, then started to workout in 2016, became passionate about fitness in 2018 and in 2019 I stretched for 365 days in a row (the whole year). I have recently been reflecting back on my health and fitness journey and wanted to share with you my top 10 key habits that have helped me change my life.

1. Yoga

I have always struggled with flexibility and it wasn't until I started yoga that I saw immense results. It took me 3 years to get my right splits. 3 YEARS!!!! However, I didn't realise that I wasn't stretching my muscles properly because I was tensing them instead of relaxing them. Yoga has not only improved my flexibility and strength, but, it has also improved my mental health. I am a perfectionist and therefore I have a tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself to do well (meaning I get stressed very easily). Yoga has taught me to be present in the moment and grateful as well as lowering my stress levels.

2. Becoming sugar free

Interestingly enough I did not become sugar free because it was some 'diet' I saw on the internet. I started being sugar free because I am competitive. Haha you are in for a real story (keep in mind that this is when my mindset towards health and fitness was still restrictive).

In July 2018, my friend Sophie was going sugar free for "Junk Free June" and I saw this as an opportunity to become even healthier than I already was. But, I apparently had to one up her. So, I would not just be sugar free for a month, I would be sugar free for the rest of my life. Hahaha I can't even explain to you how dumb of a reason this was but, I am just being honest. Sophie, I love you hehe x. Although I started the sugar free diet by restricting myself to not eat anything that had even 1 gram of sugar in it (I know, yikes!), I soon managed to find my balance and get to the lifestyle I am in today. Not only does being sugar free make me feel amazing, but, it also provides lots of opportunities for me to bake! I would highly recommend eating sugar free if you can do so with the right mindset and remember that it is ok to treat yourself now and again.

3. Implementing rest days

Unfortunately this is something that I only started doing this year in 2020! However, since implementing rest days I have found that I gain muscle much faster! We all know that I am terrible at having rest days and have a tendency to over-work myself. In 2020 I am definitely going to implement more rest days because they allow your muscles to repair recover after your workouts.

4. Eating more vegetables

This is something I started to implement last year as I tried to eat more plant based meals. The antioxidants, fibre and vitamins in vegetables worked to clear my skin and it improved my gut health so much! My favourite way to eat more vegetables is by making a nourish bowl for lunch.

5. Having a consistent sleep schedule

So, 2019 was the year of 'Ashley the zombie'. I overworked my body by dancing 23 hours a week, working out on top of that, getting minimal sleep and not eating enough. Over these holidays, I am implementing a consistent sleep schedule. Your body needs sleep in order to rebuild your muscles, focus and have energy. Everybody is different but personally, I function the best after 10 hours sleep.

6. Drinking more water

We all know how passionate I am about this one! I literally carry my 1.8L water bottle anywhere that I go. Drinking water is so important as our bodies are made up of around 70% water. I drink around 2-3L a day depending on how active I am. As teenagers, we need a minimum of 2L of water everyday. I also like to drink around 500ml before I eat breakfast as I find it helps to get my body moving.

7. Working out in the morning

Life changing! I wake up, eat breakfast and workout. It gets it out of the way while you are still motivated and I find that the endorphins after the workout put me in a good mood. I highly recommend working out in the morning because then you are more motivated and it doesn't stress you out all day.

8. Finding fitness I enjoy

I love to dance. Dance is the reason why I like to be healthy and fit and it keeps me motivated. There is nothing worse than dreading going to the gym and smashing through a workout. So find exercise that you actually enjoy! My favourite is dance because it sculpts all of your muscles whilst doing cardio, resulting in a lean and toned body. The best part? I don't even feel like I am working out because I love it so much even though it is difficult. If you don't like dance you could try running, swimming, walking, cycling, hiking or some body weight training.

9. Grounding

This is a habit that I have implemented into my morning routine everyday as soon as I wake up. Grounding is the practice of touching the earth with your bare feet. I want you to think about how many times a week you think your bare feet touch the ground. It's probably less than twice. Our feet were made to touch the earth, not be in rubber soled shoes all day and yet, we all struggle to find the time to be outside with nature. Grounding works to boost endorphins and destress our bodies. Ever wondered why you feel so good after walking on the beach in bare feet and feeling the warm sand between your toes? It's a form of grounding! I just like to walk around on the grass for a minute or two each morning and as a quick way to implement some grounding while I am watering my plants.

10. Manifestation

Now manifestation is such a controversial topic and it is also one that you will find a lot of health and fitness influencers talking about at the moment. It has, however, changed my life. Manifestation is a way of making your dreams become a reality. One of my favourite ways to manifest is by creating mood boards or journalling. Although I am a beginner to manifestation, I have found that it has given my so many opportunities.