Guide for achieving healthy habits: The Holmes Place secret

We all know the ingredients to a healthy, happy life. Exercise, whole foods, plenty of sleep, managing stress… yet we don’t always get the formula quite right. We’ll boomerang between healthy phases and bouts of unhealthiness. We’ll throw ourselves into restrictive diets. We’ll work around the clock until we burn out and jet off on holiday to de-stress.

Why don’t these healthy habits stick? For many, it’s because we set the bar too high. We do exercises that make us miserable. Then we skip the gym for a week, a month, a year… until we’re totally discouraged and give up. We’ll deprive ourselves of food to lose weight then eat double our daily calorie intake in one pang of hunger.

At Holmes Place, we believe there’s more to life than that. Great health and happiness are all part of a journey that we enjoy every step of the way. Here are our invaluable secrets to achieving healthy habits:

Make exercise enjoyable: If fitness fanatics baffle you, you’re doing exercise all wrong. Working out shouldn’t feel like a necessary evil, otherwise you’re going to keep using that endless list of excuses to skip the gym. To cultivate a lifelong relationship with movement, you must enjoy it. Don’t stick to the same routine - mix it up and try different workouts gym machines, classes, running routes or activities. If you hate lifting weights, try a Zumba class. If running on a treadmill isn’t your thing, take your running outside. Do what you love, in a place you love, and you’re sure to get results.

Eat foods you like: Eating well should nourish your body, not deprive it. It’s crucial for our wellbeing, so focusing on a balanced diet that delights the senses is fundamental in creating healthy eating habits that last. Avoid processed, unnatural foods and focus on whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, eggs and high-fat dairy - these whole foods won’t leave you feeling hungry. Sweet treats don’t have to be off-limits, either. Bake your own healthy desserts as a low-calorie alternative to satisfy those sugar cravings without the guilt.

Embrace the power of community: A sense of belonging will always inspire us to move - being around like-minded people and enjoying a connection that joins you together. This could be attending a regular yoga class, joining a gym, or even heading out with the local running group. Of course, it doesn’t need to be exercise-based - you might volunteer at a community event, sign up for a jewellery-making course or meet people at the concert of a band you love.

Celebrate progress: If you’ve worked hard, reward yourself for it. For example, if you manage to hit a weight-loss goal, treat yourself to a massage or spa treatment. Stay positive - each time you go to the gym, complete a workout or finish a run, mark it on a calendar or app. Making goals, being good to yourself and creating a rewarding fitness routine is the key to making sure you stay on track with your journey to living well.