Healthy Lifestyle Tips: 8 of This, 8 of That

At 8fit, we believe that most good things come in eights! So, we are very excited to share eight of our top healthy lifestyle tips that you can easily implement into your day-to-day life starting now.

Did you ever notice that the number eight shares a striking resemblance to the infinity symbol? Here at 8fit, we’re all about helping you create healthy habits that last not a week, not a month, but a lifetime. Like the infinity symbol suggests, the work doesn’t stop once you reach a goal or a certain benchmark. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle takes work. Sure, it gets easier, but different temptations and distractions will also come about. Perseverance and consistency pay off and keep you from spiraling back into old, unhealthy habits.

8 Healthy lifestyle tips

When you’re just starting out, start small. Focus on one thing at a time, for example, spending two weeks focused on drinking more water and less soda or juice. Then, after mastering that healthy habit, move onto the next (like adding two or three HIIT workouts per week). Below, find eight realistic tips and a pretty graphic that makes the perfect desktop background or refrigerator ornament.

8 glasses of water per day

Water is the best way to stay hydrated and hydration is important because, well, our bodies are made up of a whole lot of water. It’s also a calorie-free beverage that can be enhanced with fresh fruits and herbs. How much water is enough? According to the World Health Organization, the minimum water requirement for a 70 kg human (154 pounds) is three liters (100 ounces) per day. But, to keep things simple, we suggest aiming for eight, 12-ounce glasses of water per day (96 ounces).

8,000 steps

Walking regularly does wonders for our blood circulation, airways, joints, guts, and our mind. To reach a minimum of 8,000 steps per day, try to walk while doing your everyday activities like going to work, visiting the store, meeting your friends, and commuting to a workout class. If it’s not possible for you to walk, park further away or get off the bus one stop early. Walking is also a great way to explore your neighborhood and the parks around you.

8 servings of fruits and vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are packed with good stuff like healthy carbs, fiber, and nutrients too. Current evidence indicates that the regular consumption of fruits and vegetables has potential health benefits like preventing obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and various cancers. The guidelines for how many fruits and how many vegetables you should eat per day are all over the place. We recommend a grand total of eight, favoring more veggies over fruits since many tasty fruits are high in sugar.

8 minutes HIIT

Are you surprised HIIT made it on our list?! The 8fit fitness program is centered around quick, effective HIIT workouts because we believe that everyone has time for HIIT. Stop, drop and do at least eight minutes of intense physical activity per day. But, remember, because we only suggest you do HIIT about four times per week, mix it up and add in power walks, jogs, Zumba, yoga — whathaveyou.

8 stretches

What’s the best thing to do after a HIIT? Stretch it out! We suggest starting every workout session with a warm-up and ending with a proper stretch. Stretching is also a great healthy lifestyle habit to work into your morning routine and during the workday. Taking time to stretch helps improve and maintain correct posture and decreases the prevalence of chronic pain like that pesky low-back pain.

8 belly laughs

This one is important. Laughing out loud is a great way to boost your mood and get a quick core workout even if you’re forcing yourself to laugh. That chuckle releases feel-good brain chemicals which can also relieve pain.

8 minutes meditation

Recent studies show that both mindfulness and self-compassion skills might contribute to a healthy well-being and more positive emotions. Even short meditation sessions can improve our thoughts and shift our perspective. Like most things, a little bit is better than nothing. Maybe start by taking 5 minutes in the morning and a few minutes midday to breathe in a tall, seated posture.

8 hours of sleep

Science suggests that a healthy adult should sleep for seven to nine hours per night, so eight hours on average. Regular sleeping patterns are associated with improved memory, alertness, and physical performance.

To help make some of these habits stick, sign up for 8fit and use it as your guide. You’ll be able to put some of our healthy lifestyle tips to practice right away. And, to keep these habits top-of-mind even at work, save the graphic below as your desktop wallpaper.