Simple and achievable ways to improve wellbeing in the coming year.
There’s no need to overhaul our lifestyle in the New Year – in fact, small sustainable changes might be the key to long-lasting change. ‘The quality of our lives often depends on the quality of our habits,’ writes James Clear in his bestselling book Atomic Habits. ‘Changes that seem small and unimportant at first will compound into remarkable results if you’re willing to stick with them.’ In need of some inspiration? Here, we share a selection of expert-approved habits to get you started.
1 Eat 30 plants a week
‘The American and British Gut Project showed a clear association between eating 30 different types of plant every week (from wholegrains, nuts and seeds, to mushrooms, pulses, fruits and vegetables) and improved health outcomes,’ says Dr Federica Amati, science communications strategist at ZOE and medical scientist at Imperial College London. ‘Keeping a list of plants you eat on your fridge or as a note on your phone is a simple way to remember to add to your plate,’ she adds. ‘Use fresh herbs in your sauces, add nuts to your curry, stir mixed beans into your stews – it all adds up to increase your plant score.’
2 Wake your feet
Is there any part of the body more deserving of care and attention than feet? As the body’s foundation, they keep us steady and stable, and transport us from A to B on a daily basis. Taking time to wake our feet can fortify balance, improve communication between brain and body, and keep our all-important foundation working in later life, says Nahid de Belgeonne, somatic movement, breath and yoga practitioner (thehumanmethod.co.uk).
‘Rolling a tennis ball underfoot is a valuable way to map the area and structure of your foot in the brain,’ she says. ‘Keep the pressure light, as if you are stroking a dog with your foot, and move the ball forwards, backwards, left and right – covering the whole foot, from toes to the heel.’
‘Now stand on both feet, and notice the stability of the foot you have been rolling on the ball,’ she instructs. ‘You have woken connections between joints and nerves, fired up the muscles of the feet, and mobilised and strengthened muscles in the leg that balance and propel our feet.’
Yoga can also help to strengthen and mobilise the feet and ankles. ‘Tree pose is a gentle posture we can practice every day,’ says Jaime Hepburn, founder of The Yoga Library (theyogalibrary.co). ‘Balance on one foot and put the other on either the inside of the shin (gentle) or thigh (more advanced). Hands are either in praye
