Healthy Habit of the Month IV.

Jawbone Up

This post is the fourth installment of SeektobeMerry's "Healthy Habit of the Month" series. Sourced from my bff's at Weight Watchers, online articles and my own efforts to keep fit and trim, throughout 2013, I will attempt to integrate one new healthy habit into my life each month. Join me!

Another month gone by, another idea for how to live a healthier lifestyle! When it comes to diet, I continue to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into each meal (I cooked kale! It was GOOD!) and even if I did eat an entire box of mac cheese in the wee hours of Sunday morning (Saturday night?), at least I have my accountability buddy to get me back on the straight and narrow. Since making THIS pledge, I haven't skipped a single week's workout, but I still don't think I'm moving enough... which brings me to this month's health habit:

Healthy Habit of the Month #4: Keep Track

Did you know that Scientists estimate that Americans ages 12 and up now spend most of their time—about 8 to 10 hours a day—sitting? Did you also know that along with serious health risks like a shorter lifespan and cardiovascular disease, a sedentary lifestyle will slow your metabolism leading to fewer calories burned and more stored as fat? Tis true. Thinking about all this, I've noticed that though I may workout hard a few days per week, other than those bursts of activity, my days, particularly work days, can be insanely sedentary. So, for this month's healthy habit, we're going to track our activity. Whether you're using a pedometer to make sure you hit the recommended 10,000 steps per day or a higher tech gadget like the Jawbone Up (which Dr. H and I just ordered, will let you know how it goes!) or the Nike Fuel Band, knowing how much (or little) you're moving each day is eye opening (recently I was horrified to check my pedometer at night and see I'd walked less than 3,000 steps that day!) By tracking how much we move, we'll easily know when our bodies need us to move more and moving more = healthier, happier people. I'm on it!

For previous Healthy Habit of the Month posts, click HERE, HERE and HERE!