5 Fitness Habits to Establish In Your 20’s

During your 20’s, you are in the golden zone for establishing fitness habits that will last you a lifetime. This is the decade that you should be beginning to take your health a bit more seriously. You most likely don’t yet have the responsibilities that come with children and a mortgage. That makes it the ideal time to cement in those good habits so that, when greater life’s pressures come, they are already ingrained. Here are 5 fitness habits to build into your life during your 20’s.

1. Strength Training
Strength training is the most important fitness habit you can ever build into your life. Not only will it allow you to build a muscular, fit, lean body now, it will be your body’s greatest weapon against the natural declines of old age that will begin to kick in when you get into your 30’s. Strength training done the right way will make you far less likely to suffer from lower back problems, and will prevent muscular imbalances that often lead to injury. You’ll also be able to offset the natural muscle loss that kicks in from around the age of 35. 

Getting into the strength training habit in your 20’s will allow you to build a decent amount of muscle. Every ounce of muscle on your frame will make you a more efficient fat burner, so the strength training habit will help you ward off that middle aged pot belly!

2. Cardiovascular Exercise
A common mistake that many older exercisers make is that they focus on just one type of exercise - either strength training or cardio. That is why it is so important to build both of them as fitness habits in your 20’s. Doing some form of cardiovascular exercise two or three times per week will help you to maintain and improve the health of your heart and lungs. 

Regular cardio exercise doesn’t have to mean that you spend hours on a treadmill every week. There are a lot of options when it comes to cardio. Choose an activity or sport that you love to do and build it into your schedule a few times each week. 

On top of your actual cardio sessions, get into the habit of choosing the more active version of getting around. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, walk or bike rather than driving everywhere and choose to get your entertainment out in the fresh air rather than in front of the computer or TV screen. 

3. Steam Your Vegetables
A great habit to develop in your 20’s is to spend a couple of times each week preparing such vegetables as beets, parsnip, capsicum, and broccoli and steaming them for 30 minutes. Make enough for 3 dinner meals. Then all you have to do is add a lean protein source to the meal. 

Preparing your food in this way will ensure that you get the best nutrients in the purest way while avoiding high glycemic carbs. Your meals will also be a whole lot easier to prepare.

4. Healthy Snacks
Getting into the habit of reaching for healthy snack options as your default setting is a huge one when it comes to staying lean for life. If you are able to steer yourself away from potato chips and cookies in favour of fruit, nuts and lean proteins, you will be a whole lot healthier and happier. Here’s a healthy snack option that provides the ideal ratio of protein, healthy fats and fiber:

Slice up an apple, some cubes of Edam cheese and a handful of walnuts and mix them together in a bowl. Enjoy them as an evening snack rather than going to the freezer for ice cream. 

5. Establish a Consistent Sleep Pattern
Most people still don’t appreciate how vital healthy sleep is to your overall health.  It is during the time when you sleep that your body rebuilds muscle tissue and reinvigorates your organs. Establishing a consistent sleep pattern that provides you with 7-8 hours of sleep will ensure that you get the quality and quantity of sleep that you need to be fully refreshed when you get up in the morning.