The new year is all about new beginnings and new goals to help you become the best version of yourself. The best ways to accomplish your goals in the new year are not through big, drastic changes but through small steps you take each day to acquire those new habits you want to have.
If one of these new year’s resolutions is to have a healthier daily routine, you’ve come to the right place! Here are some simple habits you can add to your daily routine to improve your health in 2025.
5 Habits to Improve Your Health Each Day
1. Eat a sugar-free breakfast.
Since we start the day off with breakfast, it can set the tone for our hunger and blood sugar levels throughout the rest of the day. This is why it’s essential to consume the proper nutrients we need to make it through the day and avoid foods that can have a negative impact on you throughout the day, such as foods filled with sugar.
Eating a sugary breakfast could make you hungrier later in the day and cause your blood sugar levels to rise. Sugar may also lead to weight gain and an increased risk of heart disease if consumed in large amounts. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 grams of added sugar a day for women, while no more than 36 grams of sugar is recommended for men. For comparison, many popular sugary cereals can contain around 12 grams of added sugar per each 1-cup serving—half the daily recommended sugar intake for women.
Try to avoid sugary cereals, pancakes, muffins, pastries, or other sugary foods for breakfast. Instead, consider having fresh fruit, eggs, or whole wheat toast to start your day the right way. You could also check out Sweetleaf’s collection of low-sugar, healthy breakfast recipes and more to help you reach your health goals for 2025.
2. Exercise each day.
Participating in daily physical activity can improve both physical health—preventing diseases and improving heart health—and mental health. The Mayo Clinic recommends adults exercise at least 30 minutes each day. This could include anything from running to weightlifting, bicycling, taking a fitness class, swimming, and more. If you are just beginning and don’t know how to exercise, going on a simple 30-minute walk at your own pace is a great place to start. You could also check out more cardio exercise tips here.
If you don’t have 30 minutes to yourself during the day to exercise, consider walking on a treadmill while completing remote work or going on a walk outside with your loved ones to spend more time together. If you don’t have 30 consecutive minutes to exercise either, you can break that time up into six brief five-minute exercises each day instead.
Any way to get your body moving is an improvement. We’re not looking for drastic changes to your routine—just simple ways to improve yourself one step at a time.
3. Stand up at least once every hour.
It’s important to not only get those 30 minutes of recommended exercise each day but to also get up and move your body multiple times throughout the day. Sitting at a desk for extended periods of time can lead to increased risk of heart problems, weight gain, and worsened blood circulation. It is recommended you should stand and move around for at least 5-10 minutes every hour to keep your body active and healthy.
Consider using a standing desk to keep yourself up and moving while completing work. You could also take short walks and stretch during break times.
4. Drink water instead of soda or other sugary drinks.
Another way to cut back on sugar consumption is to eliminate sugary drinks such as certain sodas or coffees from your diet. Constantly consuming sugar, as stated above, can lead to heart problems and weight gain over time. Instead, consider drinking more water to replace these sugary drinks. It is recommended that men drink around 3 liters of water each day while women should be drinking 2 liters a day.
If one of the reasons you tend to stray away from drinking water is the flavorlessness of it, try using water enhancers to add some flavor to your water bottle. Sweetleaf’s Water Drops may be the perfect boost of encouragement you need to drink more water while helping you keep up your healthy, sugar-free routine. Water Drops have no calories nor sugar—only great flavor.
5. Bring your own lunch to work instead of buying fast food.
While buying fast food can be much more convenient than bringing lunch to work, making your own lunch means you can have control over what you are putting into your body each day—not to mention it can be a lot more expensive to consistently buy food from restaurants. While preparing your lunch, you can make sure you get the proper nutrients you need while avoiding sugar. You could pack together simple meals such as sandwiches or salads. If you don’t know where to start in your lunch-making journey, check out Sweetleaf’s recipes for some healthy meal ideas!
Here’s to a healthier 2025!
There are always more ways to improve our health, and taking simple steps can help you get back on track to reach your health goals this year. Committing to keeping up these practices will make them habits for you over time, thus leading to a healthier lifestyle in the long run. Have a happy, healthy new year—you’ve got this!
