Summary

The author describes how adopting a simple health habit, such as a 10-minute daily walk, led to a series of positive lifestyle changes and improved overall health.

Abstract

The article recounts the author's journey from struggling with being overweight and mental health issues to embracing a healthier lifestyle. Initially dismissing generic health advice, the author found profound meaning in the seemingly trivial suggestion to maintain health through consistent small actions. Starting with short walks, the author gradually incorporated additional healthy habits like better eating, regular exercise, and mindful living. The narrative emphasizes the interconnectedness of mental and physical well-being and the importance of building momentum with small, manageable health habits that can lead to significant long-term changes.

Opinions

The author initially found common health advice, such as eating vegetables and exercising, unhelpful without human empathy and understanding.
The advice "The easiest way to be healthy is to stay healthy" was initially perceived as unhelpful but later reframed as a concept of building health momentum through consistent action.
Healthy habits are seen as interconnected, with one leading to another, creating a positive cycle of health and well-being.
The author values the simplicity of starting with a small habit, like a short walk, as a catalyst for broader health improvements.
There is an emphasis on the importance of mental health in relation to physical health and the belief that both can be improved simultaneously through healthy practices.
The author encourages readers to set health goals and start with small, achievable habits to build momentum towards those goals.
The article suggests that the Japanese lifestyle and philosophies can inspire healthier living, offering resources for readers to learn more about these practices.
The author promotes an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus(GPT-4), indicating a belief in the value of such tools for health and personal development.

The health habit that helped me start a healthy lifestyle

The most useless (but true) health advice I got

If you’ve been following my story for a bit, you would know that I grew up overweight and that in turn had caused me to struggle with my mental health (or maybe it was vice versa?)

Regardless, I’ve come to understand that our mental and physical health are closely interconnected. And like many interconnected things, there’s a momentum to it.

The most useless (but true) health advice I got

Besides eating plenty of vegetables and getting regular exercise– tried and true health advice which also isn’t very useful if you’re struggling with your health (*human empathy matters when it comes to health, pure science often isn’t enough)– I remember my gym teacher sharing advice that I had no idea what to do with.

“The easiest way to be healthy is to stay healthy”

He announced it like it was the most profound thing you could share, but if you’re not healthy, what good is this information? I was young, overweight, and struggling at the time, and I had never felt less seen.

But reflecting on it years later, I began to understand what he was trying to explain, which is that good health is momentum– it gets easier the more you do it, but if you stop, the longer you stop the harder it is to start.

So I reframed it: the easiest way to be healthy is to keep doing healthy things.

And what are healthy things?

A walk in the park
A stretch in the morning
Fresh fruit with breakfast
Water with lunch
Eating a meal without a distraction (no phone, no tv)
Eating in moderation
A conversation with a friend
Doing a favor for a family member
Doing something for a personal passion
Tidying up the kitchen
Sleeping early

The list goes on!

For me, my start was a 10-minute walk

The health habit that helped me start a healthy lifestyle was 10 minutes walking outside (a walk down and back the block), five times a week. This eventually became a 6 minute jog, and then a 10 minute jog.

I didn’t think too much about it, I just knew walking was good for my health and began there.

As I went further and faster, I began changing my eating habits to reflect my new jogging goals. Less fried chicken as a snack, a bit more water during the day. I started eating fruit, then I became conscious of eating vegetables.

People often declare that one health habit changed their life: cutting out soda, stop drinking alcohol, stop smoking, start walking, and so on. And it’s true, because healthy habits nudge other healthy habits. It’s a momentum.

You don’t need to start off with the sprint, but if you’re looking to improve your health– whether physically or mentally– try starting off with something small, and build off that momentum. See what else that action inspires in you, and how it can be nurtured to grow.

What health goals do you have? What healthy habit would you like to start to meet them?

Keep doing healthy things, no matter how small. It’s the easiest way to find your healthy balance, and when small efforts are compounded, you’ll be surprised by how much can change in just a year.

Warmly,

Kaki

Learn to be healthier, inspired by life in Japan:

I teach about health inspired by simple Japanese philosophies and lifestyle practices, so you can learn to find peace, fulfillment, strength, and health in your own body.

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