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How to Improve Your Health Behavior: Small Steps to Change

A lot of people are motivated to change their health behaviors when their health status changes, either for the worse, like after a heart attack or for the better, such as with pregnancy. If you want to change your health behavior, a chat with your doctor about the consequences of a negative health behavior and the benefits of change may help you to get started.

How Do I Change My Health Behavior for the Better?

While some people may be able to make drastic changes in one fell swoop, jumping head-first into exercising five days a week or a new diet, most people should break their goals into smaller chunks for improved success.

 Instead of running on the treadmill in a gym for 30 minutes, try climbing some stairs or doing other physical activity for a few minutes several times a day. Collecting information and data also helps some people stick to their health goals, for instance, keeping a food journal to see how many calories you consume each day and areas where you can cut back.

These days, there are many online resources for people who are trying to improve their health. You might start out with an online health assessment like this tool from Dartmouth: 

Created by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Healthfinder.gov has activity and menu planners to keep organized with your progress and goal setting.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services offers 119 ideas about small steps you can take to improve your diet and get more exercise.

Examples: Grill, steam or bake instead of frying. Choose a checkout line without a candy display. Walk to a co-worker's desk instead of emailing or calling.

Cigna, an insurance company, has developed a personal goal-setting worksheet that includes physical, emotional, and social health goals.

The American Dietetic Association offers a variety of small ways to shave calories off your daily diet.

Examples: Don't eat out of a box or bag because you'll feel like you need to finish everything. Satisfy your ice cream urge by buying brands that are slow-churned and have reduced calories.

http://www.smokefree.gov/ is available from the Tobacco Control Research Branch of the National Cancer Institute to offer help with quitting smoking.

This resource guide from a California non-profit lead by Robert and Jeanne Segal with support from Rotary International could be helpful for a wide range of health concerns including mental health and substance use information: 

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