How often have we charted elaborate health resolutions at the start of the new year, only to see the vigour and enthusiasm fade away by February? If that sounds someone like you, we have something interesting here. Bite-sized resolutions!

So we list 15 easy-to-adopt lifestyle habits that will help you stay focused in your quest for a healthier and happier 2019. Here goes…

Bite 1: Stretch

Simple stretch exercises can help keep your muscles active and tightened, while enabling you to strengthen your core. You can engage in stretches every two hours or so, especially important for those who have desk jobs.

Bite 2: Meditate for composure 

Meditation is powerful. It can help calm your mind, soothe your senses and relax your body. In today’s world where pressure levels are high, meditation can help you lower your stress and attain inner peace. The beauty about meditation is that it can be practiced anywhere.

 Bite 3: Engage in daily 30-minute exercise

Shed excess sleep and a sedentary lifestyle for a more active one. Try to start with simple activities like walking, jogging, swimming, cycling or weight training. Importantly, have fun while doing so, which will ensure that you keep going.

 Bite 4: Get adequate sleep

Lack of sleep can lead to several health problems like weight gain, weak immunity and negative impact on brain health. Hence, getting adequate sleep of around eight hours is important. Furthermore, it is a good idea to have a brief shut-eye post-lunch, which will keep you energised for the rest of the day.

Bite 5: Drink a glass of water every morning when you wake up

Sipping a glass of water as soon as you wake up in the morning can be an excellent and easy habit to follow. Doing so will aid in digestion, help you lose weight and keep you fit all day.

Bite 6: Walk a thousand or more steps every day

Embrace the habit of walking. If you have a quick errand to make, chuck your two-wheeler and walk. If you’re going for a meeting, park your car a bit further from your destination so that you can walk. Walking doesn’t just help keep the metabolism in shape, it is also great for the heart, brain and joints. Get a fitness tracker to help keep a tab on your daily activities.

Bite 7: Never skip breakfast

Most nutritionists and fitness experts believe that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should never be missed. A healthy breakfast helps keep one remain full and active, while also curbing unwanted hunger pangs.

Bite 8: Limit your sugar consumption

Refined sugar is processed sugar, the consumption of which can lead to weight gain or high blood sugar levels. You can select healthy alternatives like jaggery, honey, coconut sugar or maple syrup. Also, try to avoid sugar in your morning tea or coffee.

Bite 9: Avoid packaged food

Take a pledge that you’ll avoid the consumption of packaged or processed foods as these have harmful preservatives and provide no nutritional value. Moreover, these foods can lead to weight gain and can be detrimental to your overall health.

Bite 10: Go for a fibre-rich diet

A diet high in fibre can have a great positive impact on your health. It can promote weight loss, smoothen digestion and help manage diabetes. High fibre foods include fresh fruit and green leafy vegetables, which should be essential components of your everyday diet.

Bite 11: Stick to your sleep timings

Those who are super busy have one thing common in their lifestyle – they keep to their sleep timings no matter whatever part of the world they are in. Good and consistent sleep habits have been linked to better mental health and improved weight loss.

 Bite 12: Avoid multi-tasking

Our brains have been designed to work better when we focus on just one job at time, rather than trying to multi-task. If you allow yourself to focus on just one thing at a time, you’ll see how much more you can accomplish. Also, getting your focus back is of great importance. For starters, try to brush your teeth with your left hand!

Bite 13: Get off that screen

With so much technology around us, chances are that all of us are peering into our e-gadgets and devices all the time. Research has proved that sustained exposure to the light emitted by these devices can have a negative impact on our vision. Hence, it is important to limit the usage of these devices. Also, strictly avoid browsing on your tablet/smartphone before sleeping.

Bite 14: Get yourself a rebounder

Jumping on a rebounder, a small circular trampoline that you can purchase from a sports shop, is considered to be a good all-round exercise and is thought to be more effective than running. Besides, jumping on the rebounder is fun too!

Bite 15: Embrace a preventive health culture

It is quite paradoxical that though lifestyle ailments are on the rise the world over, we still have a reactive rather than a preventive health culture. This stems from not prioritising our health. Hence, take a pledge to visit your doctor or medical practitioner once in six months at least for health screening.

Though it might sound cliched, it is true now than ever before: Health is wealth. So here’s wishing you a wealthy 2019!