Your mental and physical health both contribute to the driving forces behind the life you’ve always wanted to experience. For example, it’s harder to take the fullest advantage of being in great physical shape if you’re emotionally down and mentally defeated. Likewise, attributes like confidence and self-esteem are diminished when you’re not taking care of your physical health.

If you want to live the healthy life you deserve, focus on both your mind and body. This is easier than it sounds. All it takes is practice to create habits that support your health. The key is to start. Once you begin, your momentum and success will keep you motivated to continue your fit lifestyle.

Finding Excellent Physical Health

Make peak physical fitness a priority to support your new, balanced way of life. If you want more energy and stamina, try some of the following:

* See your doctor at least once a year for a routine physical checkup.
* Quit smoking, even if you’ve tried before and failed.
* Cut back on alcohol consumption if you currently drink.
* Eat more fruits and vegetables. Eat less fat and sugar.
* Find easy ways to add exercise to your daily routine, like walking.

This list can seem daunting at first, but you can begin to experience greater physical health with small steps. Baby steps in the right direction keep you moving forward until your momentum sustains you.

Instead of allowing yourself to become overwhelmed, make one small change in your daily routine and practice that change until it becomes a habit. Then add another small, healthy lifestyle change. Your confidence will grow and your motivation will remain strong.

If you need to lose weight, for example, start by taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Want to quit smoking? There are plenty of medications and support groups to help you. Healthy options are all over the place, if you’re willing to look for them.

You can create the physical body you desire if you’re willing to get started today. Your motivation will increase when you begin seeing the results from your new, wise choices.

Finding Excellent Mental Health

Although your physical health is very important, for the best results, you want your mind to be healthy, too. When your body and mind are healthy and work well together, you’ll feel better. You’ll have more energy and your successful efforts will motivate you to create even more physical and mental strength.

Like a healthy body, you create a healthy mind through exercise. Take a class, learn a new language, read something challenging, or engage in stimulating conversation with others who share your interests.

This mental stimulation keeps your mind from stagnating. As you learn new things, seek opportunities to teach others what you’ve learned. You’ll retain more and grow in confidence when you share your new knowledge with others.

Small steps in the right direction can lead to incredible rewards. Experience a greater level of energy and vitality than you ever thought was possible by making your physical condition a priority. Increase your knowledge and confidence by keeping your mind sharp. Together, your physical and mental health forms the basis of a rich life worth living!