The Lazy Girl's Guide to Being Healthy

I think it's fairly obvious that I'm not an avid gym-goer or a strict dieter. Life is short, you might as well do whatever makes you happy. And let me tell you, running on a treadmill and eating salad does not make me happy. However, we all know that being healthy is important so when Legal & General challenged me to come up with some health & fitness resolutions for 2015 I thought it would be a good opportunity to set myself some small goals to improve my health without denying myself the stuff I love (i.e. burgers and 12 hour Netflix sessions).

1. Walk Everywhere
I'm not a sporty person at all and I find the gym incredibly boring, which means I basically get no exercise at all. Walking is a really easy way to start being a bit more active without having to drastically alter your lifestyle. I'm definitely guilty of always getting the bus, even if it would take the same amount of time to walk there, but from now on I'm going to make a conscious effort to only get the bus when absolutely necessary. Now that it's getting towards spring, I'm also going to make more effort to go for a walk just for fun when the weather's nice.

2. Have Breakfast
As much as I love breakfast food, actually getting up early enough and forcing myself to eat something is another matter. I hate mornings and trying to get myself to eat something when I don't feel like it is a bit of a struggle. But, as they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day so I'm going to trick myself into having something by making fresh smoothies with my new Nutribullet* which is winging its way to me thanks to the folks at Legal & General. All I need to do is shove some fruit, vegetables, seeds and nuts into the Nutribullet, give it a whizz, and breakfast is ready in just a couple of minutes.

3. Stay Hydrated
Another thing I'm guilty of is not drinking enough water. As well as lots of other healthy benefits, drinking lots of water improves your skin and helps to curb hunger. At the moment, I only really drink water when I'm thirsty or along with a meal, so I need to remind myself to drink throughout the day even if I might not feel like I need it. I don't really like the taste of tap water, so I think it's a good plan to keep a jug of water in the fridge filled with cucumber slices, mint leaves and fresh fruit to make it a bit nicer.

4. Meal Planning
The temptation to order a takeaway is often overwhelming if you look in the fridge and all you've got left is odds and ends. To make sure I'm always organised, I'm going to start doing meal plans for the week ahead. On a Sunday afternoon, sit down and plan what you want to cook then go and do your shopping to make sure you're fully stocked up for the week. This way you can plan more exciting meals for days when you have time to prepare them, and on days when you know you're going to be home late make sure it's something quick and easy (or even better, leftovers from the freezer!). Pinterest is my number one inspiration for healthy meals at the moment.

5. Don't Worry
There's no point beating yourself up and making yourself unhappy if you don't manage to achieve your goals, whether they be health related, weightloss related, or something else. A healthy body is only helpful if you're cultivating a healthy mind too (or something inspirational like that). As long as I'm making healthy choices most of the time, I'm not going to worry about the occasional Two For Tuesday or a weekend of lying on the sofa here and there.

What are your health & fitness goals for 2015?

Gillian x