Redesigning Your Day for Health

Small daily choices accumulate into long term change.

One of the greatest challenges of modern life is inactivity. We evolved to move constantly and store fat quickly. What was once an advantage is now a liability in a world of sitting and surplus calories. Our genome is mismatched to the environment we have created.

The good news is that we do not need dramatic interventions. We need to design a daily pattern that increases wellbeing and reduces the risk of disease. The key is to develop a set of activities, including time for calm reflection, that nudges you towards movement and calm, and builds rhythms that support health, energy and longevity. Wearables can help, though they are not essential.

For activity, aim to do at least 30 minutes of brisk walking each day, not necessarily in one session. Brisk walking means walking fast enough for your breathing to become a little faster while still being able to carry on a conversation. The experts call this moderate intensity exercise. The NHS Active 10 app can help you track the number of minutes of brisk walking you do each day.

Ask yourself

• Where in my day does inactivity creep in unnoticed?

• What cue could I attach a healthy habit to?

Actions to take

• Create a daily chart where you can tick off your 30 minutes of brisk walking.

• Implement one new micro habit each week. For example, put a grip strengthener by the phone and use it.