Tiny Tweaks for A FITTER YOU!

The best way to build healthy new habits is to start small

- ALICIA PYKE

Ever wanted to cancel your gym membership after the first month? Then you know that grand plans to revamp your health can easily go awry. That's why we're so keen on tiny health tweaks! Studies show you're likely to benefit most from manageable lifestyle adjustments made over a longer period than diving into a health program that lasts just a few weeks.

"For any healthy change to be effective, it has to be small, achievable and easy," says medical educator Dr Ronald McCoy. "It also has to be something you can do regularly, because it's the accumulation of benefits over time that makes a difference." Here are five health tweaks really worth trying.

WALK AT PUFFING PACE

Whether you're strolling to the shops or coming home from the bus stop, quickening your speed, even a little, can make all the difference to your heart health, according to the Heart Foundation. The key to this health tweak is moving at what experts call a "moderate" pace.

"You don't need to go all out-you just need to be a little bit puffed- and the best test of the correct speed is that you should still be able to hold a conversation if you're walking alongside someone," Dr McCoy says. "Even popping around the corner to pick up some milk is usually enough to achieve a third of your daily exercise quota if you do it at this kind of moderate speed.”

SIP MORE WATER 

As the weather cools down, you might notice you’re not drinking as much water as usual. But consuming the recommended two litres of water a day is one of the best ways to stay well, since it boosts everything from your digestion (dehydration is a common cause of constipation) to joint function. The tweak is sipping water slowly, at least once per hour.