Moving and Eating Well

Your body is where energy starts

Sleep, movement and food are the three foundations of energy. When one is off, you feel it in your mood, your focus and your patience. You don’t need a perfect diet or a training plan. A few simple, steady habits make most of the difference.

Move a little, every day

The biggest gain comes from going from nothing to a little, not from a little to a lot.

• Walk. Twenty to thirty minutes a day, even split into short walks, improves mood, sleep and focus.
• Break up sitting. Stand up and move for a minute or two every hour. Take calls standing or walking.
• Use your muscles twice a week. Stairs, carrying shopping, a few squats or push-ups against a wall. Strength keeps you able to do everyday things as you get older.
• Pick something you enjoy. Dancing, cycling, gardening, playing with children: the best exercise is the one you’ll keep doing.

If you’ve done nothing for a while, start with ten minutes and add a little each week.

Eat to feel good, not to follow rules

Forget strict diets. A few simple habits work for most people:

• Mostly plants. Fill half your plate with vegetables and fruit, and add beans, lentils, whole grains and nuts.
• Mostly real food. The fewer heavily processed products (sweets, sugary drinks, ready meals, salty snacks), the steadier your energy.
• Regular meals. Long gaps followed by big meals lead to energy crashes. Eat at roughly the same times each day.
• Drink water. Mild thirst feels like tiredness. Keep a glass or bottle in sight.
• Notice how food makes you feel. Which meals leave you sharp, and which make you sleepy an hour later?

Make it easy

• Prepare the easy choice. Fruit on the table, vegetables already washed, a bottle of water in your bag.
• Link movement to what you already do. Walk to the shop, get off one stop early, stretch while the kettle boils.
• Do it with someone. A walk with a friend counts as movement and as connection.

Be careful with quick fixes

Energy drinks, a lot of coffee, sugar and alcohol give a quick lift and a bigger drop later. Coffee after mid-afternoon can also spoil your sleep. You don’t need to cut them out, but notice how much you rely on them.

Looking after your weight

If you’d like to lose weight or keep it steady, the same habits are the base. Managing Your Weight, Kindly explains why diets rarely last and which habits help most.

When to get advice

If you’re tired all the time despite sleeping, moving and eating reasonably well, or if you have a health condition, talk to a doctor. Constant tiredness can have medical causes worth checking.

At the societal level

Healthy habits are easier when cities have safe paths for walking and cycling, when healthy food is affordable and nearby, and when work leaves time to cook and move. Personal effort matters, but so do the places we live in.

Your next step

Try today: Take a 10-minute walk, and drink a glass of water before each meal.

Next in the story

With your body looked after, you can take on the other big drain on energy: stress.

Stress and Overwhelm → Or go deeper: Managing Your Weight, Kindly →