The Habits Lifelong Healthy People Swear By
- Feb 17
- 3 min read
By Amanda Lim, M.A., M.Ed.
I’ve been working in the fitness industry for a long time—since 2006, when “wellness” could be defined by how many calories you burned in Spin class, or whether you knew enough to add a spoonful of chia seeds to your morning smoothie.
Nowadays, your average fitness consumer is much savvier, but is also bombarded with much more (often unreliable) information on a daily basis. Social media has changed the way we consume health information, and it’s more confusing than ever to discern what’s evidence-based in fitness and nutrition from what’s just fluff.
As director of a metabolic health clinic, it’s my job to connect clients and patients with the necessary data to make decisions about their current and future health. I help people wade through the oceans of trends, influencers, and opinions to better understand the daily habits and lifestyle practices that actually move the needle long-term.
Lifestyle medicine approaches to health suggest six pillars of wellness: sleep, exercise, nutrition, stress management, avoiding risky substances, and positive social connections.
Sleep is the biggest game-changer when it comes to improving energy and reclaiming vitality, as without it, we suffer more chronic disease, find it more difficult to initiate healthy behaviours like diet and exercise, and report more cognitive roadblocks (including mental illness like depression, but also brain fog and mood issues). I consistently recommend that my clients address their sleep problems first, using verified tools like CBT-I, since the other five pillars are nearly impossible to achieve in the absence of sleep hygiene.
Though comprehensive approaches like CBT-I are best for sleep correction, there are small daily habits that can cue better sleep, too. Things like setting a “wind-down” alarm on your phone, applying lavender oil after sunset, and making sure to avoid PM caffeine can all help.
On the topic of sustained energy, vitality is “the state of being strong and active,” which most of us would associate with physical exercise. However, there is more to feeling vitality than just moving your body. Strength is also a mindset; cultivating mental resilience and developing coping mechanisms that are not tied to substances or poor health behaviours (like doom scrolling) are key factors in feeling strong and active long-term.
You can also think of vitality like a practice, rather than a character trait. When you audit how you spend your time in a day, you can assess whether the things you do actually align with the things that bring you energy. Getting enough daily steps, drinking enough water, and yes, getting enough sleep are all fundamental habits that many of us overlook on the path to better wellness—yet they’re habits shared by nearly all who report feeling strong and well in their daily lives.
There is a pervasive myth in the modern wellness community that suggests “more is better,” and that it takes a cavalcade of expensive and time-consuming products and treatments to actually live a better life.
The prevalence of cryotherapy, infrared treatments, hyperbaric oxygen tanks, and costly niche supplements might make one believe that reaching optimal health is only accessible to those with copious resources to spend on it.
However, in my two decades working in this industry, I’ve found that the “healthiest” people are simply those that apply the basic principles consistently.
They walk, often outdoors, and do it nearly every day. They sleep, usually before midnight, and restfully for at least 7 hours most nights. They find ways to manage stress before it becomes a chronic health problem. They find ways to exercise that feel good in their bodies. They eat mainly whole foods, lots of protein and plants, and don’t worry about the occasional off-piste meal or holiday indulgence. And they absolutely operate with a mindset of progress over perfection, consistency over intensity, and self-forgiveness over self-beratement when mistakes are inevitably made.
To those struggling to find energy or feel more vitality, know this: you can take the first step, no matter how small, today. A different set of choices produces a different set of outcomes. Take ownership of your health by focusing your energy, time, and resources on the things that matter, and let the trends and fads pass you by as you walk your own path to better health.
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