Living in London can be so incredible, it’s a fantastic city with so much to offer. However, with hectic working schedules, plenty of opportunities to eat and drink out and easy public transport options, often people push their health to the back of their priority list. However, there are some simple things you can do to make sure that you are staying healthy whilst living in London! From eating to exercise and making the most of all the fun things London has to offer, we know these tips will make you feel happier and healthier. We’re nothing without our health, so this is the perfect opportunity to start making it a priority.
Rethink Your Route To Work
First up, one of the best things you can do to stay healthy is get your body moving. With so many public transport options in and around London, it’s likely you won’t have to walk far to get to a stop, then you will get off near work and sit down at your desk. However, this time is ideal to help you utilise your time. Say you choose parking in central London and currently you opt for a car park right by work, perhaps look for one that’s a 15 minute walk away. Instantly you’ve added 30 minutes of movement to your day! If you get the tube or the bus, get off a stop early and then walk the extra bit. Perhaps you get the train in and then a taxi, why not jump on one of the Santander cycles for a fun last leg of your journey. Not only is this good for your health, but it’s also such a good opportunity to clear your mind before or after a busy day, just to have a bit of “you” time.
Visit The Countryside On The Weekends
Another thing you can do to stay healthy whilst living in London is to visit the countryside on the weekends. Getting fresh air and going for countryside walks is so good for both your mental and physical health, helping you to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city. There are so many great day trips from London by train so you can just hop on the train, go for the day and enjoy the countryside. Whether you want to get just half an hour out of London or a good few hours, there are so many different options. We know that you will want to make the most of living in London of course, but if you can aim to have a countryside visit perhaps once a month, you will feel so nice and refreshed when you come back into the city.
Meal Prep On A Sunday
There are endless lunch and dinner options in London, which are not only very expensive a lot of the time, but many might not be the most nutritious choices. It’s easy to just grab something and go, but when you do a bit of planning, it can really help you to make some conscious and balanced choices for your health.
On a Sunday morning (or before you go to your food shop), sit down and look at what you will be doing that week and when you have the opportunity to pre-make your lunches or cook at home. From there, plan what you would like to eat and write down a list of all the ingredients you need. When you’re planning, try to incorporate a wide variety fruit and veg as they tend to contain lots of different vitamins and minerals. Also try to incorporate plenty of protein, along with gut health foods, so you know you will be eating balanced throughout the week. Again, you’ll want to make the most of all the incredible restaurants that London has to offer, but this can just help you to eat nutritious foods for the majority of the week so you can enjoy yourself without it impacting your health.
Get A Good Quality Water Bottle
We all know everything is very expensive when you’re in London, and bottled water is no exception. So, when you’re out and about, you might be thirsty but put off buying a bottle of water because of the price. Instead, get yourself a good quality water bottle that fits easily into your bag, fill it up when you leave for the day and then you always have a supply on you. There is a great scheme called Refill London that tells you the nearest spot to fill up your bottle with drinking water too. This is much more eco-friendly and it will help your finances!
Staying hydrated is always vital, for all elements of your health, but when you are in a busy city it’s even more important as you will likely be rushing around. So, keep your hydration a priority and utilise all of the free refill spots around the city. You will feel so much better for it and your wallet will thank you for it, too!
Prioritise Your Sleep
Something that has a huge impact on your health, either negatively or positively, is sleep. If you don’t get much sleep, it can impact all parts of your health, including your mental health and how effectively all of your vital organs work. It also leads to your body not being able to recover properly from the day before, again gradually causing more and more fatigue. When you do get a good night’s sleep, it can impact you in such a positive way, from improving your mood and concentration to fuelling your body ready for the day.
With long working hours and busy social calendars living in London, sometimes sleep isn’t going to be your first priority. However, try to look at your schedule and see where you can add just a bit of extra sleep. This could be working from home one extra day and getting an extra hour of sleep, perhaps you go to the gym in the evening instead of the morning for an extra hour. Maybe you exercise during your lunch hour and then you can go to bed an hour early. This will completely depend on your routine, but have a look and see if there is anywhere you can gain a bit of extra sleep. Or, maybe if you find it hard to get to sleep quickly, switch off your phone earlier and read before bed, or take a relaxing bath, to help you get to sleep quicker and also to get into a deeper sleep. This is such a simple thing that you can do, but when you even add an hour of sleep a day, it will make so much difference.
