Healthy living should be fun, not a chore. So while apartment living might not seem ideal to stay healthy, it can be with the right equipment and focus.
Your body and mind are the most important things you have, so it is essential to take care of them. Getting into a healthy routine isn’t hard; it just takes some getting used to.
Here are some easy-to-follow guidelines to help.
Declutter often
Apartments are tiny, so a small mess can look like a big mess pretty quickly, so the easiest way to keep your apartment clean is to declutter often.
Some of the best ways I have found to do this is to
- Clean at least twice a day. Cleaning a small mess a couple of times a day is more accessible than cleaning one big mess, so clean multiple times a day to cut down on the amount of cleaning.
- Wash dishes as soon as you use them. Again the size of clutter is the problem we want to solve here. Cleaning up 1 or 2 dishes as soon as you are done only takes a minute, and if you put it off until later, you will wish you would have done it earlier.
- Suppose you have roommates, set rules. Having multiple people in a small living space can be a headache when only one person keeps your apartment clean. Set some ground rules such as never leaving dishes in the sink, cleaning up any trash you have, and figuring out who’s job is to sweep the floor and at what time.
Eat at home
One of the most straightforward and satisfying things you can do is to cook your food. Unfortunately, while fast food is easy, it is also unhealthy and expensive.
If you don’t know how to cook, one option is to subscribe to a subscription service where meals are delivered to you along with recipes to cook.
Another option is to look up quick healthy recipes on Google, Youtube, and Pinterest. You will never run out of meal ideas to cook, and you can also see what others are saying about these recipes, so you know beforehand how they will turn out.
Hit the gym running
Going to the gym and eating healthy go hand in hand. Going to the gym isn’t as easy as it used to be since the pandemic hit, though.
Instead of going to the gym, you can turn your apartment space into a mini gym by buying basic workout equipment. Some workout basics include a gym mat, dumbbells, kettlebells, and medicine balls.
Download an app like Bodyspace, Pear Personal Fitness Coach, or P90X, to name a few, and now you can save money and time while getting fit.
Stay on the move
Sitting on the couch and watching T.V. is comfortable, and it’s easy to fall into the trap of coming home and doing nothing. It’s not the best use of your time, though, and before you know, you might have spent a couple of hours just sitting around.
The best thing to do is create a routine for yourself where you are walking, jogging, or anything else that requires physical activity. Then the next thing you know, you will be in great shape, and your time is now productive instead of wasted.
Meditate
To many people, meditation sounds hokey pokey. But it did for me anyway until I tried it. At first, I didn’t see any results, but I started to like meditating over a couple of weeks, and I couldn’t wait to do it again.
Meditating is all about clearing your mind and getting to know yourself. We have so many things that grab our attention now that we don’t even think about ourselves, let alone work on our minds instead of letting other people influence what we think.
Download an app that will walk you thru meditating. Headspace and the Calm app will guide you through the steps you need to take and progress as you get better. There are also some guided meditations on Youtube that are free to use.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of healthy apartment living, but doing these things can make your life easier, and you will feel much better because you did them.