Lifestyle Modification

Physical Activity

Remember that doing any physical activity is better than doing none at all.

Strive for progress not perfection.

Get rid of the ‘all or nothing’ mentality.

Embrace the health and wellness benefits that you will achieve from your physical activity.

The current Australian Government Guidelines include the following recommendations:

• Be active on most, preferably all, days every week
• Accumulate 150 to 300 minutes (2 ½ to 5 hours) of moderate intensity physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes (1 ¼ to 2 ½ hours) of vigorous intensity physical activity, or an equivalent combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week
• Do muscle strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week
• Reduce sedentary behaviour, and break up prolonged periods of sitting as often as possible

Dietary changes/healthy eating

Our aim is to promote health and wellbeing, and reduce the chance of developing diet-related chronic diseases. It is not about being on a diet, but rather about making healthier food choices.

Don’t let fad diets and quick fixes confuse you.

Nourish your body.

Empower yourself to make choices.

The Australian Dietary Guidelines include the following principles:

• To achieve and maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and choose amounts of nutritious food and drinks to meet your energy needs
• Enjoy a wide variety of nutritious foods from all of the five groups every day
• Limit intake of foods containing saturated fat, added salt, added sugars and alcohol
• Reduce sugar sweetened drinks as there is a definite association between the consumption of these drinks and the risk of excessive weight gain in both children and adults

Motivation/Behavioural change

Motivation for lifestyle changes will always fluctuate.

Set realistic goals and celebrate achievements along the way.

Don't try to change everything at once.

Plan for setbacks and work on coping strategies.

Remember that this is about making sustainable changes to your lifestyle to improve your overall health.

You don’t need to aim for perfection, even small changes can make a difference in the long run.

Sometimes individuals may need some extra help to stay motivated, or deal with underlying feelings of depression or anxiety. This may include speaking to a GP, a counsellor, a life coach or even using an online app such as Smiling Mind.