5 healthy daily habits you can start today to make your life more active and more rewarding than before. Establishing a healthy daily routine is a simple yet effective way to build consistency when it comes to your health.

Not only does your daily routine affect your overall health, it has a direct impact on your stress levels, sleeping habits and eating patterns. Everything from the first thing you do in the morning to what you do late at night plays a role in your overall health.

Here are 5 healthy daily habits that will change your life

Although it can be tempting to change everything at once, focusing on small habits and doing them on a daily basis is the best way to make healthy daily habits last in the long run.

1. Get up early

Well, you don’t need to get up and shine with the sun every morning, but getting up at a decent hour (early) is essential for optimal health. The human body and brain have evolved to follow a circadian rhythm that helps regulate sleep and wake patterns determined by our natural environment, specifically sunrise and sunset.

This natural circadian rhythm is also consistent with the body’s natural cortisol levels: a hormone well known for its role in metabolism, the immune system, stress response, and energy levels. In a balanced state, cortisol levels begin to rise 2-3 hours after we start sleeping and continue to rise until early morning helping to wake us up.

Cortisol levels in the body will peak around 8:30 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. and continue to decline gradually as the day goes on. Therefore, following the body’s natural circadian rhythm and cortisol levels is a simple way to maximize energy levels, productivity, and overall health.

2. Drink water before anything else

Staying hydrated is vital to our health and although we have heard it many times, it is often overlooked. Our bodies are made up of 60% water, and not drinking enough water can lead to more than just dehydration. In fact, lower levels of dehydration are associated with fatigue, headaches, and increased cravings.

Although it is essential to drink water throughout the day, one of the best (and easiest) times to drink water is first thing in the morning. So, before you start sipping on your morning drink, drink a glass of water. Not only is it refreshing, it can help rehydrate the body while aiding in digestion and metabolism at the same time.

3. Make time to exercise regularly

Humans are designed to move but as we create more sedentary lifestyles, we are moving less and less. Many of us work sitting, travel sitting, and relax sitting, so it is becoming more and more important to devise ways of movement because it no longer occurs naturally. Gone are the days when our daily life included manual labor and, therefore, we must dedicate a specific time to the life of movement.

Exercise has tremendous health benefits for both the body and the mind and there are many different ways to create movement in your day. Whether you like biking, swimming, dancing, or going to the gym, it is essential to find a type of movement that you enjoy and make time for it daily.

4. Spending free time with the ones you love in the fresh air

Getting fresh air regularly is one of the easiest ways to improve your overall health. Exposure to sunlight enables the body to produce vitamin D, which has been shown to have many essential functions in the body. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to fatigue, a weak immune system, bone and back pain, low mood and depression.

Ironically, vitamin D is one of the most popular supplement vitamins, while daily exposure to sunlight can be a simple solution to this concern. So, whether it’s spring, summer, winter or fall, make sure you spend some time outside every day.

5. Always have all your meals seated.

When it’s time to eat, sit down. Not only does sitting help ensure that we don’t carelessly eat in front of the pantry, but eating while sitting helps support digestion. Eating while sitting forces you to slow down and chew the food you eat, which is the first (and most important) step in the digestive process.

The act of sitting also helps ensure that the body is in a better position for the digestive system. So, if you constantly find yourself chewing everywhere in the house, implement this simple guideline for eating while seated to help raise awareness of your food and your health.