It’s never too soon to start taking charge of your health, but the middle years are when the impact will be the greatest. Life may become increasingly busy, but just stay committed to your healthy intentions.  It takes many years for chronic diseases, which are mostly preventable,  to develop.  The more “deposits” you make in your health account, the better off your future self will be. Keeping your future self in mind is always a motivating way to think about the choices you are making today.

• One of the most important guards to future health is exercise, both cardio and weight bearing. Walking is wonderful, but try to add some weight lifting.  In Younger Next Year, the authors give inspiring examples who maintain impressive exercise regimes that keep them young and strong. These two words are almost synonymous.

• Start eating at home more. If you feel like you don’t have the time to cook or eat more fruits and vegetables and rely on heavily processed food for convenience, imagine the health consequences and picture your best possible health in the future.

• Find peers who share the same goals, so you’re not trying to do this alone. There is so much research that exercising with others is very healing. Exercise with others sometimes as a habit. You may be going against the grain since people may not understand why this is so important to you in your social circles and you may need fitness buddies to keep you motivated.

I want to be able to travel and take part in my favorite activities for as long as humanly possible, so I keep this picture in mind when I don’t feel like exercising. On some days, rain is enough to give me an easy excuse, but those instances are becoming rarer.

It’s the small habits of health (your “healthy piggy bank”) that build up over a lifetime that will help you maintain your best health. Start today wherever you are at, so your future self will thank you!