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Being healthier is about feeling better physically, nutritionally and mentally. Sometimes it can feel like too much of a challenge to lead a healthier lifestyle, and it can be difficult to kick old habits. But you don’t have to change everything at once. What’s more, there are some really simple switches you can make that will put you on the right path to healthier living.

1. Start Walking

If you’re a little out of shape, the thought of introducing exercise into your daily routine can feel like you have a mountain to climb. It’s actually better not to push yourself too hard too fast. Gradually building up your fitness and strength is more likely to have lasting effects. And you’ll be more likely to stick to the routine long term too.

Make a simple change in your life by introducing 30 minutes of walking into your day. Instead of sitting down to watch an episode of your favorite TV show, go for a walk instead. Alternatively, walk to the store and back for a couple of essential supplies instead of driving. You’ll start to look forward to your daily walk, and will gradually want to build up your stamina as a result.

2. Drink Water

It’s true that water is the key to life. When people want to get fit, they often overlook the fact that something as simple as drinking more water can really help. Water enables every cell in your body to function properly. Drink too little of it, and everything will start to work a little sluggishly, making you feel lethargic too.

An easy change to make is to swap a few of your usual drinks, such as juice or coffee, for glasses of water instead. You may think you need the sugar or caffeine to feel good, but you’ll start to realize water gives you the best balance. Adding a reverse osmosis system to your tap will ensure you remove pollutants too, giving you the healthiest drink possible.

3. Fresher Breakfasts

It is said that breakfast helps set you up for the day. And when you’re trying to be healthier, making your day start better with a nutritious breakfast gives you a great boost. It’ll also make you want to be healthier for the rest of the day.

Instead of reaching for sugared cereal or sugary spreads on toast, switch to a nutritious muesli or avocado on toast instead. The preparation time is almost the same, but you’ll avoid a sugar crash later in the morning that will make you want to reach for yet more refined sugar. If you like to prepare your breakfast the night before, natural yogurt mixed with a handful of fresh fruit is a good option.

4. Choose Sleep

Getting enough sleep is crucial for the mind and body. Everyone needs around eight hours of good quality sleep a night – you may even find you feel best with a little more than this. Getting better sleep reduces your risk of being overweight and it lowers your likelihood of suffering from mental health issues.

If you’re not getting enough sleep, take a serious look at what you can do to change this. It might be as simple as watching television for an hour less in the evening. Or it may take more planning to do everything you need to do in a day and get to bed on time. But whenever you can, make getting enough sleep a priority.

5. High Calorie Losers

When people get serious about losing weight or being healthier, they start paying attention to the caloric value of all their usual foods. Many people are doing this for the very first time, when they’ve finally had enough of their old ways and want to make a noticeable change. Often, the number of calories in some foods can come as a surprise.

A great kick-start to a healthy eating regime is to identify the foods you regularly consume, and what the calorific value of each is. This can be done by keeping a food diary for a few days, or a week, depending on how much your diet varies from day to day. Then take the three foods with the highest calorie count, and find a substitution for them.

This doesn’t necessarily mean giving up the foods you love either. It could be as simple as swapping a milkshake for a frozen yogurt ice cream sweetened with just natural fruits. Or swapping fries for a handful of your favorite nuts.

6. Take a Supplement

Many of us don’t get all the nutrients we need from food. Taking something to supplement the nutrition you get in your diet can give your health a noticeable boost. Multivitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and fish oils are the most popular for aiding generally better health. Probiotics are also good for maintaining a healthy gut, which has a knock-on effect to the rest of your health.