By Carla123x February 12, 2018 - 11:56am

We see some of them in our neighbourhood every day, whilst others we follow from afar on Instagram. At every single moment, we secretly hope to be like them.

I’m talking about the really healthy girls that make keeping fit look easy. I mean those girls that beg the question, “How do they do it?”

If you have asked yourself this question at one point or another - without coming up with an answer - today is your lucky day. I’m not talking about a ‘get fit quick’ scheme. There are millions of those on the internet. While there’s no one magic recipe to get fit and healthy, there are some really simple habits healthy women practice that keep them looking forever healthy and fit. Here are seven top habits you can adopt to help you get there and stay there.

1. They Eat Healthy Food

It goes without saying that to get a better body, you have to change your eating habits. I don’t mean going on a diet or starving yourself, but taking a look at what makes up your food tray and adopting healthier eating habits. This is very important if you want to lose weight and stay fit.

So how do you eat healthily? Your meal tray should contain colours. I’m talking protein, vitamins, greens and fibres. When you start eating meals like this, you’ll not only feel better, you’ll look better too.

Remember that healthy food is produced in your own kitchen. The demands of work and career may force you to eat out, but try as much as you can to eat meals that you cook yourself. If you consistently eat fast food or junk food, you will never get fit. These foods contain lots of stuff that isn’t very good for the body.

2. They Make Workout a Priority

Working out is a very important part of your fitness goal. Healthy women workout as often as they can, sometimes every day. Working out involves a lot more than going to the gym and having a go at the equipment. The secret is finding a plan that works and sticking to it. You need to know the right combination of squats, pushes and cardio to perform. Without an effective plan in place, you are simply wasting your time going to the gym. Don’t be like those girls who have no idea what muscle they’re working on.

Don’t know where to start? You can go to the NRPT website to look for a personal trainer in the UK that will create the right workout programme for you.

3. They stay hydrated

Most people don’t drink enough water, regardless of how many articles on the topic they read. Drinking a lot of water every day is great for your skin, apart from the obvious health benefits. Of course, you can still have your early morning mug of coffee, so long as it isn’t choked with syrups and creams, but try to limit your caffeine intake and consume more H2O. Another benefit of drinking water is that hydrated skin shows fewer wrinkles and reduces the appearance of cellulite.

So, how much water should you drink? You need to drink half of your bodyweight in fluids every day. If you are working out and sweating, then you may need to drink more.

4. They Consume Less Alcohol

Alcohol has a way of undermining your fitness efforts. Of course, you can have it once in a while, but you need to remember that alcohol is a full-calorie beverage and will definitely affect your plans for the next day’s workout, as you’ll likely be too tired to do anything. Fit and healthy women keep their alcohol intake to a minimum. You should too.

5. They Get Enough Sleep

Healthy women know that getting enough sleep is important for remaining fit and healthy. You need to have a minimum of eight hours sleep every day. If you deprive yourself of sleep, you are prone to becoming irritated and cranky throughout the day. You may even find yourself making unhealthy food choices - like grabbing that sugar cookie.

Most women may not be aware, but insufficient sleep can make you fat. When you consistently deprive yourself of much needed sleep, your body releases hormones that send hunger signals to your brain and cause you to store belly fat. So, sleeping not only gives your body time to rejuvenate, rest, build new muscle and relieve stress, it also helps keep belly fat at bay.

Healthy and fit women sleep away from their phones, in a nice warm bed, and in their favourite pajamas or lingerie. You may want to try it tonight.

6. They Have Fun

Ever heard the saying “All work and no play makes Jane a dull girl”? Go figure. Even healthy and fit women have a lot of activities lined up, such as work, family, cooking and exercising, but they also find time to have fun. In fact, they have loads of fun!

Being healthy is not about looking for that extra something that would bring stress into your life. It’s about finding a balance that fits into your lifestyle and makes you feel good about yourself and the world in general. Even if you work for a Fortune 500 company or go to the gym seven days a week, enjoy a brief moment of spontaneity and just let yourself go.

Sometimes, skipping the work and going on a movie night out with the girls is the healthiest thing you can do at the weekend.

7. They Invest in Clothes

How does this affect health? Research has shown that when you feel confident about the way you look, it translates into your performance. Ever noticed how confident you feel when you wear that gorgeous dinner gown for a date with your beau? You can just tell that every eye is on you, and unconsciously, your way of walking - and even talking - will change.

You may be surprised to know that the right workout clothes will do a lot for your exercise programme. Don’t take my word for it. Go shopping this weekend and do tell us about the difference.