Sustainable Health: Building lasting habits beyond new year resolutions

Every January, gyms fill up, kitchen pantries are restocked with “healthy” foods, and motivation is at an all‑time high. New Year resolutions feel exciting and full of promise. Yet, by February or March, many of these goals quietly fade away.

The issue is not lack of motivation or discipline, it is the way most health goals are designed. Extreme diets, rigid workout plans, and unrealistic routines are difficult to sustain alongside busy work schedules, family responsibilities, and everyday stress. “Most people don’t fail at their health goals because they don’t care. They fail because the plan they’re following doesn’t fit their real life,” says Bhawna Nihalani, , Holistic Health & Wellness Coach.

Why most fitness resolutions don’t last

Many people start the year aiming for perfection, daily intense workouts, strict meal plans, and drastic lifestyle changes. While this can work short‑term, it often leads to burnout, guilt, and eventual inconsistency.

True health is built through habits that feel manageable, flexible, and repeatable — not through all‑or‑nothing thinking. “Sustainable health is about consistency, not intensity. Small actions done daily are far more powerful than short bursts of motivation,” Bhawna explains.

Food habits you can actually sustain

Rather than following restrictive diets, sustainable nutrition focuses on simple, practical food habits that support energy, digestion, and long‑term well-being.

Some examples include:

• Eating regular, balanced meals instead of skipping meals

• Ensuring you include fibre, protein, and whole foods at every meal

• Staying well hydrated with water or herbal teas throughout the day

• Avoiding aerated drinks or junk food on a regular basis

• Eat slowly and chew food properly

• Stop eating when comfortably full, not stuffed

• Avoid caffeine on an empty stomach

• Finish dinner at least 2–3 hours before bedtime

• Plan simple nourishing meals for the week rather than chasing complicated recipes

• Eliminate the guilt associated with “cheat meals” and learn to relish your “treat meal”

These habits are easier to maintain and help stabilise blood sugar, reduce cravings, and support gut health. “When people stop chasing perfect diets and start focusing on everyday food habits, they notice better energy, fewer cravings, and a healthier relationship with food,” Bhawna shares.

Fitness that fits into real life

Exercise does not have to mean long gym sessions or intense workouts. In fact, many people benefit more from consistent daily movement than from occasional high‑intensity training.

Sustainable fitness can include:

• Short walks during the workday

• Taking the stairs to reach the home/ office instead of the elevators

• Gentle stretching or mobility exercises in the morning or evening

• Strength training a 2-3 times a week

• Simple movement routines at the start or end of the day

• Add short movement breaks during work hours

• Do mobility exercises while watching TV

• Focus on consistency over intensity

• Move after meals to aid digestion

• Choose physical activities you enjoy, e.g. dancing, swimming, padel tennis, etc.

Movement supports metabolism, improves digestion, boosts mood, and enhances overall energy. “Movement should energise you, not exhaust you. When fitness fits into your lifestyle, it becomes something you look forward to, not something you avoid,” says Bhawna.

Habit stacking: The key to long‑term change

One of the most effective ways to build sustainable food and fitness habits is through habit stacking — a method that links new habits to existing routines.

Instead of creating completely new schedules, habit stacking works by attaching a new healthy behaviour to something you already do every day.

For example:

• Taking a short walk after every meal

• Practising deep breathing while waiting for your morning tea or coffee

• Doing calf stretches while sitting at your office desk

• Drink water immediately after brushing your teeth

• Stretch for 2 minutes after waking up and before bedtime

• Do mobility exercises during TV time

• Plan or prepare the next day’s meals while cooking dinner

• Reflect on the day while brushing teeth at night

• Adding a short stretch after brushing your teeth

• Doing calf raises while scrolling your phone

This approach reduces resistance and makes habits feel automatic over time. “Habit stacking works because it respects how busy people already are. You don’t add stress — you simply upgrade existing routines,” Bhawna explains.

Building habits that last beyond January

The most successful health journeys are built gradually. When food and fitness habits feel achievable, people are more likely to stay consistent even when motivation dips.

By focusing on small changes, personalisation, and realistic routines, health becomes a natural part of daily life — not a seasonal resolution. “Health is not something you switch on in January and forget by March. It’s a relationship you build with your body, one habit at a time,” Bhawna concludes. Instead of chasing the next diet or fitness trend, the real secret to lasting health lies in sustainable habits that work in everyday life.

When food choices and movement routines are realistic, personalised, and built through habit stacking, health goals stop feeling temporary, and start becoming a way of life.