Every time you turn on the TV, open a magazine, look at a billboard, go on the computer, or anything of the sort, fitness propaganda is practically shoved down your throat. Advertisements for the latest dieting tricks or exercise equipment are everywhere you go, and it can be incredibly overwhelming. You see all of those success stories on commercials, but then you start to wonder: is this actually worth my time and money? In my honest opinion, no. Throwing hundreds, even thousands, of dollars into some pills that make you shed thirty pounds in a month or some machine that gives you Jennifer Lopez’s legs in a week isn’t worth the investment. These may have short term results, but in the long run, it won’t do you much good. The best place to start is to make adjustments to your daily routine that will all add up to a healthier lifestyle.

Getting in a good half hour to an hour of daily exercise is an excellent place to start. It could be as simple as taking the stairs rather than the elevator or walking your dog around the neighborhood. I find that exercising with my friends makes it far more enjoyable. Little things like getting together to play tennis, ride bikes, or go to the lake are all really fun activities, but at the same time, they all add up to helping you stay healthy. For those of you in high school, why not join a sport? I’m definitely not a runner, but I joined track anyway. It was an excellent opportunity for me to stay in shape, and I had a lot of friends in it with me to push me along. There is an abundance of teams out there to join even if you’re not looking to compete at a high level.

Just exercising alone isn’t necessarily going to make you an incredibly healthy person. The food you put into your body has a lot to do with the energy you can get out of it. As nice as it’d be to eat Zebra Cakes all day long and still be able to feel energetic and happy, that’s sadly not the case. I’m not saying that it’s never a good idea to have dessert, but limiting yourself isn’t going to hurt. There are tons of foods out there that taste amazing and are still healthy for you, believe it or not. Fish, nuts, fruits, vegetables, etc. are all nutritious foods that taste good by themselves or in a dish. There are plenty of recipes out there that can make “icky” foods taste incredible. For instance, I had never been a fan of asparagus. It’s a vegetable. Gross, right? That’s what I thought until I steamed it and ate it with some salmon. This, along with billions of other ideas, can be found at the click of a button online.

There are many small changes we can make in our lives to promote a healthy lifestyle. Rather than blowing money on the latest diet fad, try picking up a new sport or swapping your chocolate pudding for a Greek yogurt. You’ll be amazed at how good you’ll feel once you start making a few healthy changes.