Getting Started on Your Own: A Simple Plan for a Healthier Routine

Start with one change, not ten

Changing everything at once is hard to keep up. A habit is something you do almost automatically, and building one takes repetition.

A 2024 review of 20 studies on health habits, from exercise and healthy eating to drinking water and flossing, found that habits can start to form in about two months. The typical time in the studies that measured it was 59 to 66 days, but it ranged from 4 days to almost a year from person to person. Habits that people chose for themselves, and ones practiced in the morning, tended to be stronger.

So pick one change you actually want, attach it to a fixed time of day, and give it a couple of months before you judge it or add the next.

Move more: any amount counts

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are clear that some activity is better than none, and that even 5 minutes has real health benefits. You don't need to exercise in long blocks anymore: the current guidelines dropped the old rule that only bouts of 10 minutes or more count.

Inactive people should start low and go slow, and a 10-minute walk after one meal a day is a perfectly good first habit. Here is what to build toward over weeks or months:

• 150 to 300 minutes a week of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, such as running
• Muscle-strengthening activities for all the major muscle groups on at least 2 days a week: weights, resistance bands, or body-weight moves like push-ups and planks
• Less sitting throughout the day
• For adults over 65, balance training as part of the weekly mix
• To judge your effort, use the guidelines' talk test: at a moderate intensity you can talk but not sing

Eat: build meals around real food

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, sum it up as eating real food. Pick one of the points below to start, for example adding a vegetable to lunch every day, rather than changing your whole diet in one week. For a 2,000-calorie day the guidelines suggest:

• A high-quality protein food at every meal, from eggs, poultry, seafood or meat to beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and soy
• About 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit, eaten throughout the day
• 2 to 4 servings of whole grains, in place of refined ones like white bread and packaged breakfast foods
• Fewer highly processed foods, and no more than 10 grams of added sugars in any one meal

Drink: make water the default

The same guidelines recommend choosing water, still or sparkling, and unsweetened drinks, and avoiding sugar-sweetened drinks such as sodas, fruit drinks and energy drinks. If you drink 100% juice, keep portions small or dilute it with water. They also advise drinking less alcohol for better overall health.

Swapping one sugary drink a day for water is one of the easiest first habits to keep, because it doesn't take any extra time.

Sleep: protect at least 7 hours

The CDC says adults ages 18 to 60 need 7 or more hours of sleep a night. A fixed wake-up time, even on weekends, gives the rest of your routine an anchor. If you want a wind-down routine to fall asleep faster, see our 12-minute guide in the sleep section.

If you use tobacco, get free help

Quitting is one of the biggest health changes you can make, and you don't have to do it alone. Calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) connects you to your state's free quitline, where a trained counselor helps you make a plan. Smokefree.gov, from the National Cancer Institute, also offers live chat and free text-message programs. For help in Spanish, call 1-855-DÉJELO-YA (1-855-335-3569).

Keep track the simple way

• Write your one habit at the top of a calendar or a note on your phone, and check off each day you do it.
• If you miss a day, pick it up the next day rather than starting over.
• After about two months, if it feels automatic, add the next habit from the list above.
• Make it easy to do and hard to skip: walking shoes by the door, a filled water bottle on your desk, vegetables washed and ready in the fridge.

When to check with a doctor first

The guidelines say physical activity can be safe for almost everyone. If you have a chronic condition or symptoms, such as chest pain, shortness of breath or joint problems, ask a health care provider which types and amounts of activity suit you. The same goes for big changes to your diet if you have diabetes, kidney disease or take regular medication. During pregnancy, stay under the care of a health care provider who can advise you on activity.

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