New Health Tips We Can’t Wait to Try

Inspiring, motivating advice from our healthiest readers

• Never Stop Challenging Yourself
  When I started on my weight loss journey, I could barely walk across the parking lot. But before long, my walks didn’t feel tough enough anymore, so I tried my hand at running. Now you will find me placing in my division in a 5K. My healthy attitude comes from the confidence to try new things.

• Look on the Bright Side
  I believe that disease is your body’s way of sounding an alarm that some area needs more attention, more love. So I give my body a dozen roses every day with good food, herbs, exercise, and spirituality. For me, good health means having a love affair with life—and I’m smitten.
  —Toby Jenkins, 34, Alexandria, VA

• Start With One Simple Food Change
  For years I never imagined that I could lose weight, but one day I decided to stop drinking soda, and after a few weeks I lost 8 pounds without changing anything else. This made me realize I could go further.

• Always Try Something New
  I don't dwell on my age. I delight in new experiences.
  —Tao Porchon-Lynch, 91, White Plains, NY

• Build Exercise Into Your Day
  I shocked everyone when I decided to cycle 32 miles round trip, across state lines to and from work, rain or shine. I pushed my body to limits I never thought possible, and I never knew I could feel so awesome!
  —Elnora Weatherspoon, 37, Vancouver, WA

• Join a Team
  The September after my final surgery for breast cancer (I’d had seven!), I joined a women’s soccer team. To play soccer, you must be in good shape, so I added running and strength-training to my workouts.
  —Alexandra Duffy, 44, Laurel, MD

• Don't Ignore the Scale
  Think consciously about your weight so that you don't let five pounds turn into 50; it's much harder to take them off than put them on. Many people gain a little weight, then a little more, and then—wow—it's suddenly a problem!
  —Jennifer Chamberlain, 37, Blacklick, OH

• Believe in Miracles
  I learned the most important part of health: finding joy in every situation.
  —Caroline Stone, 24, Arlington, VA

• Cherish Every Day
  If you ever need a word of encouragement, Donna may tell you: You can have sad moments, but never waste a whole day. Every day there’s a beautiful sunrise and a beautiful sunset—and so many special moments in between.
  —Kim Page nominating her mother Donna Page, 73, Park

• Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
  I was obese and repeatedly failed at many attempts to lose weight. Last year, I wrote down short- and long-term goals that I wanted to accomplish. I cut out fast food and fried foods and started making and taking time out for myself. The gym has become my second home … fast-forward a year later, and I’m 95 pounds lighter and my cholesterol has dropped 100 points!
  —Jodi Dragonetti-Burdette, 38, Anderson, SC

• Find a Healthy Swap
  To use less refined sugar, sweeten foods with honey. I’m a backyard beekeeper, so I always have honey on hand.
  —Fran Dubicki, 59, Southport, CT

• Don't Act Your Age
  Have pets, they make you laugh; they make you sit in the grass and run through puddles.
  ——Geri O'Brien, 60, Cedar Knolls, NJ

• Work for Your Splurge Foods
  My mother’s one indulgence is ice cream, but she works hard to make it from scratch. Using an ice cream maker that’s been in our family for more than 60 years, she and her grandkids take turns at the muscle-creating crank. Everyone must help. There’s nothing like burning a few calories before being rewarded with my mother's rich and creamy ice cream!
  —Miriam Pizana nominating her mother, Irma Gisstennar, Detroit, MI

• Turn a Hobby Into a Passion
  My concept of good health changed dramatically after I started swimming: My knee and degenerative joint disease of the hips are now stable, my asthma is better than ever, and I no longer need heart medication. I found the fountain of youth. The key is to swim in it, not drink it.
  —Jane Birkhead, 69, Arlington, TX