Category: Healthy Living

If you are anything like me, there’s a good chance you find it hard to do the things you know are good for you.

We make a promise to ourselves to move more or eat better… but life always seems to get in the way.

One of the most useful tools I’ve come across for this is something called an implementation intention. It’s a simple idea: instead of just saying “I’ll do some mobility work tonight”, you tie the habit to a clear situation — “When X happens, I will do Y.”

Let me give you two examples from my own life:

• Evening mobility: “When the kids go to bed, I’ll do my 10-minute mobility routine.” It’s become automatic now — bedtime equals stretch time.

• Pull-ups at the clinic: “When I arrive at Leyton Osteopaths in the morning (Monday to Friday), I’ll do a set of pull-ups.” That one small action anchors my day and keeps me consistent.

It doesn’t sound like much, but linking a habit to a specific trigger makes it far more likely to happen — no willpower required.

You can try it yourself. Pick one simple thing that would help your body feel better — maybe standing up and moving every hour, or doing some gentle stretches before bed — and attach it to a clear moment in your day.

The goal isn’t perfection; it’s to make healthy habits fit naturally into your routine. And over time, those little actions really add up.

I’ve recently been reading a book called Arete: Activate Your Heroic Potential by Brian Johnson, and it’s packed with timeless wisdom about ‘living well’.

The direct translation of Arete is ‘virtue’ or ‘excellence’, but it has a deeper meaning. Something closer to ‘expressing the best version of yourself moment to moment to moment.

While the book covers many aspects of personal growth, it really drives home a powerful idea that resonated with me and chimes with my professional experience.

Having strategies in place to optimise your physical and mental health is the most sure fire way to show up consistently, as your best self.

Here are a few takeaways that I think are especially useful if you’re on a recovery journey, managing pain, or simply aiming to feel and function better:

1. Small wins lead to big changes

You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. Small improvements, making better choices and taking better actions moment to moment, implemented with consistency, add up to major transformations over time.

✅ Doing your rehab exercises for 5 minutes daily beats doing them once a week for 30.
✅ Getting to bed a little earlier or drinking more water might seem small, but it matters.

2. Energy is your foundation

Your physical energy affects everything — mood, motivation, healing, even decision-making. The book emphasises the “fundamentals”: movement, sleep, nutrition, breath, and mindset.

✅ When you take care of your body, you’re better equipped to show up for life — and for your recovery.

3. Choose the next best action

You don’t need to be “motivated” all the time — you just need to make the next good choice. Whether that’s standing up and moving, doing one stretch, or booking a follow-up appointment, forward progress is built one step at a time.

✅ Ask yourself: What’s the next best thing I can do right now for my health? Then do that.

Final Thought:

You don’t need to wait until you feel “ready” or “perfect” to improve your health — you just need to start where you are, do what you can, and commit to showing up regularly. That’s what Arete is all about — and it’s a powerful mindset for recovery, movement, and life.