health

4 Daily Habits That Lead to Outsized Returns in Health and Fitness

When it comes to health and fitness, there are countless approaches out there. Keto, CrossFit, intermittent fasting, 75 Hard, Orange Theory, macro tracking—the list goes on. Each method promises results and a better way forward. But here’s the thing: beneath all the branding, the buzzwords, and the specific protocols, the successful ones all have something in common.

They’re rooted in the same fundamental principles.

What makes one approach work for someone and not for someone else often comes down to personal preference, lifestyle, and consistency—but the foundational habits? They’re universal. They’re the building blocks of any lasting transformation.

At CrossFit Northland, we like to keep it simple by focusing on four key areas:

Sleep. Eat. Move. Manage.

These pillars provide a framework for creating a healthy and sustainable lifestyle. And the beauty of them is that they’re adaptable. You don’t need to overhaul your life overnight. You don’t need to find the “perfect” program. You just need to start.

Each section has a brief overview of why it’s important. For more on this, go here.

After each overview there is a section for options for daily actions that lead to better health and fitness outcomes over the long term. If there are any that you knee jerk reaction away from, note that. Maybe worth coming back to later. For now, select 1 or 2 that seem very doable to you or create a list of your own. We’ll come back and whittle that down later.

Let’s get into it…

Sleep: Your body doesn’t thrive on willpower alone. It needs recovery.

Prioritize consistent, quality sleep—even 30 minutes more per night can make a difference.

  • No alcohol or THC before bed
  • Get to bed by ____ time, wake up by ____ time (9p/5a, 10p/6a, etc)
  • Do 5-10 minutes of mobility or stretching before bed
  • Take a warm bath before bed
  • Read 5-10 minutes of a calming book
  • No phone/screen time 30 minutes before bed

Eat – Nutrition and Hydration: Skip the extremes and focus on balance.

Add a vegetable to your plate, drink more water, or swap one processed snack for something whole.

  • No sweet treats
  • No drinking calories
  • Increase your vegetable intake at lunch and dinner
  • Include 30g of protein at all three meals throughout the day
  • Eat at a table, undistracted
  • Eat slowly and to 80% full

Movement: the body was designed to be moved daily.

This doesn’t mean you need to crush a two-hour workout every day. It could be a 15-minute walk, stretching, or a quick set of squats and push-ups. Just move.

  • 1 hour of movement
  • 3-10 minute walks
  • Daily mobility practice
  • Group class

Manage: Stress is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to control you. Some of it is actually good for you. But we need to manage how much of the “bad” stress we’re getting.

Carve out time to breathe, journal, or connect with someone who uplifts you. Managing stress is as important as any workout.

  • Write 250 words
  • 10-minute meditation practice
  • Moderate sun exposure
  • Enjoy time in nature
  • Deep breathing
  • Snuggling with a loved one or pet
  • Non-competitive play
  • Yoga or slow, easy stretching

So here’s your challenge:

Choose three or four habits (one from each section)—habits you can realistically commit to on a daily basis would be best. Maybe it’s drinking a glass of water when you wake up, walking after dinner, shutting down screens 30 minutes before bed, and writing down three things you’re grateful for. I don’t need you to commit to the big “never could I ever” habits right now. That’s a great option for a few iterations down the line.

Here’s your tasking, though. Do each of those things daily for the next 4 weeks. What do you think could change?

Every day, do something that moves you closer to health, happiness, and living the life you’ve dreamed of living. It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be done.

Small, consistent actions create momentum. And momentum creates change.

So what’s it going to be? What three or four things will you commit to today? You might just find that the simplest shifts lead to the biggest transformations.

Start here

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