The right home tools for a healthier lifestyle

(BPT) - Even with the best intentions, many of us who resolve to live a healthier lifestyle in 2013 will fall back into old, familiar habits much sooner than we would like. To maintain motivation and create a routine that is both sustainable and effective, it’s important to invest in the right tools for every room in your house.

Kitchen

Diet is key to overall wellness, and proper nutrition will help you remain energized and motivated to make other healthy strides. Unfortunately, some think making healthy meals is too time consuming and often make less nutritious decisions in the name of convenience. But with the right tools, creating a wide variety of tasty, wholesome options is quick and simple. With a high-performance blender like the Vitamix 7500, you can make nutrient-packed green smoothies, steaming hot soups and healthy frozen treats in minutes. Simply toss whole fruits or vegetables into the Vitamix, choose the settings, and in a matter of seconds the machine’s unmatched power and versatility will create dishes that taste great and are good for you. The new 7500 model also features easy controls and a compact design that will fit into most kitchen spaces - as well as your new healthy lifestyle.

Bathroom

That old bathroom scale won’t do you any good if it isn’t accurate. To monitor the benefits of your healthy habits and find motivation to continue to make health-conscious choices, invest in a new digital scale. Although many scales come with additional features, such as body-index calculators and memory storage of your latest weigh-ins, consistent readings are the most important way to follow your progress. There’s no need to spend a fortune on a new tracking tool as long as your new scale is easy to read and operate, and gets high marks for accuracy. If your bathroom storage space is limited, seemingly endless styles and sizes ensure that you can find a scale that fits any decor.

Bedroom

Sleep is crucial to living well, and making sure your body is well rested will help every other aspect of your healthy efforts. Having a supportive but comfortable mattress and pillow will do more than you may think to help your body get the renewing rest it needs. If you wake up with aches and pains, can feel coils, see depressions in the surface or have had your current mattress for more than 10 years, you likely need to purchase a new one. There are many types of mattresses to choose from, including innerspring, foam, no-flip and pillowtop selections. After researching your options, go to a store to test mattresses before purchasing to ensure you are getting exactly what you want. Carefully read the instructions to care for your new mattress properly and make sure your bed pillows are supportive of the neck and head for a superior night’s sleep.

Closet

Exercise is important to a healthy lifestyle, and the right shoes are essential to any fitness routine. Whether you take an aerobics class, run, bicycle or play a competitive sport, proper athletic shoes will provide the support and protection you need. The wrong type or improperly fitting shoes can cause serious discomfort and even injury, making this a vital component of your fitness plan. Not all athletic shoes offer the same benefits, so don’t purchase walking shoes to also act as running shoes, basketball shoes or for any other physical activity use. And despite common belief, adult feet do grow and change, so don’t assume you are the same size you were last year. Even if you plan to purchase online, go into a sports shoe store with knowledgeable staff to ensure you find the right features and fit.

Armed with the right tools, you can reach your health goals and reap the benefits of a healthier lifestyle throughout the year, and beyond.