The Healthy Lifestyle Checklist: 10 Habits That Actually Move the Needle
Let’s be honest—living a healthy lifestyle has gotten way too complicated.
One scroll through Instagram and you’ll think you need to wake up at 4am, cold plunge for mental toughness, add six powders to your coffee, and never eat bread again if you want to be fit.
But the truth?
Most of that stuff is noise.
If you’re in your 30s or 40s and just want to look good, feel strong, and stay healthy for the long haul—you don’t need hacks. You need habits.
And not 27 of them. Just the right ones.
In this article, we’re giving you a no-fluff checklist of 10 practical things you can focus on to build a strong, healthy lifestyle—based on the Pareto Principle: the idea that 80% of your results come from 20% of your effort.
By the way… I’m Jonathan. My wife Blakley and I own Digital Barbell. For over a decade, we’ve been helping hard-working people get strong, fit, and look like they work out without getting bored, hurt, or wondering what to do. Our clients are all over the world, and we coach them all online. Check out our Podcast on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube.
Since our coaching business is online, we live, work, and travel full-time in our Airstream.
Somewhere in TX coaching our amazing clients
Let’s get into it.
1. Lift Something Heavy 2–4 Times Per Week
Muscle isn’t just for looking good in a t-shirt.
Strength training protects your joints, boosts your metabolism, improves insulin sensitivity, and helps you age like a boss. Regular strength training is hands down one of the best investments you can make in your long-term health.
No, you don’t have to live in the gym or become a powerlifter. You just need a solid plan and consistent effort.
Lifting “heavy” means lifting weights that are heavy for your current abilities. Aim for sets that area really challenging by 5-8 reps per set, not 20+.
We even wrote a FREE 5-Week Program you can follow! Download it HERE.
2. Walk Every Day
Walking is one of the most underrated tools for improving your health, managing stress, and supporting fat loss.
Shoot for 7,000–10,000 steps per day, and let your body thank you later.
Measure how many steps you’re getting perBonus: it’s also a great time to catch up on your favorite podcast (we know a good one 😉).
3. Eat Protein at Every Meal
Protein helps you build and maintain muscle, keeps you fuller longer, and even burns more calories during digestion compared to carbs or fat.
Aim for about a palm-sized portion at every meal. Think: eggs, chicken, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, protein shakes, ground beef—you’ve got options.
If you want to improve your body composition, adopting a moderate to high-protein diet is clutch!
To see exactly how much protein we recommend for you and your goals, grab our free calculator HERE.
4. Sleep Like It’s Your Job
If you’re chronically underslept, no supplement or training program will save you.
Aim for 7–9 hours per night. Set a bedtime. Keep your room cool and dark. And yes, put your phone away at least 30 minutes before bed. You’ll feel better, perform better, and recover faster.
It’s not sexy, but it works!
5. Have a Plan for Your Training
Random workouts give you random results.
Whether you train at home or in a gym, follow a program designed to help you build strength, increase work capacity, and avoid burnout. (Need help with that? That’s literally what we do.)
Check out our program pricing and options HERE.
6. Make Water Your Default Drink
No shade to coffee or the occasional fun beverage—but if you're not drinking enough water, you're sabotaging your energy, digestion, recovery, and performance.
Get yourself a big insulated bottle. Fill it up. Repeat.
Over half of your body is water, which is why humans function better when they’re not chronically dehydrated.
7. Track Progress (Without Obsessing)
Motivation comes from momentum. But if you’re not tracking anything, it’s hard to see the wins.
That doesn’t mean you have to weigh yourself every day. Track your strength gains, how your clothes fit, progress photos, how you feel—just track something!
8. Ditch the All-or-Nothing Mentality
After coaching over 1,000 people, we can tell you that nothing will crush your progress more than a perfectionist mindset.
You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be consistent.
Missing a workout or eating a donut isn’t failure—it’s part of life. Don’t start over every Monday. Just get back on track and keep going. Progress lives in the grey area.
9. Protect Your Mental Bandwidth
What you let into your brain affects your body.
If your social feed is full of toxic comparison or “do-this-or-die” fitness advice, unfollow it. Make space for real-life conversations, boredom, and rest. Mental clarity makes everything else easier.
10. Focus on the Big Rocks, Not the Pebbles
Here’s the truth:
You can skip the cold plunge, ignore the fasting windows, and say no to “fat-burning” pills.
If you’re doing the 20% of habits that matter most—like the ones in this list—you’re going to feel better, look better, and live longer than 90% of people who are still chasing shortcuts.
Final Thoughts
This checklist isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about identifying where you’re falling short, taking small steps forward, and letting momentum build. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life—just pick 2–3 of these and commit to getting consistent.
You’ll be amazed how quickly things shift.
And if you want support with putting this into practice—training, nutrition, accountability—we’re here to help. Learn more about working with us here →
Until next time,
Lift heavy, and be nice.
Jonathan
