It’s easy to get isolated in the walls of your own country and remain completely oblivious to what the rest of the world is doing on any given day. For instance, did you know that in Japan, the national radio station plays 15 minutes of exercise music each morning to encourage people to get up and move as part of their morning routine? How cool is that?

A recent article on Oprah.com inspired us to take a look at the fitness habits of people around the world and how we can learn from their healthy ways.

Netherlands: The Dutch love their bikes and not only use them for commuting, but also running errands and shopping around town. Can you believe that more than half the population of Amsterdam rides a bike daily, compared to less than two percent of Americans? How embarrassing! Especially considering biking has such great health benefits like increased leg strength and cardiovascular endurance. And with findings from a recent academic study deeming the benefits of cycling far outweigh the risks of exposure to pollution or accidents, all excuses are out the window. But if commuting on a bike isn’t feasible, take an evening bike ride with your family, or use your wheels to run local errands and explore new parts of your city.
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You try to eat healthy and lose weight but inevitably, end up falling short. Frustrated as to why? A recent article from CNN hopes to dig up some answers by examining the 5 habits of highly successful dieters.

In addition to the scientific evidence backing all of the article’s findings, I can personally attest to the success of these strategies as someone who has achieved a 20-lb. weight loss and maintained it for 5+ years now.

Of the habits listed in the article, I especially agreed with the last one which is all about willpower. I think you really have to want to be healthy to achieve it. You don’t just wake up one day a healthy person. You have to work for it and keep working for it every day, forging new and healthy habits. And although it’s hard work, the benefits are absolutely worth it.

Strategy # 1 – Be specific and set specific goals. If you want to lose weight, pick your goal weight and begin working toward that. If you want to run a 10K, get a running plan in place. Otherwise your goals remain out of reach.
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