Health News with Steven and Mady - Part 2 Healthy Habits That Actually Stick

What if your health didn’t depend on feeling motivated? We dig into the quiet power of systems—tiny, consistent habits that ride on routines you already have—so progress becomes automatic instead of emotional. Think coffee brewing as your cue for a one-minute meditation, brushing your teeth as the trigger for a glass of water, or bedtime as the signal to read one page. Habit stacking lowers friction and turns choices into defaults, helping you keep going long after the New Year buzz fades.

We also reframe movement in a way that actually fits real life. Movement includes walking, gardening, housework, and play; exercise is the structured version for fitness gains. Both improve heart health, muscle and bone strength, mood, and focus. We share clear targets—around 150 minutes of moderate activity per week plus two strength sessions—along with simple ways to get started today: brisk walk breaks, desk stretches, short yoga bursts, and active chores. If workouts feel like punishment, your brain will dodge them. Make movement friendly, frequent, and flexible.

Busy days happen; your plan shouldn’t crumble when they do. Use a non-zero strategy: eat simply, move briefly, and protect your habit chain with the smallest possible win. Ten minutes counts, and so does a balanced plate, even if it’s basic. We wrap with a practical recap—nutrition plus consistency equals real progress—and a preview of what’s next: mindset, grace, and restarting without shame. Ready to build better defaults and stop waiting for motivation to show up? Press play, subscribe for part three on mindset, and leave a review sharing the tiny habit you’ll stack this week.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Series Context
• 0:46 Motivation Fades, Habits Endure
• 2:29 Habit Stacking Explained
• 4:35 Building Tiny, Consistent Actions
• 5:49 Movement vs Exercise: Clear Definitions
• 8:06 Practical Ways To Move More
• 11:15 Guidelines, Heart Rate, And Progress
• 12:29 Busy-Day Playbook And Non-Zero Days
• 13:47 Recap And Next: Mindset And Grace
• 14:06 Sponsor And Closing

Transcript

unknown: 0:12

Cross Roads Podcast presents Health News with Steven and Mady. For those who want to be in the know.

Steven Killfoil: 0:29

Good morning, Crossroads. Welcome back to Crossroads Podcast, Health News with Steven and Mady, where we talk about real health for real people living real lives.

Mady Killfoil: 0:45

Good morning. And if you missed part one of this series, go back and listen because today builds directly on that.

Steven Killfoil: 0:55

Last time we talked about why starting with food, not gym memberships, sets you up for success.

Mady Killfoil: 1:03

And today we are answering the big question everyone asks by week three of January.

Steven Killfoil: 1:12

How do I actually stick with this?

Mady Killfoil: 1:17

That's right. And let's just say it. Motivation is unreliable.

Steven Killfoil: 1:23

Motivation is like that friend who says, Oh, dude, I'll totally help you move, and then doesn't answer their phone on moving day.

Mady Killfoil: 1:35

Yeah. Motivation shows up strong on January 1st and

Steven Killfoil: 1:41

disappears faster than leftovers when guests leave.

Mady Killfoil: 1:46

The truth is, if your health depends on feeling motivated, it won't last.

Steven Killfoil: 1:53

Yes. Healthy people don't rely on motivation, they rely on habits.

Mady Killfoil: 1:59

Okay, let's see what is a habit. A habit is just something you do without debating it.

Steven Killfoil: 2:06

You don't wake up and say, Do I feel like brushing my teeth today?

Mady Killfoil: 2:11

Oh, I hope not.

Steven Killfoil: 2:13

No, you just do it. No drama, no guilt, just do it.

Mady Killfoil: 2:18

Yes. The goal in 2026 is to make healthy choices feel the same way. Automatic and not emotional.

Steven Killfoil: 2:29

One of the easiest ways to build habits is something called habit stacking. Habit stacking is a technique to build new habits by linking them to existing ones using the formula after I began the current habit, I will add this new habit, making the old behavior a cue for the new one, which reduces mental effort and leverages established routines for easier adoption, like drinking water after brushing teeth. It works by using your brain's existing neural pathways, turning a consistent action, like making coffee, into a trigger, the cue, for a desired behavior like meditating for one minute, making it feel more natural and less forgettable.

Mady Killfoil: 3:29

That means you attach a new habit to one you already do, such as drinking water while your coffee brews, read a food label while grocery shopping, remember Yaka app. Stretch while watching TV. And this is how it works. One, identify current habits, list things you do automatically every day, like waking up, making coffee, brushing teeth, finishing a meal. Number two, choose a new small habit. Select a simple, manageable behavior you want to adopt, like stretching, drinking water, reading a page. Number three, create the stack. Use the formula after I current habit, I will new habit. Such as after I pour my morning coffee, I will meditate for one minute. Or after I get into bed, I will read one page. Start small and be specific. Number four, make the new habit tiny so it's easy to start, then gradually increase it. And number five, be consistent. The key is consistency. The new habit becomes a natural part of the old one over time, reducing reliance on willpower.

Steven Killfoil: 5:02

You're not adding more to your day, you're upgrading what's already there.

Mady Killfoil: 5:09

And this matters because most people quit when habits feel overwhelming. Some of the benefits for creating new habits are reducing friction, leverages existing routines, so you don't need to remember another new thing, less mental effort, your brain uses existing cues requiring less decision making or builds momentum, creates a habit staircase where you can layer more habits.

Steven Killfoil: 5:43

We're not building a new personality, we're building better defaults.

Mady Killfoil: 5:49

Let's talk about movement, but not in a scary way. Movement is any bodily motion, while exercise is planned, structured, and repetitive movement for fitness, with both crucial for health by strengthening muscles, bones, improving heart health, and boosting mental well-being. Aim for 150 minutes, moderate aerobic activity, and two times strength training weekly, but any activity like walking or chores adds benefits.

Steven Killfoil: 6:29

If exercise feels like punishment, your brain will avoid it.

Mady Killfoil: 6:34

Oh, definitely. And movement doesn't have to mean gyms, spandix, yelling trainers. Let's see some key definitions. What is the movement? The movement is any movement of the body that uses energy, including simple daily actions like walking, gardening, or playing. Physical activity is a broader term for any movement that burns energy, encompassing all movement. And exercise is a type of physical activity that is planned, structured, and repetitive, done to improve fitness like running or weightlifting.

Steven Killfoil: 7:19

It can be just walking, stretching, gardening, cleaning the house aggressively.

Mady Killfoil: 7:28

In a good way.

Steven Killfoil: 7:29

Yeah. And some of the health benefits of movement and exercise are your physical benefits, you stronger bones and muscles, reduced risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, better weight control, improved cardiovascular health, and increased energy. Mentally, you reduce stress, you improve your mood, you have better cognitive function, and enhanced memory.

Mady Killfoil: 8:04

Movement counts when it gets your body moving, period. Some simple ways to get moving are take brisk walks during breaks, do stretches at your desk like neck or shoulder rolls, incorporate activity into chores, active cleaning, yard work, play actively with kids or pets, try yoga, pilates, or dancing.

Steven Killfoil: 8:32

The goal is consistency, not intensity.

Mady Killfoil: 8:36

And let's be honest, some days just go sideways.

Steven Killfoil: 8:42

Busy days are not the problem. Not knowing what to do on busy days is the problem.

Mady Killfoil: 8:50

So on busy days, you should eat simply, move briefly, do something, not everything. Amid your busy schedule, you may struggle to feed in exercise. The good news is that everyday tasks like mowing the lawn, cleaning the house, or running errands count as physical activity, an umbrella term to describe anything that requires movement. In an article by Henry Ford Health Staff from 2022, it uh states all daily movement makes a difference. Even the smallest amount of physical activity improves your overall health, says Joseph Madeline, MD, a primary care sports medicine physician for Henry Ford Health. But exercise, structured movement that pushes you physically, offers the greatest health benefits. Here, Dr. Madeline dives deeper into how much physical activity you need, how movement benefits your health, and strategies for starting an exercise program. The health benefits of physical activity include reducing the risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure or hypertension, and diabetes, lowering the risks for breast, colon, endometrial, and prostate cancer, improving mental health by increasing self-esteem and reducing anxiety and depression, managing weight and reducing the risk of obesity, strengthening bones and reducing the risk of osteoporosis.

Steven Killfoil: 10:49

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends one hundred and fifty minutes of moderately intense exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio exercise each week. They also suggest adding at least two weekly strength training sessions to build muscle. Here are examples of the different levels of physical activity. A light physical activity is walking. A moderate intensity physical activity is brisk walking, walking with a purpose. And rigorous physical activity could be running. Running would definitely do that. One way to access your activity level is to measure your heart rate. Your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. You can check your heart rate by taking your pulse on your wrist or using an activity tracker or smartwatch. The American Heart Association defines moderately intense exercise as anything that gets you to a target heart rate of 50% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. Aim for a lower heart rate if you're just starting an exercise program. Over time, you can increase your activity level as you build your endurance. 10 minutes, it still counts.

Mady Killfoil: 12:29

A balanced plate still matters, even if it's basic. Don't forget to download the PDF on how to balance your plate on our YouTube channel.

Steven Killfoil: 12:40

Yes, you don't need a perfect day, you need a non-zero day.

Mady Killfoil: 12:47

Okay, so let's recap. Part one was about what's on your plate.

Steven Killfoil: 12:53

Part two is about how often you show up.

Mady Killfoil: 12:59

And nutrition plus consistency equals progress.

Steven Killfoil: 13:05

Not fast progress, not flashy progress, real progress.

Mady Killfoil: 13:13

And in part three, we are going to talk about mindset.

Steven Killfoil: 13:20

Because eventually everyone slips.

Mady Killfoil: 13:25

And we'll show you how to restart without the guilt.

Steven Killfoil: 13:29

Without the shame.

Mady Killfoil: 13:31

And without waiting until next Monday.

Steven Killfoil: 13:35

If you remember one thing from today, remember this.

Mady Killfoil: 13:40

You don't need more motivation,

Steven Killfoil: 13:43

You need better systems.

Mady Killfoil: 13:46

That's right. Okay, that's all for today, folks. Thanks for listening to Health News with Steven and Mady on Cross Roads Podcast.

Steven Killfoil: 13:58

Join us for part three, where we talk about mindset, grace, and real life. Today's episode has been sponsored by the author Stefan McDermott, who wrote the book Achieve Optimal Brain Health with Nutrition, an easy to follow holistic guide to help boost memory, mental clarity, and cognitive function with recipes and examples anyone can use daily. Go to Amazon.com and buy your copy today. Achieve Optimal Brain Health with Nutrition by Stefan McDermott. Until next time, stay focused, stay healthy, stay consistent. And we'll see you at the end. Bye-bye. Bye-bye.

unknown: 15:11

Cross Roads Podcast presents Health News with Steven and Mady. For those who want to be in the know.