The most common mistakes people make when trying to lead healthy lives are eating too much of one thing and not enough of another, exercising at the wrong times (meaning they overdo it) and under-fueling their bodies (not eating or drinking enough).

What’s your opinion on how young people currently view exercise? Are we obsessed with it, or are we neglecting it?

I think young people tend to be obsessed with exercise. I also think that makes total sense since most of us are inundated with info about how bad sitting is for us and how important exercising is for our health. And yes, the more information you have about something, the more likely you are to try to improve in that area. But the danger with being so focused on exercise is that it can turn into a form of FOMO (fear of missing out) and so if you miss your workout, you might feel bad about yourself or even engage in unhealthy compensatory food decisions.

What’s your opinion on how young people currently view nutritious food? Are we obsessed with it, or are we neglecting it?

I think young people tend to be obsessed with healthy food. I also think that makes total sense since most of us are inundated with info about how bad manufactured snacks and toxic chemicals in our homes are for us and how important eating fresh fruits and vegetables is for our health. And yes, the more information you have about something, the more likely you are to try to improve in that area. But just like with exercise, being so focused on eating healthy food can turn into a form of FOMO and so if you eat a doughnut or a bag of chips, you might feel bad about yourself.

What’s your opinion on how young people currently view sleep? Are we obsessed with it, or are we neglecting it?

I think young people tend to be pretty good about making sure they get plenty of sleep. But I also think that maybe this is why the other two areas (exercise and nutritious food) can fall by the wayside because they feel like “oh, I get enough of that in my life” so it becomes less important.

How can young people incorporate these three elements into their lives?

My top tips are to focus on getting more sleep, eating nutritious snacks throughout the day and making sure you’re exercising at a level where you’re enjoying it and not overdoing it.

What type of exercise do you find the most effective when it comes to staying fit?

I’m a big fan of exercises that use your own body weight (push ups, squats, planks) because I think they’re really effective at toning your muscles but still managing to be low impact (good for people with injuries or bad joints). And if you make sure you’re exercising at a level where it feels like play, then I think you’ll be able to stick with that routine over the long term.