The most common reasons to commit to a healthier lifestyle are too shallow to stimulate long-lasting change. There are people sweating it out in the gym daily in an effort to build their best “revenge body” in the wake of a painful rejection. Others are slashing calories or going keto because they believe a slimmer figure will make them more competitive when job hunting.

Those reasons may encourage healthier behaviors for a short period of time but sustaining those behaviors will require some deeper thinking. Those ready for more meaningful change in their lifestyles should recognize the following reasons to commit to a healthier lifestyle, starting today.

It’s easier to maintain health than repair health
Many people put off healthy lifestyle change until they have some type of health scare, either personally or through someone they love. Think of the person who starts eating nutrient-rich foods after a cancer scare or the one who starts walking daily after a diabetes diagnosis.

The consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle eventually hit home. At that point, it’s much harder to repair the damage than it would have been to prevent those consequences from the beginning. It’s always easier, cheaper, and less stressful to protect good health than to overcome years of bad health.

Physical conditioning impacts your success on all levels
Healthy, well-rested bodies are more energetic, flexible, and adaptable to everyday stress. Healthy minds are more confident and focused while handling the emotional strains of everyday life more efficiently. There’s a reason changes in eating, sleeping, and exercise habits have a profound impact on all areas of a person’s life.

For example, a poor diet will leave one person yawning at her desk by noon while another person with a healthy diet is alert and focused until the end of the day. What goes into the body impacts energy and focus, which in turn impacts productivity and mental sharpness, which in turn impacts a person’s social and professional life.

Lifestyle is the ultimate act of self-care or self-destruction
Lifestyles are often a reflection of how people feel about themselves. In developing a healthier lifestyle, a person learns what it means to take excellent care of their own body and mind. That daily care leads to greater self-respect, love, and confidence.

An unhealthy lifestyle is often quite the opposite: a lack of care and respect for oneself. When someone starts to see the value in their own body and mind, they are naturally driven to take better care of themselves. There’s no better reason to commit to a healthier lifestyle than falling in love with oneself.