A healthy lifestyle is a way of life aimed at preserving and improving people’s health. A hygienic regime of work and rest promotes a healthy lifestyle, but harmful habits such as smoking, alcohol and drug use get in the way.

To the greatest extent, human health depends on lifestyle, so we can assume that the main line of forming and strengthening health is a healthy way of life.

According to modern ideas, a healthy way of life is a typical form and way of everyday life that strengthens and improves the adaptation (adaptive) and reserve possibilities of the organism, which ensures successful performing of social and professional functions.

At the heart of any way of life are principles, i.e. rules of conduct that an individual follows. A distinction is made between biological and social principles, on the basis of which a healthy lifestyle is formed. Biological principles: a way of life should be age-appropriate, energetically supplied, reinforcing, rhythmic, moderate. Social principles: lifestyle should be aesthetic, moral, volitional, self-limiting.

This classification is based on the principle of unity of the individual and the general, the unity of the organism and the environment – biological and social. In this connection HEA is nothing but the rational organization of human life activity on the basis of key biological and social vital forms of behavior – behavioral factors. Let us list the main of them:

• Cultivation of positive emotions that contribute to mental well-being – the basis of all aspects of life and health;
• Optimal motor activity (MA) – a leading inborn mechanism of bioprogress and health;
• Rational nutrition – the basic factor of bioprogress and health;
• Rhythmic life style corresponding to biorhythms – the basic principle of the organism’s vital activity;
• effective organization of labor activity – basic form of self-realization, formation and reflection of human essence;
• sexual culture is the key factor of life activity as an adequate and progressive form of species reproduction;
• healthy aging – the natural process of fruitful longevity;
• giving up addictions (alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking, etc.) is a decisive factor in preserving health.

In practice, the implementation of these forms of behavior is extremely difficult. One of the main reasons for this is the lack of motivation for a positive attitude toward one’s health and a healthy lifestyle. The fact is that in the hierarchy of needs underlying the behavior of a person (for example, a student), health is not in first place.

This is due to the low individual and general culture of Russian society, which determines the absence of the attitude to the primacy of the value of health in the hierarchy of human needs. Consequently, the formation of health is primarily the problem of each person. It should be started with education of health and healthy lifestyle motivation, because this motivation is a system forming factor of behavior. In other words, if there is motivation (purposeful need), there will be corresponding behavior.