An active, healthy lifestyle reduces your risk of serious illness and increases life expectancy, including regular physical activity, nutrition and stress management.
These behaviors may seem obvious, but are supported by medical research. Implementing healthier behaviors into your daily routine shouldn’t be hard: start small and gradually improve your health over time.
Exercise
From tennis to walking through the park, regular exercise is proven to increase energy levels and reduce stress levels. When combined with a nutritious diet, physical activity also helps protect against health issues while supporting weight management.
People should aim for 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise per week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity per week – or any combination thereof. While this may seem daunting at first, people can gradually build up their fitness over time by starting slowly and steadily increasing the intensity.
Physical activity should be enjoyable and social – all characteristics that help increase engagement with exercise routines. Varying exercise types and intensities will help build muscle strength and endurance; group exercise classes offer another great way to make exercising enjoyable!
Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet meets all of your body’s nutritional requirements and includes foods from five groups: fruits, vegetables, dairy products, protein sources and grains. Eating in this manner can help manage weight, reduce disease risks and enhance overall health benefits.
A healthy diet should contain limited saturated fat and added salt, and boast plenty of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Alcohol intake should also be kept to an acceptable level as should sugary drinks and foods.
Eat foods from all three food groups for optimal nutrition and meal variety. Avoiding empty calorie sources such as processed meats, sweetened beverages and biscuits which could contribute to weight gain is crucial – these should only be consumed occasionally. When selecting veggies and fruit as snacks or side dishes opt for whole versions as opposed to being steamed or deep-fried in order to maximize nutrient absorption.
Sleep Well
Sleep is the cornerstone of living a healthy lifestyle. Sleep helps promote overall good health by decreasing risk factors for disease such as cardiovascular illness, diabetes and obesity. Sleep also boosts mental acuity and mood as well as supporting emotional regulation and healthy functioning.
Sleep allows your brain to process all the information gained throughout the day, consolidate memories, and rid itself of waste from your body. Sleep also regulates emotions, sharpens judgment and decision-making capabilities, supports problem-solving efforts, and provides necessary relief from stress or difficult emotions. Without enough quality restorative rest, managing stress or dealing with difficult emotions could become much more challenging.
At least seven to eight hours of sleep is needed each night for adults to feel refreshed, so good sleep hygiene requires keeping a consistent schedule for going to bed and getting up, maintaining dark and cool surroundings in your bedroom, turning off electronic devices 30 minutes before sleep time, as well as turning them off at least thirty minutes beforehand. If you experience difficulties sleeping consult your healthcare provider.
Reduce Stress
Stress is a normal part of life, but prolonged or excessive amounts can become detrimental. To reduce it, identify what triggers it for you (such as work or family situations) and find ways to cope with those that cannot be avoided, including finding ways to relax when feeling anxious or overwhelmed.
Exercise and a nutritious diet are important ways of managing stress effectively, but you may also try other healthy habits such as meditation practice to help lower levels. Regular meditation practice has been found to significantly decrease levels of tension while simultaneously encouraging restful sleep.
Attaining a healthy lifestyle takes time and dedication; take it slow by gradually making small improvements in your daily routine step by step. Strive to create a balance that works best for you while giving you energy to enjoy life to the fullest extent. Everyone’s path to living a healthier lifestyle varies significantly – find out about different healthy habits and tips here that could help get you on your way!
