A healthy lifestyle involves various elements, including following a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting enough restful sleep and forgoing smoking or excessive drinking. Implementing these practices into your life will help keep you fit for longer.
Altering your lifestyle is no simple task, but with proper planning and goals you can do it successfully. Starting small by making minor improvements can lead to lasting transformation in daily life.
1. Eat a balanced diet
Eating healthy can help protect against various diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Furthermore, healthy eating helps maintain a healthy weight and protect against bone loss.
A healthy diet should consist of foods from each food group and should be low in salt, sugar and saturated fats. Processed foods should be replaced by fresh produce, lean meats and fish along with wholegrain carbohydrates such as brown rice or millet. Also drink plenty of water; fruit juices or smoothies shouldn’t be your sole source of liquid intake – aim for around eight cups daily as fluid replacement.
2. Exercise regularly
Exercise not only aids weight maintenance but it can also enhance mood, alleviate anxiety and depression and lessen stress levels. Regular physical activity also lowers your risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Experts advise adults to participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic activity each week, such as walking, jogging, swimming or cycling (even household chores can count toward these guidelines).
Individuals may find it helpful to set reasonable fitness goals, have someone hold them accountable, and celebrate when their fitness goals have been achieved. Sleep is also essential for living a healthy lifestyle.
3. Get enough sleep
Sleep is vitally important to good health. Sleep helps recharge and repair your body, as well as play an integral part in memory formation and learning. Without enough restful slumber, however, focusing can become harder, disrupting balance and potentially leading to physical issues such as headaches.
For optimal sleep, make sure you are going to bed at an appropriate hour on a consistent schedule and avoiding electronic devices at least an hour before sleeping. Sleep can make a significant difference in how energized and alert you feel throughout the day, making exercise and other healthy activities easier to undertake.
4. Manage your stress
Stress is a part of life, but too much can have negative repercussions for our health. Implementing healthy lifestyle habits such as regular exercise, getting sufficient restful sleep and practicing relaxation techniques are effective strategies for mitigating anxiety.
Social connections can also help alleviate stress, so spend time with friends and family. Don’t forget the power of laughter either; whether that means watching comedies, hanging out with funny people, or trying laughter yoga; humor is one of the greatest weapons against managing stress.
5. Stay away from alcohol
Moderate drinking means having one alcoholic beverage per day; any more puts your health at risk. Alcohol has been implicated in accidents ranging from burns, traffic crashes and homicides to liver cancer cases.
Cut back or quit entirely can have numerous advantages. A drinking diary and learning how to politely decline an offer of alcohol could prove helpful, while staying off it will save money as well as lead to weight gain due to empty calories and sugars that lead to weight gain; moreover, alcohol may disrupt sleep cycles causing frequent trips to the bathroom – not ideal!
6. Avoid smoking
Smoking affects nearly every organ and causes many diseases. Smoking increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, lung diseases such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis as well as several forms of cancer. Furthermore, smoking makes breathing harder while increasing risk for bacterial infections like pneumonia tuberculosis or other respiratory illnesses.
Avoid being around other smokers when trying to quit, and be ready for cravings to be an uphill battle. If they arise, drinking water or sugar-free, low-cal drinks is usually enough to satisfy them; in addition, eating small meals throughout the day will keep blood sugar steady and energy balanced.
