Do you want to change your lifestyle? Do you want a healthier body and a better overall quality of life? You are not alone in this struggle. According to studies, dissatisfaction with one’s body is a common trend, and it is even more widespread in adolescents. While the feeling is rooted more in how a person appears, having a better physique offers several health benefits, too. A healthier body has more energy and is much more resistant to chronic health conditions without relying on medications.
Having a body that makes one happy means something else for everyone, but at the core, someone with a healthy body has five integral habits. While each of these are independent factors, it is essential to maintain them to live a happy and healthy life.
Don’t Forget to Rest
Rest is not limited to a regular night’s sleep, but sleep is an integral part of it. People are so focused and swamped with daily chores and duties that the need to rest fades away from the burden. Rest and sleep are vital for a person’s mental and physical well-being. Sleep is essential as it serves as a recovery method for the body and brain through sensory detachment. A good night’s sleep improves the quality of day you will have when you wake up.
Rest also includes taking a break, which is more aimed at physical and mental well-being than recovery. A break is different for everyone. Some might feel refreshed after a walk; others may want to sit down and listen to music. Either way, people need to recharge to return to their work refreshed. While it may seem counterintuitive, resting up may improve your work efficiency.
Maintain a Healthy Body Weight
Maintaining a healthy boy weight boils down to two main factors: dietary habits and physical activity. If you are not physically active, going full throttle and running a mile daily is not advised. Take it slow; start by increasing your movement daily. Choose the stairs instead of a life; walk for a few minutes and stretch. Gradually bring this up to exercising for 30 minutes.
Next comes your dietary habits. No matter how hard you exercise, maintaining a healthy body weight can be difficult if you don’t watch what you eat. You can start following a diet plan. Some examples of weight loss diet plans are low-carb, low-fat, keto and intermittent fasting.
Maintaining a healthy weight can help you prevent and overcome many serious health problems and chronic diseases. Regular exercise and a healthy weight improve cardiovascular health, mood, energy level, bone strength and immunity. Besides being good for you, taking care of your body helps you feel more confident in your skin.
Eat More Fruit and Veggies
Processed and bagged foods have become more and more common over the years. As they became popular, people started to realize their side effects. While these foods are still widely available, they have very little nutrition to aid a person’s mental and physical needs. People today do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and are losing essential minerals and nutrients.
Tweaking your daily diet to include around five fruits and vegetables can improve your energy and health. Try your best to source organic food, as it is lightly processed and does not have harmful chemicals. This small change can have a drastic impact on your health.
Keep Track of Blood Pressure
Based on an estimation by the American Heart Association, only 5% of Americans follow guidelines for a healthy cardiovascular system. Blood pressure is one of the main factors indicating your cardiovascular system’s health. Normal blood pressure should be lower than 120/80mmHG, and values higher than 140/90mmHG are classified as stage 1 high blood pressure.
With age, taking preventative measures for cardiovascular issues becomes increasingly important. Reducing the consumption of alcohol, regular physical activity, managing your weight, and avoiding smoking are good ways to prevent hypertension.
Make sure to regularly check your blood pressure and keep track of any anomalies or if your blood pressure increases without any explanation. You can learn how to monitor your blood pressure at home through guidelines provided by the American Heart Association.
Mental Wellness
Most people don’t consider this when they are talking about health. But your mental health is as important, if not more, than physical health. Make sure to take steps for healthy brain activity. Take 5-10 minutes daily to calm your mind, cleansing it of stressful or troublesome thoughts. Be mindful and accept an adverse situation rather than stressing about it. If something does not go your way, try to think of ways to make it productive despite the situation.
Try to understand and learn ways to reduce stress. One person deals with two types of stress daily: chronic and acute. Acute stress is instantaneous, and you often feel it when a deadline is approaching or you are in a dire situation. Chronic stress, on the other hand, is something that lingers on. It can be because of money problems, relationship issues or work problems. It would be best to learn to handle it, or it can negatively impact your physical and mental health.
Learn to reward yourself and appreciate small daily achievements. In sight of a larger goal, we must remember to notice the small steps we take to achieve it. Giving yourself credit for the smaller steps towards a bigger goal will keep you motivated and happier.
Conclusion
Taking all these steps at once can be a drastic change, making it harder for healthier habits to stick. Analyze your lifestyle, determine how far you are from integrating these habits, and start with the easiest one. The first change you make in your lifestyle will motivate you and be a good starting point for the rest of the changes. Slowly but surely, integrate all the habits above into your life, and you won’t even realize how easily your life has changed for the better.
