How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Being healthy should be part of your overall lifestyle, not just a New Year’s resolution. Living a healthy lifestyle can help prevent chronic diseases and long-term illnesses. Feeling good about yourself and taking care of your health are important for your self-esteem and self-image. Maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing what is right for your body.

Although it’s hard to get out of old habits, a healthy lifestyle can give you more energy, improved mental health, and can increase your chances of defeating illnesses.

Here are five steps you can take to managing a healthier lifestyle:

Step 1  

Maintain a healthy weight. Determine whether you are overweight by checking your body mass index. If you are overweight, it can lead to a higher risk of chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke and certain cancers.

Do not smoke and drink plenty of water. Smoking can cause preventable diseases such as lung cancer and other cancers. Stay away from secondhand smoke, since this can also be hazardous to your health. You can save money and improve your health by drinking water throughout the day. The natural liquid offers the benefits of hydration, nourishment, and improved well-being. Water can cleanse toxins from the body, improve brain function, energize muscles, control weight gain, and balance body temperature and fluids. It’s recommended to drink about 8 glasses, or 64 ounces, of water per day.

Step 2   

Stick with healthy food from each food group. This means staying away from food high in saturated fats, sodium and added sugars. Adding fruits and vegetables is a perfect foundation for starting a healthy routine. Vegetables, like leafy greens, and fruits contain plentiful amounts of nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants that help boost your immune system and fight off disease causing toxins. Antioxidants help fight eye disease, promote healthy skin, and overall health. The World Health Organization recommends eating fruits and veggies as a regular part of your diet so you’ll have a better chance of fighting some cancers, diseases, and heart disease. Make sure to eat five to nine servings of varied veggie and fruits per day.

Step 3

When it comes to building a healthy lifestyle, it’s easy to concentrate on the physical aspects of health and ignore the mental upkeep. Remember that your mental health is a foundation of your overall health. It’s important to manage and assess your feelings on a day-to-day basis. Make sure your relationships are positive and healthy ones. Surround yourself with people who support you and who you feel good around. Your partner in life, friends and others who are in your life should respect you. If you find yourself in an unhealthy relationship, take steps to improve it or move on.

Some ways you can improve your mental health include:   

• Exercise
• Socialize with loved ones
• Join a club
• Sleep 7-9 hours every night
• Do something creative

If you continue to feel unhappy or even depressed, consult your physician or talk to a professional about ways you can improve your mental health.

Step 4

Engage in physical activity for at least 30 minutes every day. Take an exercise class, join the gym or just take a brisk walk outside. Making the time for physical activity is a necessity and not a luxury.

Remember to keep your workouts fun. You should enjoy your workout and not feel like it’s a chore.

Some fun physical activities include:

• Dancing
• Yoga
• Aerobics
• Running
• Hiking

The body is truly the temple of the soul, and you don’t want that temple to fall apart! Exercise is a great way to stimulate your health and studies have shown that physical activity helps improve longevity and overall health. Try to exercise up to three times a week. The American Heart Association advises for 150 minutes of exercise each week or an hour at least three times a week. Pick a convenient time schedule out time. You could exercise for 30 minutes the morning to get energized for your day.

Step 5

Know when and how to de-stress. Taking care of your mental health is just as important as taking care of your physical health. Sometimes it’s beneficial to stop, take a deep breath, and relax. Try some relaxing activities to help you relax. Take advantage of meditation, listening to music, reading, watching a comedy, or exercising. These activities can help you unwind and they cause feelings of happiness and calm. If stress becomes so severe that it is interfering with your sleep or ability to cope, talk to your doctor or a counselor.

The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images and other material contained on this website are for informational purposes only. The purpose of this website is to promote broad consumer understanding and knowledge of various health topics. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment and before undertaking a new health care regimen, and never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

Resources:

https://www.branfordhall.edu/5-ways-to-maintain-a-healthier-lifestyle/