Whatever your age, a healthy body is the foundation for a happy and fulfilled life.
The daily choices you make build up and affect your overall health and well-being, as do your habits. With some effort and planning on your side, you’ll set yourself up for success in maintaining an excellent state of health.
If you lead a busy lifestyle and avoid physical activity, or if eating junk food while you scroll through social media for hours has become your favourite pastime, it’s time to make some changes!
To keep your health in check for years to come, here are six power tips that will help you maintain a healthy body.
1. Improve Your Sleep Quality
When discussing health, it’s impossible not to mention the importance of sleep for your immune system and overall health. Working long hours and skipping sleep has become a part of the modern-day lifestyle, but it can be extremely harmful.
The lack of sleep increases the risk of chronic health problems, so take control of your sleeping patterns. To enjoy the benefits of a good night’s rest, make it a goal to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.
Make sleep a priority in your life, and learn more about proper sleep hygiene to support quality sleep.
2. Adopt Healthy Eating Habits
This is one of the most important parts of keeping your body healthy.
A wholesome, well-balanced diet makes a huge difference in your health and well-being. It takes some effort to plan and prepare nutritious meals that support your bodily functions, but it pays off big!
Fruits and vegetables contain the highest amount of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, so they should make half of your daily meals! When it comes to proteins, stick to lean sources like poultry, legumes, seafood, and eggs.
And when you reach for grain, make sure it’s a whole grain!
And remember a treat here and there should be fine, but sweets, pastries, frozen meals, and fast food shouldn’t be a daily occurrence.
3. Keep Your Teeth and Gums Healthy
Good oral hygiene is vital for the health of your teeth and gums, but it can affect your overall health as well. Poor oral health can lead to gum disease and cause inflammation, the body’s natural immune response to bacterial infection in the mouth.
Inflammation triggers vascular damage throughout the body, affecting the heart and the brain too.
Therefore, people with gum disease are more likely to experience a heart attack, stroke, or other serious cardiovascular issues.
If you have gum issues, you can counteract these negative effects with regular dental cleaning, a thorough cleansing of the root of the teeth. It eliminates harmful bacteria hidden inside the pockets between the teeth and the gums.
With the proper dental care and timely medical treatments, you’ll keep your teeth and gums healthy and your overall health in check, so make sure to brush and floss daily.
4. Include Mindfulness or Meditative Practices in Your Daily Routine
Stress has become an inevitable part of a busy, modern life. It can serve a useful purpose if it lasts for a limited amount of time and leads to effective solutions. However, chronic stress has a major impact on your health, even if it’s low-grade.
If not addressed properly, it can lead to serious health conditions, including heart disease and depression. Therefore, managing stress is vital for maintaining general health.
Make sure to take some time for yourself to relax and dedicate 10 to 20 minutes a day to meditate, practice mindfulness or breathing exercises. Prayers and keeping a gratitude journal have also been found to reduce stress.
Take your pick, and combat this modern-age disease!
5. Drink Plenty of Water
Water has many important roles in your body. It’s a vital nutrient in your diet, capable of improving brain function, preventing illnesses like hypertension, and aiding in nutrient absorption. It boosts your metabolic rate, too, helping you maintain a healthy weight.
Every cell needs water to work properly, so its health benefits can’t be stressed enough.
Bear in mind that acclaimed eight glasses of water may not be enough to keep you hydrated. On average, women need to intake about 2.7 liters of water, while men should get around 3.7 liters.
Of course, your daily needs may differ depending on your lifestyle, weight, and other factors. There are some great calculators online, so there’s no excuse for not helping your body work at its optimum.
6. Move Your Body More!
Modern living often includes a sedentary lifestyle, but most people don’t realize that it can lead to severe health issues. Sadly, it’s one of the leading causes of preventable mortality across the globe.
Squeezing workouts in your busy schedule can be a challenge, but the list of benefits that come with it can motivate you to adjust your priorities and make time for physical activity.
For optimal results, incorporate both cardio exercises and strength training. It will help you boost your cardio-respiratory fitness and build lean muscle mass.
There are plenty of options for you to choose from: cycling, jogging, swimming, hiking, aerobic classes, and you can even dance your way to a healthy body with Zumba and dance workouts.
Author Bio
Stephen Jones is a freelance writer and a new father. “Becoming a father for the first time is not easy, but it is so much happiness that complicated things are handled in the best way because the baby is the fruit of love and he brings great satisfaction.” Stephen enjoys writing about health, food, nutrition, and children’s health for other parents. “Freelance writing has always been my passion so I combined the two and hopes to be able to share my passion with others!”
