It’s the small choices you make every day that affect your health. In a world where heart disease and obesity are getting increasingly common, it's more important than ever to take care of yourself. Habits like eating healthy, getting sufficient sleep, exercising regularly, and managing stress can help you feel your best.
These habits can improve your mental health, benefit your heart, and help you maintain a healthy weight. On the other hand, bad habits (like vaping, eating too much fast or packaged food, and staying up all night) can harm your health over time—that goes without saying!
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The science behind health and wellness is constantly changing, and what works for you at one stage of life might need to change later on. It’s important to keep track of what choices work best for you. That way, you’ll be able to make adjustments when necessary.
In this article, we’ll discuss some healthy practices that you can include in your daily routine. Let’s get started!
A solid understanding of why introducing everyday healthy practices is essential to motivate us to take the necessary—sometimes uncomfortable—steps toward living a healthier life.
Make sure to consult your doctor and bring them on your team for optimal health. Pay attention to how you feel every day, and note any changes you notice as you adopt new habits.
Over time, even minor changes will produce positive results, which is encouraging. Breaking bad habits and creating healthy ones can be tough, but remembering your why will fuel your motivation.
Living a long, healthy life is worth the effort. Let’s take a look at some healthy practices that you can start integrating into your daily routine below:
Chronic diseases like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes are prevalent these days. Eating a healthy, balanced diet can make a big difference in preventing these diseases. Healthy foods are packed with nutrients, and they’ll help satisfy your hunger. Healthier meals prevent impulsive snacking on junk food and provide your body with the nutrients it needs to ward off sickness.
Related reading: "25 Ways to Live Healthy with Ayurvedic Principles."
Regular exercise benefits you physically, mentally, and emotionally. It assists heart health, supports healthy blood pressure, builds muscle, and strengthens bones. Exercise also promotes the release of endorphins, the brain’s “feel-good” chemicals. This influx of hormones can improve your mood and might even reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Regular exercise can also help you sleep better, which is a huge plus. It will help if you get least 60 minutes of exercise every day. You can work up to this over time, though. Going pedal-to-the-metal approach when you haven’t been exercising is a good way to get injured.
Related reading: "Why Exercising as a Family Makes Good Sense."
Adults are often advised to drink about eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, but this can honestly vary based on weight and exercise frequency. The new rule of thumb is to drink half of your body weight! If you exercise vigorously, include electrolytes. Once again, observe how you feel when you drink water regularly and when you don’t.
Getting a full night’s sleep is critical and beneficial—even necessary—for your entire body. Adequate sleep improves your metabolism, mental health, and immune system while also preventing weight gain.
Good sleep hygiene can be difficult to learn. It includes getting 8-10 hours of sleep, creating a bedtime routine, and sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, even on weekends. Every person who has ever dealt with insomnia, discovers quickly just how vital sleep is!
Related reading: “I Can’t Sleep! Best Scientific and Natural Remedies for Insomnia and Restless Sleep.”
Spending time outside and breathing fresh air always feels good, but did you know it’s also essential for healthy living?
Fresh air helps clean your lungs, improves your mood, and lowers your heart rate. It can also increase your energy and help with digestion.
Unfortunately, spending a lot of time outside can be challenging if you have allergies. Allergy immunotherapy can help significantly. This treatment involves exposing your body to small amounts of an allergen to build up immunity over time.
Gradually increasing the exposure to an allergen helps your immune system tolerate the substance better. This therapy can be especially helpful for people with severe allergies who don’t find relief from medications.
Related reading: "Why Emotional Healthy Depends on the Mind-Body Connection."
Yoga is terrific exercise to help you develop and maintain a mind-body connection, too. The great thing about yoga is that there are different skill levels. You don’t have to be an expert or know what you’re doing!
Some yoga’s benefits include:
Check out a weekly yoga class at your local gym or try some of these simple yoga postures for grounding and relaxation. A class can help hold you accountable and to stay motivated.
Not everyone that Omega-3 fatty acids play a major role in supporting brain and heart health. A daily Omega-3 supplement or eating foods that naturally contain Omega-3 fatty acids is a great way to stay healthier. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to help prevent heart disease and can relieve the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. A fabulous addition!
Self-massage, which (as you may have guessed) involves massaging your body with lotion or body oil, can hugely benefit your physical and mental health. This self-care method was used in ancient medicine, and it’s still used today for pain relief, muscle soreness, and stress relief.
Integrating these healthy practices into your daily routine will take some time. After all, your body is a temple and it’s important that you take good care of it every day. Your doctor can help you determine what types of lifestyle changes will benefit you since everyone’s different.
For personalized support, reach out to Heartmanity! Email us at support@heartmanity.com for boosting the mind-body connection and building healthy habits for optimal health.