If your health fails, it can have a negative impact on every area of your life. From minor issues with your health such as aches and pains, fatigue and indigestion to more severe health problems that are life-limiting, your health can have a massive effect on your stress levels, earning potential, relationships and happiness. 2019 should be the year that you make a commitment to introducing healthier habits into your life and looking after your body better, which you will find will have incredible benefits across every aspect of your life.
Here are a few healthy habits to implement this year to make a significant impact.
Eat Healthily – For the Right Reasons
A lot of us tend to eat healthily purely to look good in our jeans. While losing weight and maintaining a proper weight is, of course, beneficial to our overall health, it should not be our only reason for eating well. A commitment to a varied, balanced, healthy eating plan will help to boost your energy levels and keep your body moving smoothly. If you suffer from any chronic health conditions, you may find that improving your diet can help reduce symptoms. Eating well can also help to reduce your levels of stress. When you’re hungry or malnourished, you may feel more emotional and react differently to stressful situations as you do not have the reserves to handle them efficiently. Being well nourished can help prevent this.
Sleep
With many of us leading busy lifestyles, the importance of a good night’s sleep is often overlooked. If you haven’t had adequate sleep, you are generally less productive, are less mentally on the ball and more prone to stress. It will also lower your resistance to germs and negatively impact your immune system, leaving you more prone to catching illnesses and making them harder to recover from. Commit to eight hours sleep or thereabout a night, avoid caffeine after 2pm and turn off the TV before bed. If you are struggling to sleep, look at meditation techniques to help you wind down.
Regular health checks
Your doctor doesn’t just offer you health checks for the sake of it. They are there to pick up on problems early and implement treatment before it is too late. These may include PAP smear tests for women, mammograms, blood sugar tests, blood pressure checks, and prostate exams. If you are invited to go for a test, go for it. In between checkups, keep an eye on your body and if you begin to notice anything that you’re unsure of, such as ovarian cancer symptoms inspire, get them checked out straight away.
Exercise
Just like diet, many of us only exercise in an attempt to lose weight, but incorporating a fitness routine into our everyday life is vital for maintaining good health. It doesn’t have to involve hours in the gym, but making sure you are moving enough to increase your heart rate for a minimum of twenty minutes each day is essential. Try getting off the bus a stop early or parking at the other end of the grocery store carpark for a little bit of extra activity every day.