We all think we’re leading a healthy lifestyle, and for the most part, that’s true. We eat well and exercise when we have time to fit it in- but is this enough??
According to experts, the answer is no. In order to help you live a longer life while improving your overall health, here are the 5 most important things that you need to incorporate into your daily routine.
1. Exercising regularly
Exercise may be boring and tedious, but there’s nothing like it when it comes to good health. Regardless of what type of exercise you choose, make sure that you get at least 30 minutes in every day- more if possible. You can achieve this simply by taking walks during your lunch break or even doing some quick exercises right when you wake up and before bedtime. The key is to find something that you enjoy doing so it will be easier for you to stick with it for a longer period of time. Sports injury prevention is also very important. It is better to prevent them than treating them after they happened.
The benefits of exercise are well known. It boosts the chances of living a longer and healthier life because an unhealthy body also ages faster. Exercising also helps ease stress and mental fatigue, not to mention that it can help you burn off excess calories!
2. Eating a healthy balanced diet
We all know this one, but it’s also the most important if you want to live a longer life. Make sure that your diet consists of about 45% carbohydrates, 30% proteins, and 25% fats (saturated and unsaturated). Vegetables and fruits should make up at least half of your carbohydrate intake. At the same time, lean protein sources should be consumed more often- chicken breasts are an excellent choice. Whenever possible, choose healthy monounsaturated oils instead of saturated ones such as coconut oil or olive oil for cooking purposes. Chocolate is considered a healthy food these days because it contains flavonoids that have been proven to prevent heart disease; the darker, the better!
3. Maintaining a proper body weight
Although you may not notice that there’s an excess amount of flab on your belly if you have too much fat on your midsection, it can increase the risk of diabetes and other related diseases. The truth is, as long as you are physically active and eat healthy meals, even if you don’t lose weight right away, keeping an eye on your waistline should be enough to reduce the risk of disease. If need be, supplement with exercise or even try diet pills to help burn off those extra pounds. Physiotherapy can also be useful in this regard, especially for those who are suffering from back pain caused by their extra weight.
4. Getting adequate sleep
A good night’s sleep can do wonders for the body- it helps your brain function better and makes you feel fresh in the morning. According to experts, adults should be getting at least 8 hours of sleep every day. While this may be difficult sometimes due to obligations such as work or family duties, try to set time aside regularly (every 3 days) that you will use for napping so that you can catch up on the previous nights’ lost slumber. A deep tissue massage before sleep can also help relax the body and make it easier for you to fall asleep faster.
Those who are sleeping less than 6 hours per day tend to gain weight faster and have a higher risk of obesity. Although taking short naps during the day will improve your energy levels, for the time being, it is not recommended that you exceed 20 minutes of sleep at any given time, or else you’ll end up working against yourself by making it more difficult to fall asleep at night time.
5. Maintaining a healthy mindset
This is the most important thing of all if you want to live a longer life. Even if you have done everything else on this list, but you are in constant mental or physical pain or suffering from depression, it will be extremely difficult for your body and brain to get the nutrients and rest needed to function properly. To help cope with stress and improve your overall health, try practicing yoga or meditation, as these activities have been proven effective at reducing anxiety levels, managing back pain, and promoting better sleep. Also, keep in mind to have a positive mindset- you can do anything!
It is not enough to simply hit your daily vitamin intake requirements- doing so without incorporating the 5 keys listed above could actually contribute towards raising your risk of developing certain diseases over time. Fortunately, there are other ways to help reduce your risk of disease.