What can I do to improve my physical health?
By working on your physical wellness, you’ll look and, more importantly, feel better. Check out our information and resources on improving your physical health.
Physical Health
Eat a well-balanced diet
It should go without saying that you need to feed your body nutritious food to give it the energy it needs to keep you going. There is no single diet that works for everyone’s lifestyle, but there are a few basic rules that we should all adhere to where nutrition is concerned. For optimal health, fill your fridge and stock your pantry with fruits and vegetables (fresh or frozen), lean protein, whole grains, raw or roasted nuts (avoid sugared and salted varieties), and a minimal amount of processed foods.
Work on your cardiac strength
Your heart needs a healthy amount of physical activity in order to keep it in tip-top shape. Aim to fit in exercise that increases your heart rate at least 30 minutes a day, and find simple ways to add more activity into your day, especially if a large portion of your day is sedentary.
Add muscle-building movements to your workout
Muscular strength is a critical component to physical health. Not only does it allow you to perform everyday actions from climbing stairs to lifting heavy objects in a safe way, but it also increases your resting metabolic rate, which will help you reach and maintain a healthy weight even when you’re not actively exercising.
Loosen up
It’s important to balance strength training with flexibility exercises. While it’s important to have strong muscles, you’re at risk of injury if they’re so tight that you can’t move them easily. One of the best exercises to build muscle and improve your flexibility is yoga. Its unique movements allow you to tone and limber up at the same time.
Kick your bad habits
Smoking, drinking excessively, and centering your diet on junk food or processed food are all detrimental to physical and emotional health. The sooner you can quit (or at least cut back), the more quickly your body will thank you for it.
Get some rest
It’s unfair that people who get enough sleep at night or take naps are often considered lazy, because adequate rest is vital to a healthy body. You can eat a nutritious diet, hit the gym, and stretch post-workout every day, but without a sufficient amount of sleep, you’re not giving your body the rest it needs to function properly.
Schedule regular checkups (including dental)
Especially when we’re busy, it’s easy to neglect making (and keeping) appointments with the doctor and dentist. But visiting with healthcare professionals shouldn’t be reserved for times when we’re not feeling well. Regular checkups are key to making sure we’re staying on a healthy path and getting the health screenings we need to monitor long-term diseases or illness.