Keeping a healthy body can be a challenging task, especially in the midst of a busy work routine. Especially nowadays, when the clock seems to be turning faster and faster, finding a balance between your commitments and your quality of life is essential.
After all, there’s no point in being highly productive at work at the cost of your health. Sooner or later, those who choose to lead a sedentary life will suffer from back pain, migraines, bowel malfunction, lousy mood, sleepiness (even sleeping well) or shortness of breath. Not to mention those extra pounds, cellulite and sagging that bother you so much when looking in the mirror.
But calm down: just a few measures are enough to prevent the routine from consuming all your life energy. Thinking about helping you in this task, we separate the ten commandments of those who want to maintain a healthy body:
Eating Better Is Synonymous With A Healthy Body
Taking care of what you put on your plate is one of the key points in achieving a better quality of life. Abusing foods rich in saturated fats, sodium, and sugars triggers heart attacks, strokes, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cancer.
On the other hand, it is easy to include foods that are synonymous with resistance and longevity on the menu. Fish and oilseeds (such as walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or pistachios), for example, are foods that help prevent heart disease, depending on the presence of omega 3.
Create An Exercise Routine
A healthy body is directly linked to the regular practice of physical exercises. But whether it’s laziness or lack of time, the truth is that people easily create justifications for not exercising.
And contrary to what many think, exercising is not just for those who want to lose weight. Maintaining a healthy body, improving physical fitness, gaining more energy, strengthening the immune system and stimulating the release of endorphins (a hormone responsible for feelings of pleasure) are good reasons to start exercising today.
Correct Posture Supports A Healthy Body
In order not to injure the body and cause pain, pay close attention to the activities they develop throughout the day, such as: sitting, walking, standing and even the simple act of answering a phone. Be careful when doing these movements that seem simple but that, over time, can cause a lot of damage to your health.
Pay More Attention To Your Breathing
In general, people never think about the act of breathing simply because it is automatic. However, this vital function integrates several systems in our body (lungs, heart, blood vessels, brain). It has a physical influence and a subtle one on our well-being.
When angry, have you ever heard someone say, “You have to count to 10 and take a deep breath” to calm down? Of all our vital functions, breathing is the only one we can control, and by controlling it, we can modulate the others as well.
Healthy Mind, Healthy Body
Stress can favour the appearance of diseases of the body and mind. Therefore, the nerves need to be controlled and watched closely. Studies prove that the higher the stress level, the more significant the physical and psychological deterioration of the person. Stress is also a risk factor for heart problems.
In a survey carried out by universities in São Paulo and Campinas, among the more than 100,000 people analyzed, 46.8% suffered some stress and had increased levels of cardiovascular problems. A healthy mind is the first step towards a healthy body.
Invest More Time With Those You Like
Your body responds positively when you are happy. Investing more time with the ones you like or love is a simple but efficient way to keep your body healthy. It may not seem like it, but this positively affects our mood, increasing our endorphin levels. This goes not only for family members but also friends and even pets. If the goal is to live better, why not give more value to those constantly on our side?
Learn To Like Yourself
Work on your self-knowledge and self-esteem to live better. The concept we create about ourselves is critical in defining how we behave in life, what value we give to our work, our opinions, our wishes, and the care for our bodies and our health. And that makes all the difference. Recognize your value and your qualities. Avoid criticism and charges regarding your limitations and difficulties. That way, you will notice that your body will naturally respond positively.
A Healthy Body Requires Daily Sleep
Replenishing the day’s energies with a good night’s sleep is more than necessary; it’s essential! A study by the American Academy of Sleep has proven that sleeping well is one of the secrets to longevity. Of the 2,800 survey participants, 46% who reported dissatisfaction with their health also had poor sleep quality. Another survey by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies states that those with chronic insomnia are three times more likely to die than those without the problem. For researchers, the ideal is at least seven and a half hours of sleep daily.
There is no magic formula for sleeping better, but staying hydrated a few hours before bed certainly helps you have a more restful night.
Eat Without Distractions
When you go to have a meal, focus exclusively on eating. If you’re sharing your attention with other activities, it makes it harder for your brain to signal satiety signals. Thus, we also end up eating more food than we need.
This habit will also bring better use of ingested nutrients since we pay more attention to chewing. Eating slowly, and chewing your food well, is the first step in ensuring proper digestion.
Drink More (Quality) Water
It seems simple, but most of the population needs to ingest the necessary amount of water for the body’s activities. Maintaining the necessary hydration makes the brain remain productive and active, in addition to bringing benefits such as blood pressure control, cramp prevention, heart protection, improvement of bowel function, nutrient transport, increased physical resistance, and absorption of vitamins, among many others.
Also Read: Healthy Eating: Nutrition In Disease Prevention And Cure