The phrase ‘healthy lifestyle’ is an abbreviated definition of how to look good and feel good. A healthy person tries to maintain a healthy weight, eats healthy foods with plenty of fruits, vegetables and fiber and, exercises on a regular basis.
A healthy person also knows how to manage stress, gets good quality sleep each night, moves regularly – making decision with awareness.
The good news is, you don’t have to change everything at one time. Take more steps each day, add fruit to your meal, have an extra glass of water, or say no to that extra dessert. One thing you can do right now to make your lifestyle healthier is to move more.
Here’s Why You Need Move More
Whatever definition you have about what exercise is or isn’t, the bottom line is that exercise is movement – every time you move more than you normally do, it counts.
It’s great if you can spend time exercising – working in your target heart rate zone, or strengthing your body. Moderate activities like chores, gardening and walking also make a difference.
Just some of the benefits include:
- Reduces the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes
- Improves joint stability
- Increases and improves range of motion
- Helps maintain flexibility as you age
- Maintains bone mass
- Prevents osteoporosis and fractures
- Improves mood and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression
- Enhances self-esteem
- Improves memory in elderly people
- Reduces stress
Simple Ways to Move Your Body
You can start living a healthy lifestyle now by adding more activity to your life. If you’re not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.
- Turn off the TV and computer. Get up and do something….anything.
- Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more.
- Do some chores. They can keep you moving while getting your house in order.
- Pace while you talk. When you’re on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing.
Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day – getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.
Eating Well Without Being Miserable
Eating a healthy diet is another part of the healthy lifestyle. Not only can a clean diet help with weight management, it can also improve your health and quality of life as you get older. Just a few ideas for changing how you eat include:
- Eat more fruit.
- Sneak in more veggies.
- Try a healthy salad dressing
- Eat low-fat or fat-free dairy.
- Make healthy and tasty substitutions.
Do this…
Start by picking one thing and work on that one thing every day, letting the rest of your life and habits stay the same. You may be surprised that those small changes really can make a difference.
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