3 Simple Tips To Living a Healthy Lifestyle
Living a healthy and balanced lifestyle can seem daunting when taking care of our families and career. However, living healthy doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. It’s just about choosing a few alternatives every day. Here are three easy ways that anyone can start doing right now to improve their health.
1. Drink More Water
Drinking water seems like such a simple thing to do, but it is all too easy to get to the end of your day without having enough water.
Your body is roughly 60% water and every minute of the day, we lose water by breathing, eating, and going to the bathroom. Even a small reduction in our water intake can cause issues for a number of our bodily functions.
Your body needs water to function. It flushes toxins from your system and keeps everything moving. The more water you drink, the more the nutrients from food can be absorbed into your bloodstream. It regulates your temperature and lubricates your joints. Staying hydrated also helps increase your energy and keep your skin clearer.
The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies determined women need 2.7 liters (91 ounces) of water a day and men need 3.7 liters (125 ounces). However, they note that this amount is an average estimate. Some bodies will need more than others, depending on a variety of factors like age, weight, diet, and activity level.
Here are a few easy ways to increase your water intake:
- eat more fruits and vegetables
- replace one beverage with water—skip a soda, energy drink, or beer and have a glass of water instead
- set reminders to drink water throughout the day
2. Get Some Sleep
Getting enough sleep every night can improve immune function, memory, cognition, and mood. The benefits of a good night’s sleep are numerous, busy people sacrifice sleep and to stay healthy, it needs to be a priority.
Adults need seven to nine hours sleep per night in order to live a healthy lifestyle. To optimize sleep, consider these simple sleep tips from the Mayo clinic which include sticking to a schedule. Limit your exposure to blue light from screens on phones and computers for at least an hour before bed.
A good night’s sleep makes a huge difference in how you feel, if you commit to a regular sleep schedule, you will notice the difference.
3. Get Up and Move
Movement is very simple. Our bodies are designed to move. The challenge is that we have made sitting into an art form. Excessive sitting is linked with diseases and conditions sch as obesity, back pain, depression, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.
Excessive sitting is a fairly new problem as Americans move way less than we think we do. According to the Mayo Clinic the average American walks around 3,000 steps a day. However, our step goal for optimal health should be around 10,000.
The physical benefits of walking are well documented. The American Diabetes Association recommends walking to lower blood sugar levels. The Arthritis Foundation also believe walking may strengthen your bones. Walking can also stretch out your muscles, boost immunity and improve mood by releasing endorphins that promote happiness and reduce stress.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a brisk 20 minute walk every day could reduce your risk of death upwards by 30%. Among the participants of the study, those who lived otherwise sedentary lives and simply adopted a short daily walk experienced the most dramatic benefit of all of the groups studied
Most people find that lack of time and money mean that is difficult to add exercise to their schedule. One solution is adding some additional walking to your daily routine. Park further away when you run errands, go for a short stroll, climb the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Get started by adding a few steps each day. In other words, simply getting off the couch for a short walk has a major impact on your lifespan.
you to stand up for a few minutes each hour, and you should listen!
Starting a new routine or adding new items to your existing one can be challenging. Set yourself small simple goals and gradually add to them. Make it a goal to drink an extra glass of water each day, park a few spots further away on your next trip to the store, or do a couple of stretches before you crawl in bed tonight.
All can result in better health.
Drink some water, get some sleep, get up & move!
