July 06, 2015
10 Tips for Better Health
Recommit to These Easy Tips to Be Healthier
We’re officially six months in to the year. How are you doing on those New Year Resolutions? Since many resolutions and goals center on becoming healthier, we thought this was an appropriate time to reconnect with your goals and recommit to health and wellness. If you’ve “fallen off the health wagon,” here are 10 ways to recommit to better health and wellness this year!- Up your water intake. While opinion varies on how many glasses of water we should drink per day, the benefits of ensuring you have an adequate water intake are proven. Drinking water helps your body maintain its fluids balance, energizes your muscles and keeps your skin looking good.
- Get moving! Even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. Start small – a 30-minute walk here, 10 laps in the pool there – and build up as your muscles and heart rate grow stronger.
- Stretch. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles and has been shown to help improve athletic performance and reduce the risk of activity-based injuries. It’s also one of the easiest exercises to do anywhere at any time.
- Think positively. Research continues to support that people who think positively are healthier; less stressed and also have greater overall wellbeing. Positivity has even been found to improve immunity and make you more resilient to stressful situations and health issues.
- Get adequate shuteye. When your “To Do” list fills up, sleep is one of the first things to be sacrificed. But lack of sleep has been attributed to forgetfulness, depression, health problems (like stroke and high blood pressure), and aging skin! Scientists recommend around 8 hours of sleep a night. But listen to your body. Some people need more and some need less.
- It’s one of the most essential tasks to maintain life, but it’s often one we don’t even think about. When you feel stressed, overwhelmed or just plain yucky, take a deep breath. Deep abdominal breathing encourages full oxygen exchange, slowing the heartbeat and lowering blood pressure.
- Clear the chemicals. Committing to a cleaner, healthier lifestyle can be so overwhelming. But consistent small changes add up to big differences. Reduce your use of plastic, don’t by toothpaste with artificial sweeteners, replace your vinyl shower curtain with a natural fiber one and open your windows every day.
- Know your family history. Families have many factors in common including their genes, environment and lifestyle. Knowing your family’s medical history will allow you to take steps to minimize your health risks. Ask each of your immediate family members to write down their health history, keep one copy at home and give one copy to your doctor.
- Step away from your phone. Not only is it important to engage with real live human being in real life, constant cell phone use can have unintended health consequences such as carpal tunnel, spine issues and damage to your eyesight.
- Keep your moles in check. Skin cancer is the most common of all types of cancer. Conduct a self-check of your moles once a month. Take notice of any new moles or changes in existing ones. And be sure to show your doctor any that concern you. And while you’re there, have your doctor check the areas that you can’t see very easily too!