4 lifestyle tips for better health

Optimizing your health involves making small, positive changes to your lifestyle that you can sustain for years into the future. There are lots of great changes you can make to your lifestyle to help you stay physically and mentally healthy and to support yourself on your journey to any specific health goals you might have put in place this year.

Below, we’re going to cover some important changes you can make to your lifestyle to help promote good health and wellbeing.

Exercise daily

The global exercise recommendations are 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise a week, accompanied by at least two resistance training (strength training) sessions. You can split these minutes up however is best for you, but try to incorporate some sort of movement into each day to stay active. If 150 minutes seems intimidating, try to start at 5 or 10 minutes, and then increase that progressively. Try to remember that some exercise is better than none.

Stay hydrated

Hydration is important as it enables your body to perform its essential processes effectively, including lubricating joints and maintaining body temperature. If you find drinking water boring you can try flavoring it with fresh fruit or herbs. Remember to take regular sips throughout the day to keep your body hydrated, particularly when it is hot or you are exercising.

Eat a nutritious diet

Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are packed full of essential nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Each of these nutrient groups promotes health and supports your body to thrive. Choose a wide range of foods of all different colors to include as many nutrients in your diet as possible.

Adequate protein is also important for providing our body with amino acids that are used for muscle and bone growth and repair, the growth of hair, skin, and nails and hormone and enzyme production. Although our body can produce some amino acids, others must come from food sources.

At the same time, limit your intake of highly processed foods that may contain higher levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar. Minimizing these foods can promote better health in the present day and possibly help reduce the risk of chronic diseases from developing in the future.

Prioritize sleep

Good quality sleep means between 7 - 9 hours of undisturbed sleep each night. While this isn’t always feasible, do your best to get into a healthy sleep schedule that allows you to get enough rest each night. If possible, try to keep your bedtime and wake-up times consistent and enjoy a relaxing activity in the evening to help promote good rest.