Physical health is something that many of us struggle with in one way or another, and any attempt to improve it can often feel like a time consuming, and sometimes overwhelming, never-ending battle. But just because you’ve failed in the past, doesn’t mean that you have to again. The reality is that having a fit and healthy lifestyle doesn’t have to mean completely turning your life upside down, overhauling your diet, or overworking yourself at the gym every day. The real trick to improving your health comes from figuring out what works best for you and being intentional about your choices, whether that comes to your food, activities or general daily habits.
Here are some small but impactful ideas to get you on the right path to better and improved health to show you that it really is attainable for everyone!
Having a few pieces of exercise equipment that you can easily use from home, can make all the difference. A decent pair of running trainers for example means you can get out for a run, gentle jog or a longer walk, without injuring yourself. Whilst a yoga mat and a set of exercise resistance bands set for workouts can be used at home around your other commitments.
It’s so easy to jump in the car without even thinking twice, but is it really essential all of the time? Especially if wherever you need to get to is literally just a few roads down? Limiting your car usage is a great way to improve your health and fitness, get some fresh air and improve your mood all while contributing to lower carbon emissions and helping the environment – a win-win!
Whether it’s your asthma review a wellness check or your Smear, don’t put it off and make sure you see a Doctor when you need to. You could also consider investing in Private healthcare like Guys & St Thomas.
While perhaps not an obvious one when it comes to improving your health, there is more to it than just physical fitness. Your mental state of mind has a significant influence on your body, especially when it comes to stress, and keeping yourself on schedule and organised is one of the biggest ways that you can keep it at bay. If you aren’t a planner sort of person, create your own calendar to have everything from shopping lists, appointments and daily tasks in one, easy to find place.
The same goes for clutter in your home. Whether we realise it or not, being disorganised and having a mess stresses us out, which can cause us to react in unhealthy ways impacting various areas of our lie. Staying organised also helps you to sleep better, boosts productivity and can even improve your overall fitness!
The easiest, but most often overlooked, way to improve your physical health is to get more sleep. Those who get the right amount of sleep have higher overall levels of energy throughout the day, allowing their bodies to work that little bit harder – whether that’s physically in the gym, or mentally at work. Adults should be getting at least 7-9 hours every day, and a good night’s sleep should be at the top of your agenda if you don’t want your health to suffer. While this is easier said than done, particularly if you have kids running around the house, there are many apps available these days which will help you track the amount of sleep you are getting each night and most phones or your smart watch now tend to have a sleep function, analysing your sleeping patterns and highlighting areas for improvement.
Think of it as more of an investment on your health, rather than a pricey tech splurge. As we navigate our way through our daily lives, even though we roughly know the days where we’ve been stationary for too long or indulged in too many treats that maybe we shouldn’t have, they are often easy to dismiss. What we don’t realise is that over time, these behaviours and habits can add up and cause a significant impact on our overall health. Being able to track and monitor your fitness throughout the day is, therefore, a great way to hold yourself accountable and really see how your daily lifestyle is either contributing to or hindering, your fitness goals. A Fitbit can not only keep track of your workouts and daily number of steps but also your overall food intake, and sleep, driving you on to make better dietary choices and gradual lifestyle improvements.
*Collaborative post