02 May 10 Easy Tips to Improve Your Health Now
You live a hectic lifestyle, but pause for a moment and think about your health. Are you eating right? Do you get enough exercise? Is your stress level low? If you answer “no” to any of these questions, it’s time to make some changes. With these 10 easy tips, you can improve your health now and develop a happier outlook on life.
Eat Your Greens
If you make only one change to your diet, have it be eating more vegetables. Aim to add greens to every meal, and eat them as snacks in between, for a total of five servings per day. A diet rich in vegetables ensures your body receives the nutrients it needs while promoting weight loss. It also reduces your risk of heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, and kidney stones.
Exercise Every Day
This may not sound like an “easy” way to improve your health, but it’s certainly essential. If you want to avoid disease and live longer, you must exercise! Even 10 minutes per day can make a difference, so if you’re accustomed to a sedentary lifestyle, start here.
You don’t even need to have formal workouts—improve your health by going for a walk every day, signing up for swing dancing lessons with your partner, or taking a hike on the weekend. Exercise can be fun and uplifting when you do it right.
Get Enough Sleep
Most adults need seven to nine hours of shut-eye every night. Sleep deprivation is linked to lower brain function, depression, heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many other health problems.
If you have trouble falling asleep, try going to bed at the same time every night. Eat or drink something to relax you before bed, such as whole grain cereal and milk, oatmeal, or chamomile tea. Skip the nightcap since alcohol can actually cause difficulty sleeping. Then, make sure your room is dark, cool, and quiet to promote a good night’s rest.
Make Time for Fun
If you only focus on checking items off your to-do list all day, life will pass you by. To promote good mental health, sometimes you need to scrap your list and just enjoy the moment. Watch the sunset with your partner, go out to lunch with a friend on a whim, or take your kids bowling. While you’re engaging in these fun activities, soak up the inherent benefits of smiling and laughing with loved ones, including increased energy levels, diminished chronic pain, and lower stress.
Drink More Water
Your body needs water to regulate everything from mood and energy levels to digestion and weight. While you can hydrate yourself by drinking liquids in other forms, sticking with plain H2O is the best way to improve your health. On a typical day, aim for the age-old recommendation of drinking eight glasses of water daily—more if it’s hot outside or you exercise a lot.
Learn to Meditate
Today’s busy lifestyle leaves little time to merely sit and reflect. However, when you’re feeling overwhelmed, the best thing you can do is step away from whatever is stressing you out to decompress for a moment.
Meditation may be as simple as closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths. You might also have formal meditation sessions with the help of calming music or a mindfulness Smartphone app. Spending just five or 10 minutes per day meditating can rejuvenate your mind, decrease insomnia, lower your blood pressure, and reduce stress. It can even improve cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease.
Stretch Daily
If you work at a desk all day, stand up and walk around every 30 to 60 minutes. During your break, stretch all major muscle groups to improve circulation and prevent back pain. Spend a longer time stretching once a day, such as before bed to loosen your muscles and help you relax. Daily stretching helps you become more flexible to reduce the chance of injury. It can also improve digestion, lower anxiety, and decrease high blood pressure.
Fix Your Posture
Poor posture is a common problem these days. You might hunch over your desk, bend your neck to see your cell phone, or sleep on your stomach—all without thinking about the effects on your health. Starting today, strive to keep your spine properly aligned by improving your posture. This might include getting a new desk chair, changing how you use your cell phone, or investing in a more supportive pillow and mattress.
Spend Time Outside
Hardly anyone gets enough fresh air and sunshine these days. Make a goal to get outside more when the weather is nice. Soaking up the sun can boost your mood, lower your blood pressure, and prevent vitamin D deficiency. Just remember to wear sunscreen if you plan to spend more than 10 or 15 minutes outside.
Focus on One Tip at a Time
A common deterrent to improving health is feeling overwhelmed by all the ideas you receive. You can’t keep it all straight, so you make no changes at all. To avoid this, consider the suggestions listed above and pick out one to focus on this week. If you usually drink soda at lunch, switch it out for water. If your sleep schedule is erratic, focus on getting to bed at the same time every night. Making small, simple changes once a week can add up to big changes over time.
Improve Your Health at Mile High Spine & Pain Center
If you’re serious about trying to improve your health, consider how the team at Mile High Spine & Pain Center can help. Our convenient location in Broomfield makes it easy to stop by at your convenience to receive non-surgical, pharmaceutical-free treatment for back pain, arthritis, headaches, and other ailments. To learn more about how our services can complement a healthy lifestyle, please contact us at (720) 507-0080 today.