When you think of keeping heathy, you might imagine hours of strenuous exercise in the gym or restricting yourself to basic, unexciting diets. Thoughts like these are likely to put you off looking after your health as they don’t sound very appealing. But maintaining good health can be achieved much easier than you might think. Simply adopting a few healthy habits will go a long way to boosting your overall wellbeing. So, what are some healthy habits you should consider adopting?
You might be familiar with the term mindfulness, but what actually is it and why is it healthy? Mindfulness refers to paying attention to ourselves and the present without getting overwhelmed with everything that’s going on around us. There are numerous studies that suggest mindfulness can help with stress, as well as depression and anxiety. In fact, the mental health benefits of mindfulness are so clear that the UK Government has even recommend that it’s practiced in schools. Mindfulness techniques cover a wide range of activities, and can include practices such as meditation, certain types of yoga, focused thinking, concentrating on your breathing, and many, many more.
Weight training is a great way to stay trim, can reduce the likelihood of age-related deterioration in your body and has huge benefits for health overall. You can easily strength train at home with dumbbells, resistance bands, kettlebells, or by using your own bodyweight for resistance. One thing you lose as you get older is bone density, putting you at risk of developing osteoporosis and making you prone to fractures and breakages. You also lose muscle mass as you age, causing your body to weaken and decreasing your mobility – and you might be startled to find out that muscle loss begins as early as age 30. Weight training can help your body to replace new bone and lean muscle, making you stronger and healthier. To get the full benefits of strength training though, you need to make sure you’re eating the right nutrients. Protein is especially important as you need it to build lean muscle, although getting enough from food alone is hard. Consider taking a high-quality protein supplement like Nestle BOOST Optimum, which is also packed with vitamins and nutrients, to fuel your workout and help your body repair itself afterwards.
Many fruit and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C and beta-carotene. These are thought to help prevent the narrowing of the arteries associated with coronary heart disease. The health benefits of fruit and vegetables for your heart, as well as your overall body health are undisputable, but getting your full five a day can be difficult. A simple way to introduce more fruit and veg to your diet is to aim to add a serving at each meal time. For instance, add a portion of green beans alongside your evening meal, and perhaps a side salad to your lunch. With your morning toast or cereal, consider adding a banana or a handful of blueberries. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you feel fuller for longer.
Keeping yourself healthy needn’t be a chore and is easier than you might think. You can boost your wellbeing by adopting simple habits like resistance training, adding more fruit and veg to your meals, and practicing mindfulness.