Almost everyone has had a health goal at some time in their life. Perhaps you want to shed a few pounds, eat a more plant-based diet, quit smoking, or join a gym. Unfortunately, most people give up before they make any progress. The good news is that improving your health does not always require making giant leaps, and smaller steps are equally valuable.
The internet is overflowing with ideas, tips, and tricks for enhancing your health. As a result, it can be daunting to determine the appropriate ones. Besides the cliché strategies of eating healthy and exercising, there are many other ways to boost your health and wellness.
Read on to learn ten savvy ways to boost your well-being for lifelong health.
1. Destress
Today’s world has many stressors, from family to work and social obligations. While it may be impossible to be completely stress-free, you can minimize stress levels. The secret is to identify the stress-buster that works best for you.
Consider doing things that help you unwind and make you happy, like playing with a pet, listening to music, connecting with others, going outdoors, and meditating.
2. Exercise Your Brain
Mental health is a crucial but overlooked part of your health and well-being. As such, exercise your brain to enhance your brain speed, concentration, memory, intelligence, and focus.
Increase your brainpower by engaging in games like Sudoku, puzzles, cards, and chess that require logic, math, and visuospatial skills. In addition, taking a nad supplement can help improve cognitive health by protecting neurological function.
3. Practice Sun Safety
Did you know that around 9,500 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer daily? You can lower your skin cancer risk by practicing sun safety in the ways below.
- Seek shade
- Wear sun-protective clothing
- Shade your face with a hat
- Avoid tanning
- Apply sunscreen with at least 15 SPF
- Wear sunglasses
4. Enjoy Some Red Wine
Research shows that red wine may have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and lipid-regulating properties, enhancing your heart, gut, and brain health and preventing certain cancers. For instance, red wine can reduce coronary heart disease, which claims millions of lives annually. However, ensure you take the wine in moderation, as excessive consumption has adverse health outcomes.
5. Watch Your Posture
Poor posture harms your health significantly and may result in back pain, poor sleep, headaches, breathing difficulties, impaired digestion, and spinal dysfunction. Luckily, you can break the bad habit by engaging in regular exercise, investing in ergonomic furniture, and developing postural awareness.
Also, watch how you sit and stand; your shoulders should be back and relaxed, chin lifted, spine straight, hips even, and weight distributed evenly on both feet.
6. Be Active All Day
Many people mistakenly believe that being active means creating time to go to a gym. Nonetheless, this is far from the truth, and you can squeeze in short bursts of activity throughout the day, no matter how busy you are.
Here are a few ideas;
- Ditch the elevator for stairs
- Keep up with housework
- Park furthest in the parking lot and walk to your destination
- Walk or cycle to work
- Take stretch breaks after extended sitting
- Get a dog
- Walk when on the phone
- Take a long route
7. Engage in Safe Sex
Sex has tons of physical, mental, and emotional benefits, including enhancing immunity, improving sleep, lowering blood pressure, boosting self-esteem, relieving stress, and lowering certain disease risks. However, people must practice safe sex to prevent STIs and unplanned pregnancies.
Using condoms, abstinence, limiting sexual partners, and engaging in healthy sexual communication is a good place to start. Also, get tested for STIs and follow prescribed treatments when diagnosed.
8. Create a Consistent Sleep Schedule
You have heard it countless times: getting enough sleep every night is paramount. Unfortunately, over one-third of adults in America don’t sleep adequately, affecting their health and daily functioning adversely.
A good way to improve sleep quality is to sleep and wake up at roughly the same time daily. In addition, create a bedtime routine, keep the bedroom comfortable, get physically active during the day, and minimize daytime naps.
9. Make Healthy Dietary Substitutions
Here are a few healthy swaps to reduce calorie intake and improve well-being.
- Drink water, green tea, and coffee instead of soda and energy drinks
- Eat oatmeal rather than sugary cereals
- Cook skinless chicken and turkey instead of skin-on variants
- Ditch chips for homemade veggie chips, roasted chickpeas
- Snack on carrots instead of cookies
- Replace sugary candy with dried fruit, smoothies, and yogurt parfaits
- Season food with fresh and dried herbs instead of salt and artificial spices
10. Get Regular Checkups
Regular checkups enhance your well-being by preventing serious health problems. In fact, catching a health condition early maximizes the chances of treatment and recovery. Make an appointment with your primary doctor and a dentist and ophthalmologist annually.
If you have recurring symptoms, do not disregard them and have a doctor check you. Also, consider regular cancer screening based on risk factors and family history.
Conclusion
Today, there are numerous ways to enhance your health, from avoiding certain foods to practicing safe sex, getting plenty of sleep, and destressing. Trying to incorporate all of them into your lifestyle can be overwhelming.
Therefore, it is best practice to get started with two or three. As they become habits, you can include more into your routine for lifelong health and wellness. A small change can make a significant difference in your quality of life!