Feeling out of shape or just not quite healthy? Working on improving your well-being? Focusing on health and fitness is key. When you learn more about health conditions, you can find ways to prevent them or you might better understand a condition you’ve been diagnosed with.
Being physically active is one of the main ways to boost your health. Fitness comes in many forms. You might want to work on making your muscles stronger or maybe you don’t get enough cardio in your exercise routine. You can improve your fitness routine, or get one started, in order to feel healthier. Check out the following information on health and fitness.
Physical activity, nutrition, and sleep are a few basic elements of health and well-being. Eating right gives you energy. You can use that energy to exercise, then get a good night’s rest to help your body recover. To improve your overall well-being, follow these tips:
What makes fitness so important? Physical activity helps your body and mind in many ways. It makes your bones and muscles stronger. Exercising also helps you improve your coordination, so you’re less likely to fall. Other benefits include reducing your risk of chronic diseases and helping you manage your weight.
Did you know that exercising helps your mind, too? Working out helps improve your ability to think, focus, and make decisions. It can also boost your mood thanks to the release of endorphins. These hormones help you feel good and improve your emotional well-being.
You know you should exercise, but you just don’t feel like it. This is a common struggle for many people. If you hate to work out, doing some fun exercises might encourage you to get started. You don’t need a rigorous workout routine or gym membership. Just give these simple but exciting exercises a try instead:
Some medical problems are temporary, but others are chronic conditions. These medical conditions usually don’t have a cure, so managing them is important. What kinds of conditions are common? Heart disease is one of the most common diseases, especially in older adults. Having this disease puts you at a higher risk of having a heart attack and other heart-related problems.
Diabetes is another chronic disease that many adults in the U.S. have. This condition usually means your body can’t produce insulin. This causes blood sugar to build up in your bloodstream, which can lead to all sorts of complications. Some of these include vision loss, serious infections, and kidney failure.
High blood pressure’s a common chronic condition as well, but some people are able to manage it with diet and exercise rather than medication. Without managing it, your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and other serious problems goes up.
What other conditions are common and chronic? Arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and Alzheimer’s disease also fall into this category. Other chronic conditions include high cholesterol and depression.
The thought of having a chronic condition can be scary, but there are ways you can lower your risk. Note that you might have risk factors that affect your chance of a chronic disease. For example, a family history of diabetes increases your risk of this disease. You can’t do much about these kinds of risk factors, but you can manage other risk factors with healthy lifestyle habits.
Eat foods packed with nutrients to keep you healthy. Stay away from foods that aren’t good for you, especially foods with saturated fats or lots of sugar. Nutritious foods support different bodily functions and body systems.
Exercise, even if you don’t want to. Physical activity helps you maintain a healthy weight, which can lower your risk of diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Set aside time for a workout, like 30 minutes per day or a few 10-minute sessions during the day.
Go for screenings and physical exams. Catching some chronic conditions early means you can begin managing them. This helps protect you from complications. It might also help prevent some conditions from becoming more advanced.
Want a stronger body? That’s what strength training exercises are for. These exercises target certain muscle groups, so you can work on building them up. With stronger muscles, you’ll have better balance and a lower risk of injuries.
Not sure where to start? If you’re new to strength training, start with simple exercises. Grab a pair of hand weights or dumbbells, then do deadlifts. Hold a weight in each hand. Lean down toward your toes, then straighten up. This works your hamstrings and glute muscles. You can do bicep curls to give your arms a workout: hold a weight in each hand, then curl your arm toward you.
For upper body strength, try push-ups. You might know how to do these already. If not, they’re a simple strength training exercise. Place your palms flat on the floor, and keep your body straight. Lower yourself to the floor using your arms. Push your body back up to your original position. This gives your shoulder, upper arm, and chest muscles a great workout.
Cardio exercise gives your heart and lungs a good workout. These exercises usually require more effort than others, so you might have a hard time fitting them into your routine. New to cardio? Then take it slow at first. Aim for low-intensity cardio workouts, like going for a walk or jog or using a treadmill. You can do these on a daily basis. They won’t get your heart pumping as much as high-intensity cardio, but they’re good for beginners.
Want something more challenging? Try short periods of high-intensity cardio, like these:
Do these in five-minute sessions a few times per week. As you get used to them, you can increase your time.
Making health and fitness a priority can change your life in several ways. You’ll have more energy overall. You’ll feel better and lower your risk of health problems. Start with a few changes to your diet and some simple exercises, and work your way up to bigger goals in order to improve your health.