I think it’s fair to say that we would all like to be healthy, even if some of us find it difficult, and it’s also fair to say that health can mean a wide range of things to us all. For some of us, trying to eat five portions of fruit and veg each day will be our ideal of good health, while for others, running 10k each morning is the gold standard.
Whatever good health means to you, and no matter how healthy you may think you are right now, there are always things you can do to give your health an upgrade, so let’s take a look at some of them now.
Wake up a bit earlier
You might not think that getting up a bit earlier in the morning could have much effect on your overall health, but you’d be surprised. When you get up early, your energy levels tend to be higher – providing you’ve gotten to bed early enough too – you get to have a peaceful morning while everyone else is in bed, which means that you tend to be less stressed throughout the day, and some studies even suggest that you’re less likely to overindulge in food too. So, by getting up in the morning, you really can give your health a huge boost.
Exercise daily
How often do you exercise? Never? Once or twice a week? Maybe four or five? You could do better. Although traditional wisdom says that you should have a rest day, and if you’re doing really intense exercise every day, you probably should, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being active in some way, each day, and in fact, it is a great way to upgrade your health. Why? Because the more you walk, practice yoga, hit the gym, or whatever to keep moving, the more calories you will burn, the less time you will spend sitting, and the healthier your body will be overall. Try to mix up heavy days with easy exercises and you will soon start to feel amazing.
Consume more water
Drinking more water is something so simple that it’s amazing we aren’t all doing it all the time. A staggering 75 percent of all Americans are chronically dehydrated, and since being dehydrated can cause headaches, fatigue, dry skin, and dizziness amongst other things, this is not good. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t get enough water, invest in a reusable water bottle and download a reminder app that will give you little nudges to drink more throughout the day. You’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.
Get therapy
You don’t have to be going through a mental health crisis to seek therapy. It can be helpful for pretty much everyone, As humans, we all have our own issues, and if we can learn to better understand them, manage them and ultimately conquer them, we will all be happier as a result. Having therapy is one of the best ways to get to grips with who we are as humans, so consider seeing a therapist when you feel ready to do the work on your mental wellbeing.
Get more sleep
If you aren’t already sleeping a good 7-9 hours each night, you should definitely look to change that, which I know is often easier than it seems, but it’s so important because good quality sleep is one of the best possible things for your help. When you sleep, your body has the chance to recover and rejuvenate. If you sleep the full 7-9 hours interrupted, you’ll be less likely to suffer from fatigue, obesity, stress, depression, and heart disease amongst other things; it really can have a big impact.
If you don’t sleep well, there are numerous remedies and gadgets you can try. If they don’t work, then you may want to see your doctor with a view to trying out medication. That may sound scary but there are few things as good for your health as sleep so you need to do whatever you need to do to get more of it and improve its quality too.
Get an active job
If you’re really serious about giving your health an upgrade, but you already eat clean, exercise regularly, and get plenty of sleep, you may think that there isn’t much more you can do to upgrade your health, but you could be wrong. If you love healthy living, have you ever thought about getting a more active job? Sitting at a desk all day can actually shorten your life as well as giving you various aches and pains and that is not good, to say the least. Doing something like becoming a Beachbody coach where you can help other people upgrade their health will also enable you to spend more time living healthily, as will become a sports coach or yoga teacher or a lumberjack or…well you get the idea. It certainly won’t be for everyone, but if you’re serious about a health upgrade, switching to a more active job could seriously change your life.
Laugh more
This may seem like a silly suggestion, but you know that old cliche that laughter is the best medicine? It isn’t wholly without evidence. Research shows that the more time you spend laughing, the better it will be for your health. Laughter can lower stress levels, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, stimulate organs, lower blood pressure, and that’s just for starters. So, visit a comedy club, stream your favorite sitcom or spend more time laughing with friends (especially this) and you will do your health the world of good.
Learn how to meditate
Meditation is a fantastic health and wellness tool that will help you to eliminate stress, alleviate anxiety and depression symptoms and boost your focus. It will just make you feel good, and what’s more, it’s really easy to learn. There are various apps that will teach you the process, but to get started, all you have to do is sit down, get comfy and focus on your in-breath and your out-breath. Let thoughts come and go without paying them any mind and soon you’ll be in a calm Zen space where nothing matters but the present moment. It’s so, so good for you.
De-stress
Stress is one of the worst things for your health. When it is chronic, it can lead to depression and anxiety, poor heart health, high blood pressure, stroke, and a number of other nasty illnesses that you would do well to avoid. That’s why avoiding stress should be one of your main priorities. Some of the things on this list, like meditation and laughing, can certainly help you de-stress but so can reading a good book, hitting the spa, or even vegging out on the couch. Do what works best for you and do it regularly if you want to upgrade your health.
Walk daily
Walking has more health benefits than you could imagine and it’s completely free, so if you can walk, you should make the effort to do so each day for at least 20-30 minutes.
What are the benefits? Improved heart and lung fitness, weight loss, lower blood pressure, healthier joints, stronger bones – I could go on. Time to get your walking shoes on?
Get grateful
Being grateful for what you have is really good for your mental health, It can stop you from ruminating on the negative aspects of life and prevent you from feeling stressed out and anxious because you maybe aren’t doing as well as some other people or at least that’s how you perceive yourself.
How do you be more grateful? Start by writing a gratitude list each evening. This is a lot simpler than it seems. Basically, it means writing down a shortlist of things you’ve been grateful for that day, which is why you should ideally schedule it in the evening. This could be something as simple as a nice cup of coffee or something big like the birth of a child – it doesn’t matter as long as it made you feel positive about life.
Schedule health checks
If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t schedule regular health checks, you need to change that right now, Health checks are great at picking up illnesses early so that they can be treated quickly and you can give yourself the best possible chance of a full recovery. That’s why annual physicals breast screenings and the like are so important. You should also go for other routine checkups, whether it be at your local endodontist to ensure your smile stays intact or an eye test once in a while. Going to these healthcare professionals annually will not only keep you healthy but prevent any major illness from creeping up on you. It’s better to be safe than sorry, and you’ll sleep soundly at night knowing you’ve done everything you can to ensure your overall health stays optimal. Take your health seriously and you will have more of it for sure.
Giving your health an upgrade may seem like a mammoth task, but as you can see, there are numerous little steps you can take to make your health just a bit better. Choose the one that appeals to your the most and incorporate it into your life. Once you’ve done that, pick another and do the same. Repeat this process until you’re one of the healthiest people you know. It may take some time, but you’ll get there in the end and it will be so worth it when you feel so great all the time.
