Kick start your journey with below listed top 10 health and fitness tips that can help you to boost your physical and mental strength.
1. Physical activity and exercises
If we try to look and compare our lives with our ancestors, we will see how they had their lives ingrained with physical activities. We on the other hand, who have access to automobiles now, won’t even walk to nearby stores. This “easier” lifestyle has only increased our chances of high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity etc.
Regular physical activities can reduce the risks of premature deaths from all the above stated diseases. Some vigorous activities taking less time can be walking the stairs, jumping rope or bicycling four miles, all to be done in 15 minutes. On the other hand, yoga can help in reducing stress, increase flexibility and strength.
2. Eating habits
Taking a healthy diet is a concern for all. “To maintain a stable weight, one must burn off as much as one has taken in.” This in turn closely connects it to the level of physical activities. Nevertheless, some basic eating principles can help in maintaining a healthy diet. For example; filling up your plate with grains, fruits and vegetables. Limiting intake of fried and high-fat foods, caffeine, salt and sources of refined sugar (cookies, cake, pastries etc.). Eat food that is rich in vitamins, minerals, and dietary fibers.
3. Be hydrated
When we are properly hydrated, our heart pumps blood more easily. This helps muscles to work efficiently. When you are sweating more during an exercise, you will need to drink more to stay hydrated. “If you get thirsty, you are already dehydrated” is an important point one must consider. So, getting thirsty might not be the best indicator that you need to drink. Water is the best when it comes to staying hydrated. Also, there can be fruits and vegetables that contains a high percentage of water that can be some sources to get hydrated. At the same time, we need to be careful that drinks or juices that contains a higher percentage of sugar should be avoided since it can be hard on our stomach.
4. Know before you go
Before adopting a serious training schedule or exercise regime, you must test your own fitness level. This will help you clarify where you are and where you want to be. In short, give you a clear view of your goal. This will also help in measuring your success as you get closer to your goal. An effective fitness program should be targeted on your goals and should include muscle strengthening and stretching exercises.
5. Staying motivated
Make workouts and fitness a fun activity. You can find ways to do it and keep yourself motivated, in case, you are easy to give up early on exercise. Dancing can be one that is a fun activity and at the same time help you to be fit. You can always plan various outdoor activities and games. Involve both family and friends in such activities which is a wonderful way to incorporate exercise in your daily life easier as well as spend quality time with them.
6. Emotional health
Don’t forget about your emotional health. We tend to get involved in busy schedules and stressed lifestyle that there is no time to relax and think about our emotional health. Even though exercising can be relaxing in itself and as though a healthy mind is in a healthy body, even then it is important to cater to the needs of the mind. Meditation can help relieve stress and relax your mind. Lifting weights relieves anxiety. Yoga on the other hand can also help bring in balance, reduce stress and give mental clarity.
7. Time duration
Opinions always differ as to what can be the ideal time duration for a workout. Even then, one point is always agreed on, that beginners need to exercise in shorter sessions repeated more frequently and later on they can increase the time duration n adopt more vigorous exercises. Be careful not to till you are completely exhausted or are in pain. It won’t get you fit faster but will lead you to ache, burnout and injury.
8. Eating clean food
As much as it is important to eat healthy food, it is also important that what you are eating is clean and fresh. Most of the fruits and vegetables now are covered in pesticides and other chemicals to make it look shiny. Hence, it is better to wash them properly before eating to clean all the harmful stuff. Buying organic food items can be another option that you can opt for. Another alternative can be growing your own food. It is both fun and environmentally friendly. There are a lot of videos and tips on growing food, health and fitness on your own on the internet.
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9. Understanding different components in food
Understanding carbohydrates, calories, proteins and fats are important to know what food and food plans are good for you. The number of calories needed by a person can depend on age, sex, current weight, metabolic rate and activity level. Carbohydrates fuel the body. Complex carbohydrates are most nutritious while simple carbohydrates provide empty calories.
Proteins are crucial for the growth and repair of the body. They are not an efficient source of energy and contain only four calories per gram. Fats on the other hand (saturated and unsaturated) contribute to the development of diseases. However, it is necessary to understand that each body is different and you might need to experiment with a variety of fats and see which makes you feel healthy and vigorous.
10. A healthy condition
Don’t ignore your medical condition. It might not be very big now but if ignored it might become a serious condition later on. So, it is always better to always be on a look as to what your body is feeling or going through. Searching for your medical condition online can be pretty risky. For reliance and accuracy read medical journals.
There are many medical journal articles available online but searching for medical conditions should not be a passive process. Planning for your goal can be one way. Even then a medical professional will always be your best guide since they will know your medical history firsthand. You can ask your doctor to help search for information online.
Hoping that the above Top 10 Health and Fitness Tips will help you to achieve good health and fitness, it is an immense pleasure to bring all these important tips.
Credit: Madhuri Verma
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