Well-documented studies reveal that more than 70% of Americans are obese or overweight. That is a crazy figure.
Consider your body as the physical shell that will carry you through life. If you misuse or do not take care of your shell, it will deteriorate quickly. However, sometimes attaining a healthy lifestyle could be tricky.
Even trained professionals often appear to hold contradictory views, making it difficult to determine what you should do to enhance your health.
To eliminate the confusion, we have put together a list of health-related tips backed by scientific evidence:
1. Exercise Regularly
Daily exercise has several positive effects on human health, including a longer life expectancy, weight loss, and higher bone density.
Apart from that, physical activity alleviates symptoms of depression by increasing levels of the “feel-good” hormone (aka dopamine) in the brain.
To reap the psychological and physical benefits of exercise, you do not necessarily have to spend hours in a gym or force yourself to engage in boring or unpleasant activities you detest.
However, despite our best efforts, we have trouble breaking the sedentary cycle. It typically happens when we embrace the “all-or-nothing” attitude.
Remember, it is better to exercise a little than not at all. Incorporating even a little physical movement into your routine can go a long way in accomplishing your fitness goals.
Consider getting started with the following simple yet effective workouts:
- Swimming: Swimming is an activity that has a low barrier to entry. That is one reason it is recommended for mesothelioma It boosts cardiovascular health big time.
You should think about swimming to reduce your chance of injury and overall physical stress.
- Brisk walk: If you walk briskly for an hour, you will burn roughly 500 calories. In other words, you could anticipate losing a pound for every seven hours you walk because it takes 3,500 calories to shed a pound.
But do not jump straight from the couch for a one-hour daily stroll. Walking for five to ten minutes is an excellent place to start for beginners, and they should work their way up to at least one hour.
- Cycling: Cycling is a relaxing activity that you can customize by changing the duration and level of difficulty.
It increases metabolic rate, develops muscle, and burns body fat, making it an effective workout to maintain or lose weight.
2. Stay Hydrated
The human body cannot function without water. You may be surprised to learn that water makes up more than 60% of our body.
Among other functions, water helps our bodies carry nutrition and oxygen and remove waste. As we release water through bowel movements, urination, sweat, and breathing, we must drink sufficient water to compensate for this loss.
Our daily water intake ranges from 2.7 to 3.7 liters. But depending on various factors such as physical activity, temperature, and weight, the optimal quantity might vary from individual to individual.
One reliable way to determine whether or not you are adequately hydrated is to examine the color of your urine.
A pale yellow color indicates that your body is hydrated. You should increase your water intake if the color is orange or dark yellow.
3. Get Enough Sleep
According to medical experts, lack of sleep influences a person’s tendency to choose foods richer in fat, calories, and sugar, which may result in unintended weight gain.
Lack of sleep can also trigger insulin resistance, disturb appetite levels, and decline in mental and physical performance. Furthermore, it might even make you obese along the way.
A minimum of seven hours of sleep is recommended for healthy adults. Every day, even on the weekends, go to bed and wake up at the same hour. Maintaining a routine helps to support the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle.
4. Eat A Balanced Diet
The secret to a balanced diet is to consume the optimum calorie count considering your activity level. If you consume more food or liquids than your body requires, you will gain weight because the extra energy is stored as fat.
To begin with, cutting down on saturated fats is essential. Overconsumption of saturated fat raises cholesterol levels, putting you at a higher risk of stimulating heart disease.
Men should limit their daily saturated fat intake to not more than 30g. And women should consume 20 grams of saturated fat per day.
Butter, cream, biscuits, pies, and sausages are some foods rich in saturated fats.
Besides, increasing the amount of fiber in your diet is highly beneficial. Fiber keeps our digestive systems healthy and prolongs our feelings of fullness.
Additionally, fiber decreases cholesterol levels and aids in blood sugar regulation. Good sources of fiber include fresh veggies and fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Conclusion
People undertake several professional and personal responsibilities every day. As a result, living a healthy lifestyle usually takes a back seat to all the other tasks on our to-do list.
But the good news is that you don’t need to put in a lot of energy or time to tap into healthy living. Just infusing these simple practices into your routine will do the job.