As the saying goes, your health is your wealth, and if 2020 has shown us anything, it’s that we need to do all we can to look after ourselves. Things can quickly change, and whilst there’s little we can do about genetics and predispositions to diseases, there’s a lot we can do to look after our general health and stand us in good stead to be healthy overall.
It can be hard maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and everyone will fall down at some point. Being healthy doesn’t mean you need to make massive sacrifices; in fact, improving your general health is easier than you might think. Here are four easy ways you can improve yourself.
- Exercise more often
We all know that exercising is important for our general health, but many people are of the view that in order to be healthy, they need to put in two hours at the gym four days a week. This simply isn’t true, and for a lot of people, it’s not realistic, either. You’d be surprised at the positive effects a 30 minute walk can have on you. Not everyone can withstand the effects of intense exercise, and that’s okay. In this instance, going for a walk a couple of times a week will get you up and moving. If you’re able to, a brisk walk will help even more as it will up your heart rate and help with your cardiovascular health.
If you are able to manage something a bit more intense, a HIIT workout is a great idea. You only need to do two or three a week, and the best part is, they’re typically no longer than 30 minutes, so no matter how busy you are, you can surely fit one in a week minimum.
- Eat better
Exercise and a healthy diet go hand in hand, but in the same way a lot of people assume they need to exercise all the time, many people also think that a healthy diet consists of limited calories and nothing but salads. This isn’t true. There are lots of small changes you can make that will have a positive impact on your general health. This could be switching from full fat fizzy drinks to zero sugar ones, or it might be substituting regular potato chips for a baked version. These small changes do need to be accompanied by a bigger dietary overhaul, but even small substitutions will improve your health.
- Find a balance
Your general health is about more than just your eating and exercise habits – it’s about your overall lifestyle. Stress can have a hugely negative effect on your general health, so you need to make sure you’re doing all you can to strike a good work/life balance. There’s nothing wrong with taking annual leave and doing nothing one day a week. In fact, doing just that is what your body needs to recuperate and recover from the stresses of the week.
- Give back
There are so many things you can do to benefit your health, but one of the easiest and the most rewarding things is to give back to other people. There are so many reasons why this is beneficial, with the obvious one being that you will help someone in need. On top of this, being altruistic has a wide range of physical and mental health benefits. Some people give back regularly, e.g. religious groups. In Islam, Muslims pay Zakat. How much Zakat is depends on how much each person earns, but the premise is that they give back regularly, and they surely feel the well-being benefits. You can implement something similar, such as setting up a monthly direct debit. You don’t need to think too much about it, but you will still benefit health-wise.
Summary
Will you be trying any of these general health ideas?