Building a healthy lifestyle is a powerful way to take control of your health and is one of the pillars of personal growth.
Although healthy habits may not always include what you want, they almost always include exactly what you need.
A healthy lifestyle doesn’t mean making perfectly healthy choices every single time. We’re all human, and it’s normal that we sometimes give in to cravings or pleasures.
However, embracing a healthy lifestyle means we value our body and prioritize long-term goals over temporary satisfaction.
There are so many healthy habits you can adopt, but here are 10 essential healthy lifestyle tips that are crucial for anyone who wants to feel and be their best!
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1. Get Quality Sleep
Getting good-quality sleep is one of the preconditions of a healthy lifestyle. Even if you do manage to get the hours in, to truly reap it’s benefits, quality of sleep is just as important as quantity.
Sleeping deeply is crucial because that’s when your body repairs itself, muscles grow and cells regenerate. Having deep, uninterrupted sleep is necessary for your body to rejuvenate and gather energy for the next day.
Lack of good sleep is a major problem, and data shows that more than one-third of adults in the US sleep less than seven hours per night, with 7-9 hours being necessary to maintain good health.
Experiencing sleep deprivation over a period of time negatively affects our mental and emotional health and increases the risk of various illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.
If you struggle with deep sleep, wake up during the night, or take too long to fall asleep, consider magnesium and melatonin supplements. They subtly improve your sleep without being invasive or addictive.
If you experience anxiety before bed, consider getting a weighted blanket; it can help calm your mind and improve comfort for better sleep quality.
2. Eat a Balanced Diet
The saying “You are what you eat.” is not just a cliche but a fact. Nutrients from the foods we eat become the building blocks for our cells, tissues, and organs. Therefore, the food we eat for the majority of our meals defines the state of our health.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean proteins will provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support physical health. On the other hand, processed foods, unhealthy fats and additives will contribute to inflammation, fatigue, and chronic diseases.
Simply put: our food choices either promote good health or contribute to health problems.
It’s important to remember that a healthy diet doesn’t need to be perfect. It’s completely okay to enjoy an ‘unhealthy’ snack or to have a ‘cheat day’. The important thing is that we have a healthy relationship with food and see it as a duty to our body more than a pleasure for our brains.
Eating healthy food will not only support brain health, energy levels and mental health but also help maintain a healthy weight so you can look and feel your best.
3. Exercise Regularly
Moving our body is necessary for both our physical and mental health.
The human brain is constantly seeking comfort and rest, but this is the opposite of what we actually need.
Physical exercise strengthens our body, makes us more energized and boosts our mood, even after a single session. In the long run, regular exercise transforms our body and reduces the risk of health issues like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. The recommended guideline for adults is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
The thing with exercise is that you really have to make an effort to try different things until you find something you truly enjoy. There’s countless sports to try, and most you will likely enjoy some of them a lot more than the others.
- Maybe you enjoy a combination of stretching and endurance so you will prefer yoga.
- Maybe you want to tone your body and get your heart rate up so you will like pilates more.
- Or, maybe you prefer to pump your muscles and build strength so you will enjoy going to the gym.
Whatever style of exercise you choose, the important thing is that you enjoy doing it and that you feel motivated and excited to do it.
If not, maybe you still haven’t found your sport, or maybe your body needs to build some more strength before you start truly enjoying it as a part of your healthy lifestyle.
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4. Drink Enough Water
Staying hydrated is crucial for feeling good and maintaining overall health. The recommended daily intake is around 2.7 liters of water for women and 3.7 liters for men.
Unfortunately, many people fail to reach this goal, which often leads to dehydration. Even mild dehydration (a loss of 1-2% of body water) can impair both physical performance and mental abilities.
Dehydration is often perceived as an issue that only affects certain people in specific situations, but it happens more often than we realize. Dehydration comes in stages, while the most obvious first sign is feeling thirsty, which is something everyone experiences on a daily basis. Other, more serious signs are headache and dizziness, dry mouth and skin, fatigue and weakness, constipation, etc.
If left untreated over a period of time, dehydration can lead to more serious health issues, such as heart disease, where our heart struggles to pump blood without enough liquid.
Drinking enough water provides numerous health benefits, including improved physical performance, digestion, glowing skin, higher energy levels, and enhanced brain function. Ultimately, drinking enough water isn’t a ‘healthy’ habit but a requirement for the normal functioning of both our body and mind.
A fun and practical water bottle can help you reach your daily water requirements and always stay healthy and hydrated!
5. Practice Self-Care
Physical health may be more vital, but there is no healthy lifestyle without taking care of your mental health.
Taking time for self-care is a great way to improve your mental health while also taking care of your body. It can include simple daily rituals of pampering your skin to more impactful habits of spending quality alone time, meditating, reading, or anything else that helps you relax and unwind.
Self-care goes beyond pampering your body; it helps you reconnect with yourself, which improves your confidence, self-esteem, and feeling of self-love. In addition, self-care includes setting healthy boundaries, learning to say no when needed, and taking time for yourself without guilt.
A great way to practice self-care is through mindful habits, such as meditation, yoga, journaling, or practicing positive affirmations. These habits help you deeply attune to your inner world, which brings you a sense of peace.
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6. Reduce Screen Time
Phone addiction has become a true epidemic of the modern age. Because it seems like harmless fun, most people take it for granted and fail to realize just how much it’s negatively impacting their health.
Studies indicate that the average adult in the US spends 4 hours and 25 minutes a day looking at their phone, while more than half of Americans (57%) say they are addicted to their phones.
One of the worst habits is checking your phone immediately after waking up. A general recommendation is doing so only after about 20-30 minutes. Checking your phone right away can impact your focus and attention span, while seeing negative news first thing can set a stressful tone for the day.
Another crucial time to avoid using your phone is before sleep. Experts suggest not using it 2 hours before, but even 30 minutes is a great start to improve your mental health and promote better sleep.
Overall, phone addiction carries numerous risks and is definitely something we should strive to improve. It negatively impacts our brain health, sleep and emotional wellbeing, hence impacting our general health. Setting boundaries with technology use can help create a healthy routine and support a healthier lifestyle.
7. Spend More Time Outside
Spending time in nature has ironically become more of an occasional weekend activity rather than a regular part of our lives. But the fact is, being outdoors is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Although we are fully accustomed to living in closed spaces, humans are and always will be deeply connected to nature.
Incorporating outdoor activities like walking, hiking, or gardening into your routine not only helps you spend more time outside but also improves physical health and overall well-being. Even just 20 minutes outside can improve your mood, reduce stress, and enhance mental clarity.
On a sunny day, exposure to sunlight boosts our vitamin D levels, which is essential for good health, while being surrounded with greenery reduces stress and enhances brain health.
Also, nature encourages mindfulness by helping you slow down, disconnect, and be present, whether through walking, observing nature, or simply breathing in fresh air.
8. Consider Therapy
Mental and emotional health are key components of a healthy life, and therapy is a responsible and effective way to support them.
Therapy, although not necessary, is a great addition to our healthy lifestyle habits because it helps us deal with things that we might not fully understand on our own.
We all have things we’re dealing with, but we also have hidden thoughts, patterns, and beliefs that influence our lives without us realizing it. This is because our mind operates on both a conscious and subconscious level. Our subconscious often holds emotions and experiences that shape our behavior in ways we don’t always recognize.
Taking therapy means understanding that we don’t have to figure everything out alone. Our minds are complex, and having guidance can help us work through challenges in a way that supports our long-term well-being.
Even if we don’t have major issues, therapy is a great tool to become more self-aware, improve emotional resilience, and get the best advice on dealing with life’s challenges.
9. Schedule Doctor Visits
A major part of taking care of our health is prevention, and that means paying a visit to the doctor when needed.
Going to the doctor is mostly scary if you haven’t been going enough. This dreadful feeling can be replaced with a feeling of knowing you did what’s best for your body. Scheduling medical check-ups on time helps catch potential health issues early and makes you feel better knowing you are informed about what happens in your body.
It’s recommended to do:
- General check-up: Once per year
- Dental visits: Every 6 months
- Skin check: Annually (more if at risk for skin cancer)
- Gynecological exam: Annually for women
Save yourself the unnecessary stress and schedule yearly check-ups on time.
10. Take the Supplements You Need
While a balanced diet is the best way to get essential nutrients, supplements can help fill in nutritional gaps and support a healthy lifestyle.
Stress, poor digestion, and dietary restrictions can make it harder to get all the nutrients your body needs. Besides, unless you are eating various fruits and vegetables every day, chances are you are lacking some nutrients crucial for good health.
- Magnesium supports muscle function, reduces stress, improves sleep, and helps regulate blood sugar levels.
Studies suggest that many serious illnesses could be traced back to magnesium deficiency, including heart disease, diabetes, migraines and anxiety. Although an essential nutrient for our health, magnesium can be difficult to obtain in sufficient amounts through diet alone, which is why magnesium supplements are often recommended.
- Vitamin D: Especially if you live in an area with little to no sunlight, it’s necessary to check your Vitamin D levels and get a prescription if necessary. Just as the dark winter months can make you feel low, moody, and unmotivated, vitamin D deficiency can have the same impact.
- Multivitamins: Even if you do have a diet rich in vitamins, chances are you aren’t getting enough because our food loses many nutrients while being mass-produced. This means we need to compensate with supplements in order to reach our daily needs.
- Melatonin helps regulate sleep cycles and improve sleep quality, great for those struggling with insomnia or jet lag.
- Iron prevents anemia and boosts energy, particularly important for women and vegetarians.
- Probiotics: if you struggle with digestion or want to heal your gut, probiotic supplements are a great way to support your gut by providing good bacteria it’s naturally lacking.
Make sure to consult a doctor before starting a new supplement to meet your specific needs.
Final Thoughts
Incorporating these healthy habits into your daily routine is key to living a long, healthy life. These health tips and habits for a better life provide a great foundation for anyone looking to improve health and maintain a healthy lifestyle for years to come.
Remember, being healthy is a journey that requires consistency and commitment. By following these 10 ways to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you’ll not only enjoy the benefits of a healthy routine but also feel the positive impact of healthy living. So, take action today and begin your journey to better health with these best health tips!
What changes will you be making to your healthy lifestyle plan?
