Get healthy in 3 simple steps
Becoming healthier may seem like a daunting task. But fortunately, inculcating 3 simple and easy healthy habits into your everyday life can help you start living a better life.
1. Move a little more
Exercise can potentially boost your overall fitness and health. If pledging for an hour-long workout session seems like a task to you, try spreading it across the day.
- WHO says, to stay healthy, aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.* To achieve this, get 30 minutes of exercise every 5 days a week. Can’t stretch this much? Divide these into 3 bouts of 10 minutes each.
- Walk more: Walk indoors while on the phone, take the stairs, or walk down to the nearby grocery shop. Focus on the duration and intensity of walking. Pace up gradually. Greater speed will help you burn more calories.
- Indulge in variety: Break the monotony by trying different types of exercises. Remember that exercise patterns and precautions may vary if you have other health conditions as well. Therefore, it is crucial to speak to an expert first.
2. Make smart food choices
Food is your fuel. Everything you eat has a direct impact on your health. Here’s how you can eat healthier
• Make small changes in diet: Start slow. For example, if you x have three sodas a day, start having only one and keep reducing gradually. Replace your regular pizza with a veggie slice or home-baked one.
• Eat home-made food: Eating homemade food can be a great start to any healthy improvements in the diet because you’re in charge of exactly what goes into your food.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables: Adding more veggies to your plate adds fiber, vitamins, minerals, micronutrients and everything else that your health craves for.
• Choose healthier sides when you dine out: Keep dine-outs occasional. You can also have cookouts at home or opt for vegetable side plates instead of fries when eating out.
• Snack healthy: Satiate the untimely cravings with healthier alternatives. Replace finger foods or fast foods such as Snacks or Burger with whole fruits (apples, berries, kiwis, bananas), dry fruits, and nuts (walnuts, almonds). Avoid salted ones and overindulgence.
3. Maintain a sleep schedule
Most adults need at least 7-8 hours of sleep. A good-quality sleep boosts your immunity, helps maintain a healthy weight by controlling hormone secretion, and improves mood, learning, memory, and concentration.
4 steps to sound sleep are:
• Try keeping in sync with your natural sleep schedule.
• Wake up at the same time every day.
• Limit daytime naps. Set a fixed bedtime.
• Keep phones and gadgets away near bedtime.
Experiencing sudden changes in sleep patterns could be a sign of some underlying disease. Book a lab test to keep track of your overall health.
