What are the five best things you can do to improve your health? Of course, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of strategies, tweaks, secrets, and ‘quick fixes for improving our health. But, as with most things, the truth lies in mastering the basics. So today, we’ll go over five of the best things you can do to elevate your health and live a happier and more fulfilling life.
Get Enough Sleep.
Sleep is essential to human health. While research is yet to fully understand the importance of sleep and its effects, we know it’s vital. Getting between seven and nine hours of sleep is beneficial on many fronts, including:
- Cognitive function (concentration, critical thinking, memory, productivity, and more)
- A better mood
- Appetite regulation and impulse control
- Hormonal function
- Immune system function
- More effortless weight loss and weight loss maintenance
- Improved muscle growth, post-training recovery, and athletic performance
We linked sleep deprivation to:
- An increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Increased risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes
- Higher inflammation
- Cognitive decline, especially as we age
Drink Water
Stay hydrated, and you won’t be disappointed. If there is a magic pill, water is it. Much like sleep, adequate hydration is another topic that doesn’t seem quite significant. Still, it can make an enormous difference in our overall health, well-being, cognitive function, mood, and energy levels. According to research, staying hydrated brings about some of the following benefits:
- Improved cognitive function
- Lower risk of headaches
- Better athletic performance, post-training recovery, and muscle growth
- Improved joint health thanks to better lubrication
- It regulates our core body temperature.
- It helps with the delivery of oxygen throughout the body.
According to some guidelines, men should aim for about 3 liters of water per day, and women should drink less–about 2 liters.
Work Out
Exercise regularly is a great way to improve your health. Yet, according to research, leading a sedentary lifestyle is one of the strongest predictors of health problems and premature death. Scary, we know. Yet, so many people make no time for exercise. The good news is, we don’t need to live in the gym to reap the benefits and health-improving effects. As little as 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week seems to be enough. But, if you break that down into daily goals, it comes out to about 20 minutes per day.
And the best part is, you can exercise depending on what you prefer. Some common examples include lifting weights, doing aerobic exercise, high-intensity interval training, practicing martial arts, dancing, and such.
Meditate Frequently
Meditation is another way you can improve your health. There is a connection between your mental health and physical health. Meditation is quite an overlooked tactic for improving our health, but it brings many benefits. For one, meditation is a great way to practice mindfulness. It teaches us to remain calm, breathe deeply, and be present. Each of these is incredibly beneficial, especially when dealing with stressful situations. And the best part is that research suggests that people who regularly practice meditation are happier and more fulfilled in life.
Eat Healthy
Base your diet around whole and minimally processed foods to improve your health. “We are what we eat.” It sounds a bit cliché, but this saying holds a lot of truth. One of the most important things we need to do to improve our health and live longer is to take better care of our nutrition. This means that we should base our diet around whole and healthy foods and practice caloric mindfulness. The best foods provide you with healthy fats, fiber, and protein. What do you think? Please share your response in the comment section so that others can benefit from your experience.