What are the 5 best things you can do to improve your health? There are dozens, if not hundreds of strategies, tweaks, secrets, and ‘quick fixes when it comes to improving our health. But, the truth – as with most things – lies in mastering the basics.
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.
Make sure to 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 numerous fronts, including:
- Cognitive function (concentration, critical thinking, memory, productivity, and more)
- A better mood
- Appetite regulation and impulse control
- Hormonal function
- Immune system function
- Easier weight loss and weight loss maintenance
- Improved muscle growth, post-training recovery, and athletic performance
On the other hand, sleep deprivation is linked 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
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 a huge 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 a bit less – about 2 liters.
Exercise regularly is a great way to improve your health.
According to research, leading a sedentary lifestyle is one of the strongest predictors of health problems and early death. Scary, we know. Yet, so many people never make any 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. 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 in numerous ways, 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 is another way you can make your health better. There is a connection between your mental health and physical health.
Meditation is quite an overlooked tactic for improving our health, but it brings about numerous 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 we have to deal with stressful situations.
And the best part is, research suggests that people who practice meditation regularly also tend to be happier and more fulfilled with life.
Base your diet around whole and minimally processed foods are one of the best things you can do to improve your health.
“We are what we eat.” It sounds a bit cliché, we know, but this saying holds a lot of truth.
The fact is, 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.
