When you hear phrases like exercise, physical activity, nutrition, diet, and healthy eating, the first thing that springs to mind is weight reduction, but there’s a lot more to it. More than just the advantage of weight reduction, a healthy lifestyle that includes physical exercise and good nutrition is beneficial to your entire quality of life. The fact is that physical exercise and proper diet are crucial for maintaining a healthy body and mind.
Why Is Physical Activity Beneficial?
Physical activity and exercise are essential for the health of your body. Daily physical activity has several physical, psychological, and emotional advantages. Exercise not only helps you maintain a healthy weight or even lose extra weight, but it also gives you more energy, improves your mood, and makes you feel better.
Regular physical activity and exercise provide several health advantages and can help prevent you from a variety of ailments, including:
- Heart disease, leading to heart attack or stroke
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Back pain
- Osteoporosis (bone loss)
Physical activity improves mental health disorders such as depression.
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Trauma
- Higher Self-Esteem
Other surprise advantages of exercise include:
- Sharper Memory
- Improved Concertation
- Better Sleep
- More Energy
- Stronger Resilience to Cope
- Better Immune System
If physical exercise isn’t already a part of your regular schedule, it might be difficult to fit it in, so start with minor modifications. Begin by exercising for 15 to 30 minutes five days a week, gradually increasing to an hour or more of physical exercise every day.
Here are some ideas for adding physical activity into your daily routine:
- Take a brisk walk after meals, for 10-20 minutes
- Take your dog for a walk in the morning and evening
- Walk to the store or other places within reasonable walking distance instead of driving
- Go on a bike ride, hike, or swim
- If you have kids, play games with them outside
- Be active in your home by keeping up with household chores (e.g., sweeping, mopping, and scrubbing are great ways to be active)
- If you’re feeling ready to make big changes, start jogging, join a gym, or play a structured sport, such as joining a local baseball team
Remember, when it comes to physical exercise, start small and attempt activities that you can easily include into your daily routine. You’ll have more success and continue with it for a longer period of time. Increase your distance and speed as you gain experience with new hobbies, such as walking. Then, gradually increase the frequency of more intense workouts, such as jogging and running.
Why Is Nutrition Important?
For your overall health, good eating is equally as vital as exercise. You will have more energy, a stronger immune system, and will feel better more often if you improve your diet. A nutritious and balanced diet rich in lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats can help you lose weight and lower your risk of numerous illnesses, including:
- Heart Disease, leading to heart attack or stroke
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- High Blood Pressure
- Kidney Stones
- Osteoporosis (bone loss)
Good diet can also aid with mental health issues including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADHD, and Alzheimer’s.
Saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, and salt should all be limited in a healthy diet.
Trans fats and saturated fats are examples of fats to avoid in fried foods, fast foods, packaged foods, baked goods, sweets, and anything cooked in lard, cream, or vegetable oil.
Similarly, high-cholesterol meals should be minimized and consumed in moderation.
Egg yolks, red meat, processed meats like bacon, and sweets like cakes, pies, and cookies are examples of high-cholesterol foods.
Saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, and salt should all be limited in a healthy diet.
Trans fats and saturated fats are examples of fats to avoid in fried foods, fast foods, packaged foods, baked goods, sweets, and anything cooked in lard, cream, or vegetable oil.
Similarly, high-cholesterol meals should be minimized and consumed in moderation.
Egg yolks, red meat, processed meats like bacon, and sweets like cakes, pies, and cookies are examples of high-cholesterol foods.
Finally, there’s sodium (salt), which occurs naturally in all foods but should be avoided in excess: canned and packaged meats (lunch meat, bacon, ham), frozen meals like burritos and pizza, and canned foods like chilli and beans or vegetables with salt added.
Avoiding meals heavy in fat, cholesterol, and salt will enhance your overall health and make you feel better physically and emotionally.
When attempting to enhance your diet and nutrition, start small.
It might feel daunting to make so many changes to your diet all at once, just like it can be overwhelming to exercise, so start small by incorporating good habits into your daily routine, such as removing a few of poor items or substituting a couple of foods for healthier ones. Try eating carrot sticks instead of a bag of chips. You’ll still get that crunch from your nibbling, but without all the fat. Making little modifications can help you achieve results faster and will motivate you to continue experimenting and including new healthy items into your diet.
Most people associate physical exercise and nutrition with weight reduction, but as you now know, there are several other reasons to be physically active and eat healthily.
Consult your doctor if you have any health concerns. At Orchard Hospital’s Medical Specialty Center—Your Everyday Health Treatment Clinic—we have doctors who can serve you with walk-in care or appointments.
