Healthy Living – The Importance of Exercise and Healthy Diet
We are all encouraged to lead healthier lives which are usually centred on adopting a healthy diet, doing more exercise and avoiding things such as alcohol and tobacco. Leading a healthy lifestyle has physical, mental and emotional benefits leading to improved overall wellbeing and increased self-confidence.
If you want to change your lifestyle and adopt healthy habits, it can be quite challenging, but you need to alter your mindset to embrace it. Regardless of your starting physical condition, your age or sex, everyone can feel the benefits of living a healthy life and here are just five of the benefits.
1. Controlling your weight
Both eating well and doing moderate amounts of exercise will help you to manage your weight. It is almost impossible to lose weight without adopting both strategies, and indeed, people who choose one rather than both usually fail in their objective. Carrying excessive amounts of weight is bad for the cardiovascular system. Losing weight, on the other hand, will boost your immune system and lead to higher energy levels.
It would help if you aimed to do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week which could include walking at pace or swimming. Eating a calorie-controlled diet will help with weight loss, and you should always eat breakfast as this will stop you from snacking later in the day as well as helping to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Most dieticians will tell you to eat a minimum of five portions of fruit and vegetables eat day to gain the body’s required nutrients.
2. Better moods
Leading a healthy lifestyle also leads to better moods as exercise stimulates the release of endorphins the chemicals and hormones that make you feel happier and relaxed. Eating well will increase your chances of improving your physique, which is good for self-confidence and esteem. When you carry out even moderate exercise, the short-term benefits include reduced stress and better cognitive function.
Developing healthy habits is good for your mental wellbeing and interaction with others helps to boost serotonin levels. Incorporating this with a healthy diet and an exercise regime will help to improve your moods immensely.
3. Helps fight diseases
Taking plenty of exercise and eating well has numerous health benefits, including helping to prevent heart disease and high blood pressure as well as regulating blood sugar levels. Monitoring your blood pressure and cholesterol levels will help to ensure that your blood circulates properly. It has been proven that regular exercise and a healthy diet can help to manage the following problems:
- Arthritis
- Diabetes
- Depression
- Some forms of cancer
We would always recommend that you visit your primary healthcare each year for a full medical, including taking blood and urine samples. These appointments could save your life and prevent problems from escalating. All listen to and act upon your doctor’s advice.
4. Boost energy levels
Eating too much of anything thing that would be regarded as unhealthy is likely to leave you feeling lazy and lethargic. Eating a healthy diet will help you to boost your energy levels, so try to include the following items in your diet:
- Lean meats
- Whole grains
- Fruit and vegetables
- Low-fat dairy products
Regular exercise also helps to increase muscle strength which will, in turn, boost energy levels. Moderate exercise helps transport oxygen and nutrients to all tissues around your body as well as boosting your cardiovascular system. Exercise also helps to promote healthy sleeping patterns, including falling asleep faster and going into a deeper, less interrupted sleep. Lack of sleep can be a trigger for many other problems.
5. Improves life expectancy
Eating well and doing regular exercise will increase your chances of leading a longer, healthier life. According to a study by The American Council on Exercise, walking just 30-minutes a day significantly reduces your chances of premature death. If you are new to exercise, make sure you consult your doctor first and start slowly working your way up until you can do 30-minutes walking each day.