4 Ways to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

Shedding bad lifestyle habits and adopting new ones comes with plenty of benefits. A healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of certain diseases, increase life expectancy, help you maintain a healthy weight and make you look and feel your best.

While improving your lifestyle may seem like a lofty goal, there are lots of small changes you can make to improve your well-being. Here are simple habits that’ll make your lifestyle healthier.

1. Eat Healthy

Eating a balanced diet is key to leading a healthy lifestyle. Make sure to incorporate a variety of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, low-fat dairy products and healthy fats into your diet. Cut out fatty foods, processed foods and added sugar.
You can consult a nutritionist for a personalized meal plan based on your needs.

2. Get a Good Night’s Rest

Another simple way to maintain a healthy life is to get a good night’s sleep. Having enough sleep can help you cope better with stress, be more productive and make healthy decisions. Aim for eight hours of quality sleep each night.

If you have trouble falling asleep, try maintaining a consistent sleep schedule. Additionally, avoid drinking caffeine and watching television before bedtime.

3. Drink Up Water

Since our bodies are mostly made up of water, drinking enough water is essential to maintaining normal body function. To keep your body hydrated, drink about 9 cups (for women) or 12 cups (for men) of water a day.

4. Exercise

Regular physical activity is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle. It can improve physical appearance, energy levels, decrease symptoms of depression and reduce your risk of chronic disease. Be sure to go to the gym and work out for 30 to 60 minutes, four times a week, combining both cardio and strength programs.

Other simple ways to stay active include:

• Parking further away from shops.
• Getting up each hour to walk or stretch if your job involves sitting for the most of the day.
• Doing chores such as sweeping floors, working in the garden, shovelling snow and raking leaves.
• If you love watching TV or playing online games such as video games and online poker, turn off the TV or computer once a week and do something more physical with friends or family. For instance, you can take part in a recreational activity instead of playing online games or binge-watching your favorite show during the weekends.
• Walking more – when you take out the trash, take a walk around the block. You can also walk your dog or walk on the treadmill for a few minutes every day.

Incorporating these four habits into your life can help maintain a healthy lifestyle. In addition, avoid smoking, reduce alcohol intake and smile more.