Improving Your Physical Health
Physical health is a vital part of overall wellbeing. It is one of the five elements of
healthy living: active lifestyle, healthy diet, exercise countryfutures, screening tests and proper
sleep. It is essential for both the short and long term to maintain a healthy body,
mind and spirit.
Physical activity improves your mental health
Physical activity is one of the most effective and accessible ways to improve your
health. It can reduce your risk of many serious health conditions countryfutures.com, including heart
disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. In addition, it can help you lose weight,
increase muscle mass and strength, and manage stress.
It can also improve your quality of life and boost your mood, sleep, energy and self-
esteem.
You can start to make positive changes in your health at any age. It is important to
get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet and cut down on unhealthy habits like
smoking and alcohol.
Regular physical activity improves your brain and cognitive function (all age groups).
It helps you think better, learn faster, and handle stress more effectively. It can also
help you improve your balance, decrease your risk of falling and keep bones strong.
It also lowers your blood pressure and improves your heart health. It can even boost
your immune system, which can help you fight infections.
If you want to improve your physical health, it is important to be able to find the time
to fit exercise into your daily life. A few small starts, like parking a mile or so away
from the store to walk the rest of the way or walking during lunch breaks on a bad
weather day, can add up to big benefits over time.
Then, as you become more physically active and comfortable with the activity,
slowly increase the length of your workouts and try new exercises. It’s okay to start
out with 5- or 10-minute sessions and work up to 15 minutes of moderate physical
activity on most days.
Your muscles, bones and organs need to be strong and flexible in order to perform
well. The most effective ways to build these are through aerobic exercise such as
running, biking, swimming, and walking. Other options include lifting weights,
squatting, and doing a variety of core strengthening exercises.
You can also do yoga or pilates to increase your flexibility and strengthen your
abdominal and back muscles. The World Health Organization recommends 150
minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity each week for adults, but this
number may vary depending on your age, gender and fitness level.
It’s important to remember that it is okay to skip a few days of exercise, especially if
you have health concerns. However, you should do your best to make physical
activity a priority, so try to work out on a consistent basis and make it a habit.