Fitness is a measure of a person’s level of power, flexibility and endurance. Being fit means that your brain and body work efficiently. Maintaining a daily routine that involves regular exercise and balanced eating is necessary to keep the working of brain and body in peak condition. However, many people neglect exercise.
If you really want to assess your fitness, you need consider your overall health status which includes mental, physical and emotional status. Here are some strategies that help you stay fit:
- Make Physical Activity a Part of your Daily Life
Any type of physical or regular activity can improve your fitness and health. Exercise daily an hour is essential for a good life. It is better to understand what the goal of your exercise before you decide how much exercise you need. Regular exercise can protect you from specific common problems such as weight gain, high sugar levels, low pressure, heart conditions, and stroke. Doing any amount or any form of exercise is better than none. Research has found that sitting long period of time can negatively affect your health if you are not getting recommended physical activity.
According to guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), for general health, adults should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week. Cardio-respiratory fitness can be improved with regularly repeated aerobic activity such as walking, running, swimming and cycling.
- Eat a Balanced Diet
A balanced diet is essential for body building and good health. Eating foods full of protein and healthy nutrients help keep the muscles fit and ready for workouts. You can get your nutrients from a variety of sources like fish, eggs, red meat, etc. Each source offers a different mineral and vitamin profile for you to take advantage of. Don’t forget to drink enough water for optimal health. What you eat is closely linked with your health. The right food choices can help prevent conditions such as stroke, diabetes, and heart disease.
- Avoid Excessive Stress and Negative Emotions
Emotions like anger, frustration, and depression increase stress. While some stress is needed for life to function well, excessive stress and negative thoughts and emotions can affect your health – even if you exercise every day and eat well all the time. Exercise can reduce stress by lowering the levels of stress hormones.
- Sleep well
Lack of proper sleep can cause multiple problems. The body recovers and regenerates during sleep at night. People who exercise regularly tend to sleep better. Even just 10 minutes of aerobic exercise can significantly improve sleep quality, especially if you do it regularly.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight
Unhealthy body weight is certainly a big problem when it comes to health. Excessive weight leads to many problems such as diabetes, heart attack, hypertension etc. A balanced diet and regular exercise are the keys to maintaining a healthy body weight and staying fit.
- Don’t Smoke or use Tobacco
Heart disease, mouth, throat, and lung cancer are the result of smoking and tobacco use. Smoking harms your ability to exercise and stay physically fit.
- Limit Alcohol Intake
Studies reveal that a glass of wine a day can improve your health, but it will benefit your health to limit alcohol. Too much alcohol damages the liver and can cause throat and pancreatic cancer. So limit alcohol intake to stay fit and healthy.
- Smile and Laugh more
A good laugh can go long away in relieving stress, improving mood and keeping you healthy. Smiling more is also considered a positive habit that can reduce stress and can improve mood.
