Healthy Habits You Should Start This Year

When a new year arrives, people tend to make resolutions associated with health; however, many of those resolutions fail due to wanting to lose too much weight, becoming extremely fit, etc. Recent research has found that by establishing simple daily habits such as getting enough sleep, exercising a little more each day and eating healthy foods will help significantly to reduce health problems later in life and possibly increase longevity.

Recent health studies indicated that by combining small improvements in sleeping habits, eating patterns and physical activity (mild exercise) will help lower your risk of developing major diseases and will result in a higher overall level of well-being.

Why Daily Habits Matter for Long-Term Health

The key is not to make major changes in our lifestyles rather develop habits that are both realistic and sustainable. There are many organizations, such as The World Health Organization and the American Heart Association, which continue to stress that our daily habits have a great impact on the prevention of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health conditions.

This article will provide you with some suggestions on how to develop simple and practical healthy habits this year that will ultimately improve your physical health, mental well-being and overall quality of life.

Long-Term Benefits of Small Lifestyle Changes

Making these little lifestyle modifications will promote improved long-term health than any diet can provide.

Healthy Eating Habits

Use fruit instead of packaged snack food

By incorporating these four simple habits into your routine, you can begin to see improvements in your health over time.

Daily Physical Activity

The advantage of choosing to move your body daily

You can achieve this by following some simple things you can do every day such as:

• Walking
• Cycling
• Stretching
• Climbing Stairs

Here are some suggestions:

• Walking / Jogging – helps your heart become healthier
• Resistance Training – to help you remain strong as you age
• Stretching/Yoga – to help maintain your flexibility
• Daily activities – Yard work, stairs/resources, etc

Make Movement a Habit

The biggest mistake people make with exercise is starting out doing high intensity workouts and then stopping after 3-6 weeks of exercising.

Fix Your Sleep

Sleep is one of the most under-rated things to do for your health and can have an effect on almost every system of your body. Benefits of getting enough sleep include improvement in brain function, mood, and overall immune system function as well as improved heart health.

The majority of professionals advise that night time rest should be no less than seven hours and not more than nine hours in total, with a minimum of 6 – 8 hours of unbroken sleep. Studies and evidence indicate that consistent sleep patterns contribute to both longevity in life and to the overall reduction of numerous different types of health conditions, including coronary artery disease. Sleeping enough at night allows for your immune system to heal itself from illness and to also retain memories, and it helps to lessen stress.

The following steps can be used to enhance the quality of one’s sleep:

• Limit screen usage before bed

The Long Term Implications of Good Sleep

Research continues to show that adequate sleep also enhances cognitive abilities and emotionally enhances the other person while decreasing the likelihood of heart disease and the incidences of depressed feelings. In addition, having adequate sleep plays a significant role in overall body weight management because when a person has not gotten enough sleep, the body releases more hunger hormones.

Morning Routine and Daily Habits

An effective morning routine is a great way to increase productivity, decrease stress and provide you the ability to sustain your focus throughout the day.

A good way to implement this change would be to create a few very small yet maintainable daily habits.

Hydration

Why it is Important to Stay Hydrated

Swap out soft drinks for thirsty alternatives like good ole’ fashioned H2O! Carry your water bottle with you when going somewhere

When you stay properly hydrated, your body receives many benefits; Aiding with digestion, skin health, and energy level to name a few.

Reduce Screen Time

Ways to Decrease Your Time on a Screen

Setting a daily limit of social networking and entertainment apps can significantly reduce your amount of time in front of screens. Most of today’s smart phones have features built in that allow you to track how much time you spend on your phone.

Some ways to reduce your screen time are:

• Turning off notifications that you don’t really need
• Keeping your cell phone out of reach while working
• Avoid using your cell phone while eating
• Establishing a consistent bedtime to not use screens

You will also notice a positive impact on your overall sleep quality with less screen time, as the light from the screen interferes with the natural function of your brain and makes it much more difficult for you to fall asleep. Finally, reducing your screen time doesn’t take a large incremental change to improve your health, but rather it would require a small incremental change that can produce a very large improvement in your health.

Regular Health Screenings

Most people only visit their physician’s office when they are sick.

Routine Health Tests

• Cholesterol Measurement
• Your Weight and Body Mass Index

The Reason That Preventive Care Is Better Than Treating An Illness

Preventative healthcare takes care of you before a serious or expensive medical condition occurs and adds years to your life and health when you have a lower risk of having co-morbidities (additional/other medical conditions).

Mental Wellness

According to research by The World Health Organization and multiple other researchers and scientists, positively contributing to strong relationships and positively coping with stress relates to a long-term positive contribution to a person‘s mental health.

Therefore, maintaining one‘ s mental health can be simple as long as someone amends his/her routine consistently by making minor lifestyle changes.

Conclusion

Once someone has developed a set of healthy habits, he/she should develop language to help him/her attain these goals so he/she can include them without having to think twice. Creating positive healthy lifestyle habits is not merely a matter of following guidelines; rather, it is more about consciously determining to do what will promote physical and/or emotional well-being and/or long-term happiness.