9 Keys to Living a Longer and Healthier Life

August 1, 2022

Achieving success in life is no easy feat, but ignoring your health will put you several steps behind. Implementing certain habits into your life will help you pursue a demanding career, maintain friendships, and live life to the fullest.

Achieving success in life is no easy feat, but ignoring your health will put you several steps behind. Implementing certain habits into your life will help you pursue a demanding career, maintain friendships, and live life to the fullest.

Dr. William Roberts, a professor in the department of family medicine and community health at the University of Minnesota, states, "The long-term effects of good and bad health habits are cumulative. Simply stated, you cannot outrun your past."

A few habits you could start implementing right away to improve your chances of living a healthy and happier life are:

1. Regular Screenings

People tend to go to a physician and do body checkups only when they notice symptoms and need treatment. However, routine annual body checkups enable you to maintain a baseline of your health and also help prevent the progression of possible future illnesses.

2. Consistent Physical Activity

The World Health Organization recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity weekly. Consistent physical activity can keep you physically and mentally fit, feel good about yourself, increase your confidence levels, and lower your risk of developing chronic conditions like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes.

3. Proper Nutrition

Eating fewer processed types of meat and incorporating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, and legumes can delay aging and lower your chances of plaque buildup in your arteries. Also, it is essential to consider how you prepare your meals because baking and broiling are better than frying.

4. A Healthy BMI

Body mass index is a measurement of body fat that assesses a person's weight category and potential risk for health issues, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Regular physical activity and eating balanced nutritious meals can help maintain a healthy BMI, increasing your lifespan by a decade.

5. Mental Wellness

Mental health contributes a massive amount to your overall health and well-being, but it is often neglected. Excessive stress and anxiety negatively affect your body, so practicing mindfulness, being present in the moment, meditation, and reducing screen time can help you regulate your emotions better and increase your health resilience at an older age.

6. Adequate amount of sleep

Sleeping for 7 to 9 hours every night lowers blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Having good sleep hygiene, keeping your bedroom dark and cold at night, and only using it for sleep and sex can help you achieve this goal.

7. Drinking less

Heavy alcohol intake directly affects your liver function and heart muscles and can result in heart failure. Avoiding excessive alcohol can add many years to your life, keep your weight in check, and lower your risk for cancer and other chronic diseases.

8. Not Smoking

Smoking increases the likelihood of lung cancer and several other types of cancer. Passive smoking also affects people around you. If you are a chronic smoker, it's never too late to quit!

9. Build Strong Relationships

Having close and positive relationships with family and friends adds happiness and comfort to your life. It gives a sense of belongingness and security, experience less depression and cognitive decline later in life.

Written by: Nikita Kamath 

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