Are you interested in creating a lifestyle of healthy living? You may be surprised to learn that it won’t necessarily require a major overhaul of your current habits. By implementing a few simple steps, you’ll be able to stay healthy for years to come.
- One important component of staying healthy is incorporating exercise into your everyday life. This doesn’t mean, however, that you have to become an athlete. Something as simple as a 30-minute daily walk can greatly improve your health. Daily exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, prevent or help control conditions that include high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and high cholesterol, as well as improving your circulation and boosting your immune system. To make walking work as your daily exercise, make sure you’re doing it effectively:
- Maintain good posture, with your head up, your back straight, and your stomach muscles slightly tightened.
- Keep your neck, shoulders, and back relaxed rather than stiff.
- Swing your arms freely with your elbows slightly bent.
- Move smoothly, rolling your foot from heel to toe as you walk.
- Begin with a 5 to 10 minute warmup, before picking up your pace to a brisk stride.
- After your walk, cool down by walking slower for 5 to 10 minutes, then do some gentle stretching.
- Another secret to healthy living at home is cooking at home. Let’s face it, because of our busy lives, most of us eat restaurant food too often. Even if you’re not indulging in fast food, it’s difficult to control what’s going into your body if you’re not preparing the food yourself. While healthy eating at home can be challenging, it can be done if you plan meals ahead of time and fill your diet with nutrient-dense foods, skipping processed foods and unhealthy snacks. Fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains should be the foundation of your diet.
- When you’re trying to stay healthy, it’s important to keep harmful substances out of your body. Obviously, this means avoiding illegal drugs, but there’s much more to it than that. For better health, don’t smoke, limit your consumption of alcohol, and steer clear of sugary soft drinks and sweets.
- Manage your stress to manage your health. A positive attitude can go a long way towards improving your health. Find ways to improve your life through mindfulness, meditation, and other stress-reducing practices. When you alleviate stress, you’ll boost your immune system and stay healthier.
While you’re incorporating new ways to stay healthy, it’s helpful to have medical care within easy reach. That’s why the goal of Total Point Urgent Care is to be a convenient healthcare resource for people in our community. Providing immediate medical care at a fraction of the cost of an emergency room, our neighborhood clinics offer warm, efficient, personalized care. At our locations in Texas, our on-site technology and services include urgent care, primary care, specialty care, routine checkups, COVID-19 testing, and onsite lab and x rays. Soon, we’ll even offer virtual visits so that our patients can choose telecare instead of risking a trip to the clinic. For convenient medical care, visit one of our locations or contact us through our website.