by MATT CASADONA
Your health impacts your everyday life. Try to remember the last time you were sick and had to get up and go to work. Unfortunately, we can’t always avoid catching a cold, but there are other health problems that we can avoid or at least manage by improving our physical health. Even if you don’t have the flu, being unhealthy can impact your day. Feeling tired at work or throughout the day even though you got quality sleep the night before is something that you can prevent, along with a myriad of other health issues.
Healthier living and improving your physical health is key when it comes to feeling more refreshed and awake throughout the day, making you more productive and less likely to get sick. Here are a few simple steps you can take to improve your physical health.
Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Eating more healthy foods can and will improve your physical health over time. Diet is important for your overall physical health, which means it’s time to stop ordering fast food for lunch. Instead, pack yourself a nice, balanced lunch that will help keep your energy levels high during the day. Fruits and vegetables contain natural vitamins that your body needs to function properly.
While eating fruits and vegetables instead of junk food is a great way to improve and maintain your physical health, it is important to know your body. Take note of how you feel after you eat to determine what types of foods make you feel better than others. For example, a large burger at lunch may make you feel tired, while a small lunch with whole-grain toast can keep you productive all day long.
For those who suffer health conditions that affect how they feel after eating, such as acid reflux, it’s important to maintain the proper diet recommended by a doctor. Don’t simply eat fruits and vegetables because you know they’re healthy; certain types of food may not be healthy for everyone, so listen to the professionals and your own body.
Take Care of Your Teeth
Did you know? Your dental health can directly impact your physical health. Bad oral health, including having periodontal disease, can increase your potential for heart disease, make controlling diabetes more difficult, and it can affect the health of an infant in a pregnant woman. Not to mention, brushing your teeth is a great way to start the day off feeling refreshed.
Good oral health is easy. You’ve been practicing it since you were a child. Make sure to brush and floss your teeth at least twice a day, and if you can, in between meals. It’s that easy. However, some people are genetically predisposed to having oral health complications, so it’s important that those individuals follow the advice of their dentists. Fortunately, taking proper care of your teeth and dental health is affordable, especially if you have a quality dental plan.
Drink More Water
Your body is primarily composed of water, which means that staying hydrated is crucial to your physical health. Drinking water is the easiest and best way to stay hydrated. If you’ve ever come down with a random headache at work, odds are it’s because you were drinking too much coffee and not enough water throughout the day. Staying properly hydrated promotes better cell function in your body, which means you’ll be less foggy-headed and feel more awake all day long.
Similarly, by drinking more water, you’ll cut back on sugary drinks. While they might provide a nice boost of energy midday, they can cause you to crash, making you even more tired than before you drank them. Cutting back on sugary drinks is good for your overall health and your oral health.
Engage In Exercise
You don’t need to purchase a gym membership or start running around your neighborhood to get quality exercise. Instead, you can opt to take a walk, bike ride, or hike around your neighborhood. If you can’t exercise outside, you can walk around a mall or find ways to exercise indoors. You can find thousands of workout videos online for free, no matter your physical strength and endurance level.
Simply getting up and moving more can drastically improve your physical health. If you live a sedentary lifestyle with a desk job, you may find that standing up every half hour and moving just a little bit makes you feel more awake and productive throughout the day. This is because you’re giving your body the necessary oxygen and activity it needs to keep you going all day long.
Exercise doesn’t always have to be strenuous, and you don’t have to walk 10,000 steps a day to improve your physical health.
Get Quality Sleep
We have stressful lives, which makes getting quality sleep difficult. Between getting the kids ready for bed and finding time for ourselves, there’s rarely enough time for us to get the recommended 8 hours we need.
Sleep allows our body to restore itself and our brain to reboot. Getting quality sleep allows us to wake up feeling refreshed and tackle the day and all of our tasks. If you find yourself having trouble getting quality sleep, try creating a nighttime routine that teaches your brain when it’s time to wind down. This can include anything from washing your face and brushing your teeth to reading before bed.
Wash Your Hands
Part of improving your physical health is being able to keep germs at bay. While you can’t avoid all germs, and some may improve your immune systems, it’s important that you wash your hands with hand soap before eating and after using the bathroom. Keeping ourselves healthy and avoiding flu and cold viruses allows us to keep ourselves on track when it comes to getting quality sleep and exercising to improve our overall physical health in the long run.
De-Stress
Finally, make sure that you learn to manage your stress. Stress can wreak havoc on our bodies and our health; it can even make us gain weight. Instead of letting your stress control you, take time to meditate or do the things that make you happy, even if that means taking some time away from work to go on a relaxing hike.
Final Thoughts
While the steps above may seem like extra chores that need to be added to your to-do list, they’ll greatly improve your physical health. Don’t wait until it’s too late to develop healthy habits. Improving your physical health while you still can will help you avoid health complications in the future. Your body will take care of you back if you take care of it!
Matt Casadona has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing and a minor in Psychology. He is currently a contributing editor for 365 Business Tips. Matt is passionate about marketing and business strategy and enjoys the San Diego life, traveling and music.
