Everyone wants to live a long, disease free life, but attaining that desire requires a little work and a lot of commitment. Making healthy lifestyle choices daily is the key to keeping one’s body running optimally. Wholehearted adherence to healthy living has been known to even reverse the negative effects of aging which is the most common excuse for poor health. Here are four critical tips for keeping one’s body functioning and fit.
#1 Get a Check-Up
While conventional medical doctors are trained to detect certain ailments that they typically treat with drugs and surgeries, health conscious people today have alternatives. A visit to a naturopathic doctor is one of the first steps toward holistic health. The thorough diagnostic tests that these doctors perform allow them to make informed, customized recommendations to help their patients achieve their wellness goals. It’s also important to make sure you visit a rheumatologist if you’re getting on in years. Places like Pacific Rheumatology Medical Center, Inc., can help take care of you and these needs.
#2 Get Educated
While naturopathic physicians often steer people in the right direction, those who want long-term results must find ways to educate themselves about holistic health. One can do this by taking a nutrition or herbalist class, joining a community based wellness club or simply reading some of the many books on the subject at a local library. Armed with knowledge about health and wellness, one can get to the root of health problems to reverse these issues naturally.
#3 Get Moving
Physical activity in moderation is absolutely crucial to keeping one’s body in vibrant health. To avoid muscle atrophy, decreased metabolic functions and subsequent weight gain, a person must adopt a comprehensive physical fitness program. A great fitness regime includes at a minimum a warm up session, cardiovascular movement, strength training and a cool down activity. Warm up activities usually involve light cardiovascular exercise to get the blood circulating well and to prepare the body for more vigorous activity. Some popular cardiovascular exercises include brisk walking, biking and jogging tracked by a heart rate monitor. Strength training that includes using free weights, machines or one’s own body weight is used to maintain muscle and contributes to healthy metabolic activity. A cool down session usually involves stretching that helps to keep the body flexible and injury free.
#4 Get Fueled
According to statistics, adoption of a healthy diet constitutes nearly 80% of one’s progress towards wellness. A balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein is the main element of an energized body. Fruits and vegetables that are free of chemicals, high in antioxidants and that generally represent all the colors of the rainbow are good choices. Additionally, replacing animal protein sources with plant-based ones occasionally is believed by alternative health practitioners to cut some cancer risks.