5 Simple Habits To Keep You Healthy

As we age, it’s even more important to pay attention to our daily habits and general health. While we can have the best exercise regimes and diet, there are other key health factors to consider. Staying healthy is something we want not only for the longevity benefit but also quality of life. You want to live fully until the day you die not be trapped in a retirement home or wheelchair. Though those things happen to healthy individuals as well, having good health habits early on will help you steer away from that path. Speaking of which, here are some of my favorite simple habits to keep you healthy.

Habits to Keep You Healthy #1: Maintaining Muscle Mass

Muscle mass slowly diminishes as we get older. After 40, we lose approximately 1% muscle mass with every passing year. While this can zap your general strength, it also has a negative impact on your metabolism and your overall body structure.

The best way to keep your muscles is to maintain a weight training regime. You don’t have to lift free weights either. A simple resistance routine will do nicely. And if you don’t have money for a gym membership, you can easily do Resistance band exercises or even exercises that use your body weight. In addition to this, we have to think about compound movements, rather than isolation exercises which will ensure that we’re focusing on more than one area, maintaining an overall solid structure.

Habits to Keep You Healthy #2: Body Checks

In addition to seeing your physician for your annual physical, it’s important to do body checks yourself. After all, you know your body better than anyone else. If you have unusual pain or symptoms that suddenly show up, ignoring them will not make them go away. Being aware of anything new is a perfect way to catch problems early.

I also recommend seeing a chiropractor to help you spot spinal alignment issues. Though you may not have any serious pain, misalignments can actually cause other systematic problems. This is due to the way our nervous system runs through our vertebrae. Places like https://optimumwellnesssolutions.com/chiropractic/ can help assess any spinal issues as well as deeper problems. 

Habits to Keep You Healthy #3: Take Supplements 

In a perfect world, we would get everything we need from the foods we eat. However, with lower quality food, lack of time and knowledge about nutrition, the majority of humans are susceptible to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Believe it or not, being low on things like calcium, potassium, and iron can do a number on your body and quality of life. Fortunately, being low on vitamins and minerals is usually an easy fix.

Diseases like osteoporosis and other bone/joint issues can develop as we age. This is partly due to certain mineral deficiencies like calcium and magnesium. Check out this article at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/7-tips-for-healthy-bones-2/ for more information. Know also, the majority of people living in the Northern hemisphere are vitamin D deficient. This happens due to the lack of sun exposure, especially in the winter months.

Habits to Keep You Healthy #4: Maintain Gut Health

There are many physicians, nutritionists, and alternative health practitioners that believe health starts in the gut. I am in that company as well. Whenever I’ve not paid attention to my digestive health, my health has declined quickly.  The truth is if you eat processed food, take antibiotics or other medications, you are more susceptible to gut imbalances. 

The important thing to know is how to replenish our gut bacteria once the damage has been done. The first thing will be to clean up your general diet. This means eating whole foods and staying away from processed sugar and chemicals. I also recommend finding a quality probiotic to restore gut flora to a normal balance.

Habits to Keep You Healthy #5: Get Moving!

Moving your body regularly will go a long way to obtaining and keeping optimal health. It’s not necessary to join a gym or do some complicated routine either. Taking a walk every day or even just doing housework counts as exercise. Anything you do is better than doing nothing. Inactivity is linked to a greater risk of heart disease and things like blood clots, diabetes, and obesity. So, do yourself a favor, get moving!

**** This post is strictly informational and is not meant to replace the advice of your healthcare provider. Women’s lifelink, it’s owners, administrators, contributors, affiliates, vendors, authors and editors do not claim that this information will diagnose, treat, or improve any condition or disease.