Effects of lifestyle on health and fitness

Health is Wealth. But do you protect your health in the same way you protect your gold and money? May be not!

It is a great idea to invest wisely in some health and fitness habits while the time is right. You don’t have to go to extreme measures to stay fit – a few minor adjustments in your lifestyle can fetch you a host of benefits. In this article we tell you how you can bring in these small changes in your day-to-day life and protect and improve your health by leaps and bounds. Take a look.

Lifestyle effects on your heath

Let us look at an illustration. Suraj, a 22-year-old trainee lawyer, was very particular about his health. He got up in the morning and drank a glass of warm water and left for his hour-long run. After coming back, he had a balanced breakfast and left for work. He had his meals on time and never touched a cigarette. He drank only on special occasions. And finally and most importantly, he went to bed by 11 PM so that he could get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep. Suraj remained healthy by simply following this lifestyle.

Cut to the present. Suraj is now a successful 40-year-old lawyer. He weighs 98 kilograms and his blood pressure is always high. He is a chain smoker and enjoys his daily glass of Scotch whisky which he feels helps him cope with the stress. He skips breakfast most of the days as he’s too busy and the morning runs have become a rarity. His work keeps him awake till the wee hours of the morning. A once-healthy Suraj is now his doctor’s most frequent patient!

Lifestyle changes that improve your health

Unfortunately, most people maintain a lifestyle similar to Suraj’s current lifestyle. However, a few small changes that can go a long way in altering your health. They are:

Exercise: Is your blood pressure high? Do you have a bad cholesterol level? Is your weight shooting up? Do you suffer from heart problems? If you want to put a lid on these problems, start exercising. Exercising does wonders to your body and helps control your BP, weight, cholesterol and heart problems. Go for a walk, join a gym or enrol in a dance class. Just make sure you get enough exercise every day.

Quit smoking and drinking: Smoking and drinking are two of the worst lifestyle habits that you must kick. Smoking causes irreversible damage to your body and alcohol fills your organs with chemicals. Quit these habits and you will instantly see a change in your health.

Eat and sleep properly: Eating and sleeping are the two sides of the same coin, the coin that buys you health. So eat balanced meals at their proper times. Avoid oily and spicy food as they rob you of nutrition and fill you with all the unwanted flab. Sleep for a good six to eight hours at night. Eating and sleeping properly improves your metabolism rate, which in turn, greatly improves your overall health.

The bottom line

As we can see, there is no improbable or difficult change mentioned in the list. These changes are very doable and you must make an attempt to implement these changes in your lifestyle. Once that is done, your health will begin to improve and you will successfully embark on your fitness journey.