Healthy Life, Happy Life: Balancing Fitness, Diet, Sleep, and Mental Health
What does it mean to live a healthy life? Should you drink eight glasses of water a day and sleep 8 hours a night? Do you need to do more cardio? Should you eat a plant-based diet? Do you need more protein? Are you paying enough attention to your mental health? In a world where limitless information is available at the tap of a button, it is easy to feel lost and overwhelmed.
Conflicting information can complicate things. By breaking down healthy living into smaller, bite-sized pieces, it becomes easier to make sense of it all. Exercise, a healthy diet, proper sleep, and taking care of mental health are the four cornerstones of maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise
Exercise plays a pivotal role in enhancing brain health, managing weight, lowering disease risks, fortifying bones and muscles, and enhancing daily functionality. Engaging in fundamental exercises like cardio or stretching serves as a safeguard against long-term health issues.
Walking is a great way to incorporate exercise into your day. Instead of driving to the store, walk. Swimming, running and even just some stretching are other great ways to exercise. Adding a few sit-ups or push-ups throughout your day is going to have health benefits.
Exercise facilitates the distribution of oxygen and nutrients to tissues, optimizing cardiovascular efficiency. Increased energy levels empower individuals to tackle daily tasks with vigour and determination. Moreover, regular physical activity promotes a quicker onset of sleep by inducing relaxation and comfort in the body.
Furthermore, exercise fosters mental clarity and cognitive function, sharpening focus, and memory retention over time. By promoting the release of endorphins, exercise acts as a natural mood enhancer, reducing stress and anxiety levels. It fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence, encouraging individuals to set and achieve personal fitness goals.
Additionally, engaging in physical activity fosters social connections, whether through group classes or outdoor activities, promoting a sense of belonging and camaraderie. As a comprehensive approach to well-being, exercise not only transforms bodies but also nurtures minds and strengthens social bonds, contributing to a fulfilling and balanced lifestyle.
Diet
A healthy diet means maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet, as well as engaging in sporting and fitness activities. Dieting becomes a lifestyle and a necessary part of your life. A healthy diet consists of nutrient-dense foods like protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Healthy meals don’t have to break the bank. Planning meals in advance can help lower your grocery bill by eliminating unnecessary food items that might later go to waste. If budget is a concern, canned and frozen vegetables offer good nutrition at a fraction of the cost of fresh produce.
Although there are many factors to consider when eating healthy, you are encouraged to do what works for you and your body. A healthy diet to lose weight is different from that of a diabetic diet, likewise, that of an aged person. Healthy and clean food in the right amount and at the right time is very necessary for you to stay healthy and fit.
Benefits of Maintaining a Healthy Diet:
- Elevates mood
- Improves memory and mental state
- Improves sleeping habits
- Increases productivity level
- Reduces the potential risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes
Sleep
Getting enough sleep is just as essential to keeping a healthy lifestyle as going to the gym or eating your fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, many people do not get enough hours of sleep per night.
Of those people who have a lack of sleep, many end up suffering from various sleep disorders and sleep problems that affect their activities and overall well-being during the day. On average, healthy adults require around eight full hours of sleep per night. To promote healthy sleeping habits here are four tips you should follow:
- Follow the same sleep schedule every night
- Exercise regularly
- Avoid eating large meals before bed
- No caffeine 4-6 hours before sleep
Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day to help your body’s internal clock know when to fall asleep and when to wake up. By participating in physical activity regularly, your body will need more sleep and decrease how long it takes for you to fall asleep. You will fall asleep much faster and achieve a higher quality sleep by not drinking or eating caffeine, sugar, and/or large meals before you go to sleep.
Mental Health
Mental health is a broad section of well-being – it includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Maintaining a good headspace is crucial to healthy living, but illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia can lower your quality of life by increasing your risk of diabetes and heart disease.
Your mental health can change throughout life and can be influenced by many factors. It is important to monitor your thoughts and feelings to ensure a healthy headspace as well as create a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle to foster a healthy environment.
Illnesses affecting mental health are quite common, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that as many as 1 in 5 US adults are currently living with mental illness, and 1 in 25 US adults living with a serious mental illness.
Maintaining good mental health is a key part of living a healthy lifestyle, and mental illnesses should be treated like any other sickness and be properly taken care of. Visiting a counsellor or partaking in talk therapy are great ways to foster a better living environment for your mental well-being.
The sheer volume of information available is daunting. If you break each of the four cornerstones down to their basics, it becomes much easier to understand how to live a healthy life. To put it simply: get moving, eat well, sleep deeply, and look after your mental health. Your mind and body will thank you.
References:
- APA (2008). Why sleep is important. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/topics/sleep/why
- Benefits of physical activity. (2023, August 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, April 25). About Mental Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm
- Exercise: seven benefits of regular physical activity. (2023, August 26). Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389
- Pacheco, Danielle & Heather Wright. (October 11, 2023). Physical activity and sleep. Sleep Foundation. Retrieved from: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/physical-activity
- Vedantu. (n.d.). Healthy Food Essay. VEDANTU. https://www.vedantu.com/english/healthy-food-essay
