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Tomorrow marks the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization’s founding, and it is also the annual celebration of World Health Day. In honor of this event, we want to share some tips on maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Here are three ways that you can stay mindful of your health!
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated is so important, but it isn't easy to understand how much water we need. The recommended daily water intake differs slightly from person to person, but Mayo Clinic suggests about 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. If you lead a more active lifestyle or live in a hotter climate, you will most likely drink more water than others with a different lifestyle.
Knowing how much water to drink is the first step, but following your recommended water intake can be more difficult. Drinking the daily recommended amount of fluids can be daunting the first few times you really commit to doing it. But you can encourage yourself to drink more fluids by using a cute water bottle or cup, adding fruit to your water to liven it up, or even setting hourly reminders to drink!
Get Moving
Surely you have heard a thousand times how important it is to exercise. Continuing to move our bodies as we get older is essential for our quality of life and health in our later years. Creating a fitness routine now is the key to a more satisfying life later, but that does not mean that there are not plenty of ways for you to benefit from working out in the present too. Regular exercise is a great way to improve sleep, increase energy, and reduce stress.
Just like hearing how much your daily fluid intake should be, exercising regularly can also be daunting. But let’s take a minute to reframe what “exercising” encompasses. You do not have to be in a gym five days a week lifting weights and doing pull-ups. By all means, if that sounds like fun to you, then you should totally give that a try. But if you are intimidated by that idea, consider using your exercise time to go for a brisk walk, try some new yoga poses, or do a fun dance workout on YouTube. There is not a one-size fits all approach toward fitness. So, before you create your exercise plan, consider your lifestyle and how you want to spend your time being active!
Reduce Your Screen Time
Consider how much time you spend on your phone each day. Sure, there are plenty of times when you might use your phone for work, finding directions, or taking care of your finances. But there are probably a lot of scenarios where you are using your phone recreationally by visiting your favorite social media platform, playing some games, or shopping online. There is a good chance that the estimated amount of time you spend on your phone each day is not something you are necessarily proud of, but you are not alone!
Reducing your screen time is a great way to find new ways to spend your time. It is also a great opportunity to give your eyes and mind a break from the constant onslaught of information, news, and negativity that is often found on social media. For some people, this could also be a push to begin a new hobby that they felt like they never had time for before. This is a great time of year to take up outdoor hobbies like gardening or hiking, which will get you off your phone and more connected with nature. Finding a book that interests you and picking it up each time you have the urge to get on your phone is a great way to replace one habit with a healthier one. You could even take one weekend day to go completely screen-free and enjoy the simpler things in life!
Although these are health-conscious tips, none of them are a cure-all. However, implementing these healthy habits into your life will improve your quality of living, your fitness level, and even your mental health!