Change Starts Here: The 4 Best Things You Can Do For Your Body

Through the power of the internet and particularly social media, it’s easy to feel bombarded with information on health and fitness. But it’s just not practical to do everything all at once. If you’re looking to make some positive changes to your lifestyle, start here.

1. Maintain A Healthy Weight

Forget about being a size zero and avoid comparing yourself to magazine images. Those pictures are not real anyway. Instead, focus on a healthy weight within your BMI. Being overweight or obese has many negative impacts on your body and can contribute to diseases such as diabetes, stroke, and cancer.

It’s easy to become discouraged if you eat well and exercise but don’t see a difference. Some areas, such as the abdomen, can be difficult to get into shape. In the last few years, since many high-profile people have made public their cosmetic surgeries, these procedures have become much more mainstream. So it’s worth considering this if your endeavors have failed. Do your research and look into a tummy tuck versus liposuction to decide on the best course of action for you.

2. Prioritize Mental Health

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to prioritize your mental health. You can change your physical appearance, buy the house of your dreams, and marry the love of your life, but if you’re plagued by worries, or depression, etc. you won’t achieve happiness. It is estimated that anxiety disorders affect 40 million adults in the US. As well as making your life feel unbearable, they can lead to serious physical illnesses. So it’s worth getting this under control.

There are many small steps you can take to improve your mental health:

• Take plenty of breaks throughout the day
• Set clear boundaries in your life
• Practice self-care
• Figure out your stressors and try to stop them
• Take up yoga or meditation
• Keep a gratitude diary
• Speak to a therapist
• Accept things you can’t change (easier said than done)
• Try not to dwell too much on the past or future

3. Think Activities Rather Than Exercise

We all know that exercise is good for us and that we should be doing more of it. If you’re not a gym person and struggle to work out, try focusing on activity instead.

• If you have a sedentary job, make sure you get up and move around at least once every hour
• Find active hobbies that you enjoy such as gardening, DIY, etc.
• Leave the car at home and walk
• Get off the bus, train, or tram, one or two stops earlier and walk the rest of the way
• When you meet up with friends go for a walk rather than to a coffee shop

4. Eat Your 5 A Day

There are many reasons to consume your 5 a day. To begin, they’re good for you. If you vary your choices and opt for different colored fruit and veg, you will get a good balance of vitamins and minerals. They are also a good source of fiber and will help you maintain a healthy digestion. This can reduce your risk of many serious cancers.

So, if you want to make small changes to your body that will have a big impact, start with these simple suggestions.

Image courtesy of Pixabay.