How to Improve Your Physical Health
Supportive physical health habits can help to improve not only our physical wellbeing but can have an impact on all 8 dimensions of wellness. When we have supportive physical health habits it can help to reduce stress, increase our energy, and decrease risk of chronic illness. Physical health is often the first place we start when trying to make lifestyle changes and these tips will give you a great place to start.
- Move your body
- You do not have to start running marathons or powerlifting, start with simple accessible movements. The recommendation is to get 150 minutes each week of movement in. Try going for regular walks, take up pickleball, or add stretching into your day.
- Gain/maintain your muscle.
- As we age, starting as young as age 30, we lose muscle mass each year. To help prevent this try doing some strength training each week. This can be using your own body weight or adding weights such as dumbbells.
- Eat a healthy diet.
- Aim to have a variety of healthy foods focusing on key nutrients such as fiber and protein. Try to include brightly colored vegetables and fruits as well as seeds and complex carbohydrates.
- Build healthy habits.
- Work each day to do small things that will help increase your health. Fill your time with healthy activities, have healthy foods available at home, and celebrate the small wins.
- Change your surroundings.
- Our environment deeply impacts our health and the choices we make. Try to de-clutter your space, advocate for changes in your community (such as parks and walking paths), and make things like exercise and healthy foods easily available in your space.
- Get and regularly visit a primary care provider.
- Visiting the doctor can help us know and understand health risks we might have based on our family history and our current lifestyle. Try to have a preventive visit at least once per year (based on age and health needs) and get your age and gender-related screenings as often as recommended.
Caring for our physical health can help us to live a longer and happier life. You don’t have to change all of your habits overnight, so remember to start where you are and do what you can to make positive changes that will last. If you need support reach out to your health care team and friends/family.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/preserve-your-muscle-mass
