Managing your health is one of those things that we all know that we should give our full undivided attention, but the general fuss of our daily lives can get in the way. This can be the case regardless of where you currently fall on the spectrum of fitness, and one of the difficult things to remember is that a serious illness that requires treatment like Icon chemotherapy treatment could be waiting just around the corner. So, with that in mind, we are going to take a look at some of the ways you can improve your general health so that you are in better shape no matter what is around the corner.
Exercise
Any conversation about health should have a section dedicated to maintaining a regular exercise schedule. However, it is important to start off by noting that when we say exercise that is not to suggest that you should be hitting the gym every few hours to bulk up like Hulk Hogan or an MMA fighter. No, what we mean by exercise is to meet the at least the minimum requirements as directed by medical science. So what exactly is that? Well the Mayo clinic advises that we reach a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week with three days of strength training as well. That is far more attainable than you might first think, it effectively requires you to do just over one hour of activity on three days of the week.
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One of the challenging aspects of building a fitness regime is knowing where to start both in terms of the plan but also physically where. So we are going to take a look at the pros and cons of the three places you might consider for your exercise now.
The obvious place to start when we are discussing where to do exercise is at the gym, the reason for that is that these buildings are purpose built for all of your fitness needs. The facilities that you will find at even the most basic of gyms will outshine the home equipment you will be able to put together, and that mostly comes down to the budget of the company running the building.
There are some fairly obviously cons associated with going to the gym, one of which is the cost of a monthly subscription fee. However, in recent years there have been a number of gyms that have attempted to combat that negativity by introducing cheaper options and contracts that don’t lock you in annually.
One of the major positives of going to the gym, especially for a beginner, is the use of the expertise of the staff. Personal trainers will be on hand to give you assistance with your routine to make sure you are doing things correctly which should help you avoid injury.
Working out at home has become a much more feasible option over the years, especially with the rise of the internet and online tutorials. One of the top reasons for choosing to stay at home to do your workout is that is less time consuming. With a gym you will need to travel to the facility and then get started, whereas at home you should be able to just get going.
Now as referenced above, one of the cons of a home routine is that you won’t be able to have the level of equipment that a dedicated fitness centre would have. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t purchase yourself something like a treadmill or cross-trainer to assist your aerobic exercise. In addition, you might find it easier to do certain exercises at home rather than at the gym like yoga. There are plenty of helpful DVDs and online tutorials that can guide you through a comprehensive yoga plan, even some that combine the aerobic and strength exercise routine like the one produced by former professional wrestler, DDP.
Finally getting active in the outside world. Taking your exercise outside has become something that has gained a lot of popularity in the past few decades, even leading to groups dedicated to park runs and cycle rides. There are many positives to taking your exercise outside, but one of the best is that it works double for your health. Not only will you be working your body through various fitness tests, but you’ll also be getting healthy doses of vitamin D from the daylight that you are being active in.
One of the other pros of outdoor fitness is that you can combine it with the ideas above. You can run to the gym or do your yoga at home and go and do other aerobic exercise outside.
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Diet
Hand in hand with exercise is diet. What you are putting in your body really does make a big difference to how healthy you are. Now, there are a million fad diets out there that you might have tried or be considering, but the truth is you should find a diet plan that suits your needs while still ensuring you get the six essential nutritional food groups.
These food groups are vital to making sure your body is getting all of the nutrients it needs, but of course, they should be consumed within reason. A balanced diet may be something you hear on cereal commercials, but it is incredibly important to your health. If you are someone who struggles to manage a diet plan, then consider using apps like MyFitnessPal that allow you to keep a food diary and also give you an idea of how you are consuming the above food groups.
The ideal breakdown of the above is slightly dependant on the individual, but speaking in general terms you will require your diet to be 45-65% carbohydrates, 20-35% fats and 10-35% of protein.
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Mental Health
Lastly, we are going to address one of the health issues that anyone can suffer from at any point in their life, but often goes overlooked. Mental health problems affect one in four people and over the past few decades there has been great work done to improve our collective understanding of these issues. However there is still much more to do, and part of that is removing social stigma.
If you are someone who is struggling with something like depression or anxiety, then don’t be ashamed of your illness. There are many ways that you can combat these feelings to improve your mental state and prevent further problems. The previously discussed exercise is a good place to start because of the endorphins and serotonin that are released which have positive effects on your mood.
In addition to exercise, you should also make sure you are exploring the various talking therapies that are on offer. One of the most popular forms of talking therapies is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which works to retrain your way of thinking. It is particularly effective for people who are struggling from depression and anxiety because it encourages them to break the cycle of negative thought patterns through experiments and discussion. Seeking help for mental health issues should be just the same as going to the doctor for a chest infection other physical illnesses. Don’t feel that you have to suffer in silence or that it is all in your head, there are people who can help and methods to trial to stop you feeling the way you do.