If somebody asked you how healthy you are, how would you respond? Many of us assume that we’re healthy, but how much do you really know about your physical and mental well-being? If you tend to neglect your health, it’s very simple to make changes. Here are some easy ways to find out more about your health and embrace positive habits.
Activity trackers
How much exercise do you do each day or week? If you’re not an active person, or you tend to start training and then give up shortly after, your health could suffer. Exercise is an integral component of healthy living and it can have a dramatic impact on your body and mind. Using an activity tracker is a brilliant way to learn about your habits and motivate yourself to be more active. You may be shocked to discover that you’re only doing 30 minutes of exercise per week, or that you only take an average of 2,000 steps per day, for example. Wearing a tracker will give you accurate information about where you’re starting from and help you work towards new goals. Aim to increase your active minutes tally every week and set daily steps targets. If you’re starting at 2,000, try to get to 3,000 and then 5,000 and 7,000 within a few weeks.
Health checks and tests
Booking a health assessment is an excellent way to check your health and find out more about what’s going on in your body and whether you have a higher-than-average risk of developing certain diseases or conditions. You can also keep tabs on your blood pressure and BMI (body mass index) by scheduling regular visits to your GP or a local pharmacy or using online tools and calculators. Visit your dentist every 6-12 months and keep up with hearing tests and eye appointments. It’s also crucial to ensure that you’re up to date with cancer screening checks, such as smear tests, bowel cancer screening and mammograms for breast cancer.
Food diaries
Do you have a healthy, balanced diet? You may be aware that your diet could be better, or you might think that you’re hitting all the nutrition targets, but what would happen if you entered all the foods you ate into a food diary app? Would you be pleasantly surprised, or would you be shocked to see how many calories you’re consuming, how much sugar is in your diet or how little fibre you eat? Food diary apps make it quick and easy to track nutrition and they also highlight weaknesses and areas for improvement. You can use the information you receive to modify your diet to make sure your body gets what it needs and reduce the risk of health issues linked to a poor diet or vitamin and mineral deficiencies.
How much do you know about your physical and mental health? Many of us assume that we’re healthy, but there’s often an element of guesswork involved. If you’re eager to find out more about your health and work towards better mental and physical well-being, use an activity tracker, book health tests and assessments and monitor your diet using a food diary app.
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