Keeping on Top of Your Health – Steps to a Better You

Health is something we all take for granted, and likely most of the time too. After all, we are all somewhat guilty of overlooking our health until some seasonal bug comes along and lays us out for a week – during which we still have to begrudgingly manage the vagaries of adult life.

Our blasé approach to health doesn’t just open us up to more infection and illness in the short term, but could also impact our health in the long term – as evidenced by the frightening statistics that connect sedentary lifestyles with diabetes, cancer, and the ominously-vague ‘early death’. It should be plain to see, then, that staying healthy isn’t just an excuse for smugness; it is an imperative. What can we do to keep on top of our health, for better living in the short and long term?

Engaging in Regular Health Screenings

Starting with the obvious, staying healthy is remarkably easier when you know exactly what to be looking out for. Regular health checks can aid in early detection of potential health issues, such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes – giving you some clear direction for where to improve your life. The same, naturally, applies to sexual health; home STI test kits are easy to procure, and if nothing else will give you the peace of mind you need to carry on living a confident sex life.

Maintaining a Balanced Diet and Active Lifestyle

Generally speaking, and in spite of any clean bill of health given by your regular health checks, a nutritious diet combined with regular physical activity is essential for your overall well-being. There are many diets and gimmicky meal plans you could follow, from keto to intermittent fasting, but keeping it simple is the best route to keeping it going for the long-term; try adopting a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats, to benefit from a balanced diet without compromising on flavour.

Diet goes hand-in-hand with exercise, though. No one successfully maintains their health on diet alone, so make sure to build an equitable exercise routine into your weekly schedule. This does not need to be a tough regime of punishing trips to the gym, though! An active hobby like rock climbing can improve endurance, flexibility, and balance, as well as providing social and mental enrichment.

Prioritising Mental Health and Social Connections

It’s prescient that we’re talking about mental and social enrichment, as good health is not just a matter of keeping on top of your physical form. Mental well-being is integral to your overall health, whether it impacts your motivation to exercise or stresses other bodily functions through abundant stress hormones in your system. Staying socially active, managing stress, and maintaining a positive outlook are all excellent for managing mental health, but any programme for addressing mental health should be yours to design.

Getting Enough Sleep and Managing Stress

Whatever that programme looks like, make sure it includes a proper approach to sleep! Quality sleep and effective stress management are both, together, crucial for overall health – and work in tandem too. The stress hormone cortisol can keep you awake at night, and poor sleep can contribute to various health issues, including weakened immunity, increased risk of chronic conditions and – you guessed it – stress.