At Women’s Healthcare of Princeton, we consider being in excellent health to be a lifetime commitment to deliberate action, not simply a theory. Whether you’re in your 20s, 40s, or 60s, altering your lifestyle to a healthier one can help you prevent chronic illness and slow down the aging process on the inside and outside.
We’ve compiled six of our greatest suggestions for achieving personal maximum health, no matter where you are in life, in honor of National Women’s Health Week.
Be physically active more often
The value of engaging in regular physical activity cannot be emphasized. Women who exercise generally have better blood pressure and cholesterol levels and are less likely to suffer from severe chronic illnesses like diabetes, dementia, and heart disease. Maintaining an active lifestyle can also help reduce or eliminate uncomfortable symptoms like moodiness, night sweats, and hot flashes as menopause approaches.
Making time each day of the week for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise can improve your sleep quality, increase your energy, help you manage unhealthy food cravings, and help you maintain a healthy body weight.
Well, it’s easier said than done. Thankfully, increasing your level of activity can be accomplished in a simple and useful way. Getting a fitness tracker itself can serve as motivation to walk more steps each day. Try holding weekly step competitions with your friends and coworkers to add even more intrigue.
To include more movement into your day, try taking the stairs as much as you can. You can also work in more steps by regularly parking your car a little bit further away from your destination. Walking is a fantastic way to unwind, regain focus, and take in the scenery. Take a stroll in the early morning before heading to work, or right after you get home before you start your evening routine.
It’s likely that you can find methods to make your exercise regimen better if you’re already active.
Make sleep a top priority
The rigors of contemporary living progressively impede many women’s ability to have a restful night’s sleep. The truth is, though, your to-do list is not nearly as significant as the advantages that sound sleep can have for your health.
Maintaining a higher level of reasoning, controlling your emotions, and remaining productive can all be facilitated by getting the sleep you require to feel refreshed and in balance. It also contributes to long-term health protection.
A vital component of existence at every stage is sleep. It is healing for the body as well as the psyche. Women who consistently sleep less than the recommended amount are more likely to struggle with memory, weight control, and heart disease.
Schedule an annual well-woman exam
You’re passing up a significant opportunity to protect your long-term health if you only visit your doctor when you’re sick. If you are unaware of an underlying health issue, you cannot address it.
Since preventive care is essential to overall health, scheduling your yearly well-woman exam should never be a problem. It’s a great chance to look for major health issues that are usually missed, such high blood pressure and dangerous cholesterol levels. Assessing your need for a mammography, Pap test, HPV screening, and osteoporosis screening is also a good idea at this time.
Improve your diet
Be mindful of the food you eat! Food doesn’t have to be monotonous or tasteless to be healthy. Conversely, it might imply vibrant, tasty dishes, novel and exciting flavors, and an entirely new universe of ingredients you’ve never encountered before. Eat as many whole, fresh things as you can. Examine the ingredients in the packaged foods you purchase at the supermarket, even if you don’t have time to prepare a meal at home.
Pay close attention to the amount of sugar and carbohydrates, especially in items that are designated as “low-fat.” Think about less processed and more nutrient-dense whole-grain or vegetarian options. Faro, quinoa, or cauliflower rice are better substitutes for standard pasta and white rice, for example. To enhance flavors and add interest to healthful meals, use herbs and spices.
Increase your intake of fiber, which is present in plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Women who consume a diet high in fiber are more likely to live longer, keep a lower body weight, and fend off chronic illnesses.
Escape the monotony of daily routine
Having a good routine can help you navigate through the day more easily when you have a lot going on in your life. However, you risk losing touch with who you are when your routine begins to feel repetitive.
Try mixing things up to jog your brain and inject some fresh creative energy into your life. Give yourself 20 minutes a day to do something you enjoy, and turn off your phone. Your twenty minutes will re-energize your mind for the remainder of the day, regardless of what you decide to do with it—medicate, go for a walk outside, paint a picture, or dedicate a short period of time to learning a new language.