Achieving good health does not require you to spend all your time at the gym or abruptly adopt trendy diets that promise quick results. Commonly perceived healthy habits that are taken to the extreme can hinder your progress and lead to burnout and unhealthy behaviors. It’s important to avoid striving for perfection as it is unrealistic. Instead, focus on sustainable habits that promote overall well-being and allow you to be your best self.
As you likely know, good things can become unhealthy if done excessively. Proper physical self-care is about establishing healthy, repeatable, and purposeful habits that can be done daily to live with optimal health. It can be quite simple and easy to do as long as you have the right tools and resources.
Here are five easy and simple physical self-care ideas to implement for a healthier life:
Eat Whole Nutrient Dense Foods
This isn’t to say you cannot sometimes enjoy a large piece of chocolate cake, but instead, it is to say get your nutrition in first. No matter which type of eating plan you prefer, all healthy eating plans include eating whole foods that are not processed. So start your day by getting your nutrition in, and you’ll feel stronger all day long.
Get Active Daily No Matter What
You only need to move about at a moderate pace for approximately 150 minutes a week to maintain your health or lose weight. That may seem crazy considering the advice out there but don’t overwhelm yourself. Instead, just get active doing something enjoyable that gets your heart rate up each day. For example, you may want to walk on a treadmill, and you may want to go skating with your child – whatever it is, do something daily.
Start Your Day with a Glass of Lemon Water
You can get a leap on the day simply by drinking a large glass of filtered water with lemon when you get up. It’ll wake you up, get your body working, and you’ll be shocked at the energy it gives you even though it has no caffeine. Most of us are walking around dehydrated, and it shows in the afternoon slump, the inability to process vitamins and minerals some people have, and more.
Get a Blood Test and Physical
If you’re uncertain about your health and seeking to make informed choices, consider getting a blood test and a comprehensive physical examination from your doctor. The cost of these tests may be more affordable than you think, even without insurance, and the valuable information you obtain can assist you in creating a personalized health plan tailored to your specific needs. You have the option to purchase a home vitamin-level testing kit from Letsgetchecked.com or consult your doctor for guidance.
Get a Full Night’s Rest
Aside from getting your nutrition, staying hydrated, and moving, the next thing you need to focus on to improve yourself is sleeping at night. It’s tempting to think this doesn’t matter, but science has shown overwhelmingly that humans need sleep at night. You need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep to function at your top level. Make it happen.
Overall, physical self-care does not need to be hard or overwhelming. Commit to keep moving, fuel your body for energy and nutrition, stay hydrated, and get a full night’s rest. However, don’t expect yourself to be the next heavyweight champion or lose twenty pounds overnight. Instead, understand what you want the most out of your health to design a self-care plan that is right for you.