Maintaining a strong and healthy body is extremely important for reducing the risk of many diseases. It also helps in maintaining a good lifestyle. Our mental health is also associated with our physical fitness, as good health reduces anxiety and stress. Anyone can maintain a proper healthy and strong body with the help of a balanced diet and proper exercise. Following are some tips that would help you achieve a strong and resilient body.
- Drink Water: Water is essential for our body as every single cell, all the organs and tissues need water to function. The normal consumption range of water for adults is between 11.5 cups to 15.5 cups i.e 2.7 liters to 3.7 liters per day. A person should have some water whenever feeling thirsty to keep his body hydrated. Other fluids also help in keeping us hydrated like soups, fresh juices and milk. Keep in mind that not all the liquids are healthy, like sugary or caffeinated drinks. Fruits and vegetables containing water are also one of the good sources of water.
- Lean Protein: Protein is the building block of the body as it requires to build muscles and to repair them. Poultry, chicken, lean beef, fish and lean pork are some excellent sources of lean protein. Mainly proteins are found in meats but there are also some vegetarian sources for protein like beans, legumes, tofu, nuts, etc. Eggs and dairy products are also rich in protein. However, do keep in mind that dairy has a good content of fats so for making it more healthy one should opt for low-fat dairy.
- Whole Grains: Whole grains are healthier than refined grains as they contain more fibers. Grains include wheat, oats, rice, barley, cornmeal, millet and much more. When purchasing grains, try to take more and more whole grain products. Foods that are rich in fibers are mainly whole grain products like oatmeal, bran breads, cereals and tortillas. Choosing brown rice over refined rice is a much healthier option as it provides a good amount of fibers as well as maintains low glycemic index, same goes for multi-grain bread over white bread.
- Fruits And Vegetables: Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibers. Try to make them a part of your every day meal or have it daily as snacks. This can help reduce the chances of developing any vitamins or minerals deficiency. Fruits can be taken as your breakfast, for example, a handful of dry fruits or berries could make your oatmeal extremely delicious and healthy. Roasted vegetables like carrots and beans compliments perfectly with lean chicken or fish.
- Healthy Fats: Our body requires some healthy fats to work properly. Healthy fats include plant based oils like sunflower, soybean, corn and olive oil. Avocados and some nuts are also a good source of healthy fats. All the dairy products are rich in fats so consuming them in moderation is beneficial for the body. However, too much consumption could lead to heart diseases.
- Calcium And Vitamin D: 700 mg calcium and 10 micrograms vitamin D per day is essential for healthy bones and teeth. Dairy is an excellent source of calcium like milk and cheese. Include dairy products in daily routine diet, this would help you maintain a good amount of calcium in your body. On the other hand vitamin D is produced by our skin when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D supplements are also available in the market to reduce the chances of it’s deficiency. Calcium is the main component of our bones while vitamin D helps in the absorption of calcium. Some green vegetables are also a good source of calcium like cabbage, broccoli and soybeans. Some foods are fortified with vitamin D and calcium like fortified breakfast cereals and breads. Egg yolk and some fishes like salmon are also a source for vitamin D.
- Walk Daily: A walk of 10,000 steps daily helps in reducing weight as well as maintaining heart health. A smartphone app can aid you in counting your steps while walking. Developing a habit of walking to school or work can make it easier and less time consuming for everyone. Daily walk is an excellent aerobic exercise as it doesn’t harm your joints. Walking everyday while maintaining a healthy and balanced diet would make your body physically fit and active.
- Moderate Or Vigorous Exercise: Some moderate exercises are: Brisk walking, bike riding or dancing. While running, walking and jumping are some examples of vigorous exercises. 150 minutes of moderate and 75 minutes of vigorous activities per week are extremely helpful in maintaining good body shape as well as making muscles strong and healthy. If you have just started this routine then you must go with the less intensity workout and increase it gradually so it would not harm your joints. Before starting heavy workouts at the gym, one should perform some warmup exercises i.e some light workouts to increase your heart rate and to prepare and warm the body for further heavy activities. The best way to keep yourself involved in a daily workout is to select your favorite physical activity which you enjoy the most, like swimming, playing sports or hiking etc. You can make a social group of people who gym together or perform other physical games, to get some motivation from each other.
- Muscle Strengthening Workouts: 20-30 minutes of muscle strengthening exercises per week helps your muscles to grow stronger. Strong muscles are not only important for maintaining good physique but it actually improves your metabolic rate and keeps the body away from storing excessive fats. A person can use his body weight or free weights to perform such muscle training exercises. Some of the strength training includes shoulder presses, push ups, pull ups, curls and deadlifts. Start muscle strengthening exercises with small weights and gradually increase them with other exercises for good results.
- Good Sleep Pattern: A person should take 7-8 hours of sleep daily for good immune system, active muscles and brain strengthening. Children and teenagers can take 10 hours of sleep to keep them up for their daily routine. You should make a habit of sleeping properly instead of taking small naps as small naps can create difficulty in taking proper sleep of 8 hours. Sleep is basically a natural recharging process of our body which helps in maintaining many functions including pineal gland activity. A good sleep makes a person fresh, active and plays a key role in maintaining your overall health.