How can you optimize your physical health? This question may sound ambiguous, but the answer is actually quite simple. Optimal physical health isn’t about eating healthy or staying active; it’s about making choices that support your long-term fitness goals. Whether you want to lose weight, gain muscle, or maintain your current body composition, there are steps you can take every day to get closer to your goal. The trick is identifying and prioritizing those steps based on their importance to achieving your personal fitness goals. To find out how else you can optimize your physical health, read on!
Learn about your sleep patterns
If you feel tired all day long, something may be off with your sleep cycle. A common problem is sleep-disordered breathing (SDB), a disorder that involves disruptions in breathing while asleep. The most common signs of SDB are loud snoring and morning headaches—when your alarm clock goes off, you feel as if you haven’t slept at all! If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it’s important to talk to your doctor about getting tested for SDB. As many as 50 million Americans suffer from SDB—why suffer alone when help is out there?
Here’s how to optimize your physical health: Take control of your health by understanding what’s going on inside your body. Speak up and ask questions; don’t wait until you’re suffering to find answers. And if something isn’t right, get it checked out as soon as possible. Remember, your doctor is there to help—so use him or her! If you have any questions about sleep-disordered breathing or other medical issues, please leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to answer them for you!
Exercise as often as possible
It’s a no-brainer that regular exercise is key to maintaining a healthy body. But, did you know that it also directly impacts your mood and mental health? Studies have shown that exercise can increase levels of serotonin (the happy hormone) and dopamine in your brain, resulting in more positive emotions. In addition, it can boost self-esteem and decrease anxiety, stress, and depression. Whether you need help getting started or want to take your fitness routine to another level, our guide can point you in the right direction.
Get Enough Vitamin D
While we used to think that our bodies produced all of the vitamin D we needed simply through exposure to sunlight, many studies now show that we may not be getting enough of it. To optimize your physical health, make sure you’re getting enough vitamin D. If you can’t get outside on a sunny day, take a supplement in addition to eating fortified foods like cereal and non-dairy milk.
Look at the bigger picture
One of the things that you can do to optimize your physical health is to not only focus on an activity or a practice but look at how it fits into your life as a whole. Do you make sure that you get enough sleep every night, or are you skipping out on shut-eye because of work or school responsibilities? Are you more concerned with your physical well-being in isolation, or do you examine it within other aspects of your life? The greater context and perspective that your activities take place in can have a huge impact on whether or not they lead to long-term benefits for both your mind and body.
Eat more vegetables and fruit
It’s a great practice to eat your vegetables, especially when you’re trying to improve your physical health. Vegetables and fruit are packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants that can boost your immune system, support healthy digestion and keep your skin looking good. It’s best to eat a wide variety of veggies every day—particularly dark leafy greens like spinach or kale—and load up on brightly coloured fruits like raspberries or pomegranates.
Treat yourself from time to time
Even if you’re trying to shed a few pounds, remember that it’s still okay to treat yourself from time to time. Make your favourite food once in a while, go on a dinner date or get together with some friends and have fun! There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be able to enjoy life just because you want to lose weight. Be flexible when it comes to eating—don’t deprive yourself of treats forever.
Conclusion
While some activities like walking or biking can be good for your health, they may not burn a lot of calories. If you want to optimize your physical health, you’ll want to get in a good amount of aerobic activity like running or swimming. While these types of exercises are great for burning calories and losing weight quickly, it is important to make sure that you still have time for strength training as well.
