Ever heard of physical wellness?

Physical health is probably what you hear the most. The need to constantly eat well and exercise can be a tiring thought if you don’t know the benefits behind it.

Watching what you put into your body, how much activity you get, and your weight are important for keeping your body working properly. Physical wellness is more important than you think. Positive physical health habits can help decrease your stress, lower your risk of disease, and increase your energy. And also, with the right ways, you can improve your wellness routines. In this article, we teach you different options to start or maintain your physical health.

Get active

Sedentary behavior has been linked to many medical problems. Moving more and sitting less can have major health benefits. Experts recommend adults get at least 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate physical activity a week. You can benefit. Getting regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. That means doing activities that get your heart beating faster. If you do more intense exercise like running, aim for at least 75 minutes a week. Adults should also do activities that strengthen their muscles twice a week.

Maintain your muscle

Building muscle helps you keep up the activities you enjoy at any stage of your life. Some types of strength training keep your bones healthy, too. Experts recommend strength training activities for all the major muscle groups two or more days a week for adults and three for kids and teens. Cardiovascular exercise increases your breathing and heart rate. They can keep your heart and lungs in good shape and help prevent many chronic diseases. But exercises to maintain flexibility, balance, and strength are also important.

Stretching gives you more freedom of movement and makes daily activities more comfortable. Balance practice helps prevent falls, which become a concern as you get older. Strength training, also called resistance training or weight training, is particularly important. It brings many benefits. First, it makes your muscles stronger. That can help you keep up the activities you enjoy — at any stage of your life.

Find a healthy weight

Keeping your body at a healthy weight may help you lower your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer that can result from carrying excess weight or obesity. Take charge of your weight and your health. Excess weight comes from taking in more energy, or calories, than your body needs. Some extra energy may be stored as fat. Many factors influence your risk for weight gain. These include poor diet, lack of sleep, and not getting enough physical activity.

Eat a healthy diet

We make dozens of decisions every day. When it comes to deciding what to eat and feed our families, it can be a lot easier than you might think to make smart choices. A healthy eating plan not only limits unhealthy foods, but also includes a variety of healthy foods. Find out which foods to add to your diet and which to avoid.

Mind your metabolism

Your metabolism changes as you get older. You burn fewer calories and break down foods differently. You also lose lean muscle. Unless you exercise more and adjust your diet, the pounds can add up. Middle-age spread can quickly become middle-age sprawl. Carrying those extra pounds may be harming your health.

Build healthy habits

We know that making healthy choices can help us feel better and live longer. Maybe you’ve already tried to eat better, get more exercise or sleep, quit smoking, or reduce stress. It’s not easy. But research shows how you can boost your ability to create and sustain a healthy lifestyle.

Source: National Institute of Health. (2022). Physical wellness. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/physical-wellness-toolkit