Your Wellness Guide: How to Improve Your Physical Health Today

Despite all of the advancements in health and technology, modern societies are unhealthier now than ever before. Sure, we don’t have to worry about plagues sweeping through our nations, but we have other problems. For example, did you know that 60% of Americans live with at least one chronic illness?

At this point, you’re probably wondering how to improve your physical health.

For most of us, our issues are caused primarily by our lifestyle choices. We live relatively sedentary lives. We sit all day at work and come home and sit on the couch in our off-time.

Furthermore, our diets are made up of highly processed foods with large amounts of fat and sugar. Eating out and drinking alcohol is considered a pastime. In other words, our modern ways of life form a perfect cocktail designed to keep us unhealthy.

We want to change things up. Keep reading for a wellness guide on how to improve your physical health.

Get Outside More

One of the biggest downsides of living in a world run by technology is that there are fewer reasons to go outside. We work inside, relax inside, and even exercise inside.

However, humans weren’t meant to be indoors all the time. We rely on sunshine and fresh air to thrive.

When our skin is exposed to the sun, our bodies synthesize vitamin D. Vitamin D helps with bone growth and immunity. It can even offset the symptoms of depression.

Spending regular time outdoors has also been shown to improve brain function and vision. At the very least, being outside gives us a reason to step away from our screens and enjoy some quality time with friends and family.

Increase Your Daily Activity

As noted earlier, we spend a lot of time being inactive. Most of our jobs, hobbies, and pastimes involve sitting.

You can improve your wellness by increasing your level of daily activity. The most effective method is introducing regular exercise into your daily routine.

We recommend a combination of strength training and cardio training. Strength training will help you build lean muscle mass, which will improve your strength, balance, and metabolism. Cardio training will keep your heart and lungs healthy.

However, working out isn’t the only way for you to be more active. If you hate the idea of going to the gym or it isn’t an option, try:

Walking around the neighborhood every night with your dog, partner, friend, or kids
Parking farther away from work, the grocery store, etc.
Using the stairs rather than the elevator or escalator
Getting a standing desk for work
Investing in at-home gym equipment
Implementing a bodyweight workout program at home

If you want to learn how to improve your physical health, there are plenty of ways to make it happen without a gym membership. It might also help to pick up some healthy hobbies, like mountain biking, hiking, tennis, or swimming.

Adopt Healthy Nutrition Habits

Next, let’s talk about how to improve your physical wellness through diet and nutrition. When people hear the word “diet,” they cringe. That’s because our society’s idea of dieting usually involves crash diets and extreme forms of deprivation.

While these methods can be effective for dropping weight quickly, they’re not exactly healthy. Nor are they sustainable.

If you want to improve your physical health, you need to adopt healthy nutrition habits. This means making progressive changes toward healthier eating.

Start by making whole foods the staple of your diet. This includes things like whole grains, lean meats, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, etc. By cutting out all the processed foods in your diet, you’ll notice a profound difference in your energy levels, mood, and eventually, your waistline.

You’ll also want to start cutting out sugary foods that lack fiber. These foods, in most instances, are immediately stored as fat in your body. They include:

Sugary drinks (soda, juice, energy drinks)
Pastries, cakes, donuts
Candy, cookies, candy bars
White bread, white rice

Most people lose a lot of weight by simply cutting out added sugars from their diets. It will also make you less prone to diabetes.

Schedule Regular Checkups With Healthcare Services

You might need help learning how to improve your physical health. For example, if you already suffer from a chronic disease or are at risk of one, you’ll need to seek professional medical advice. Never underestimate the amount of good regular checkups with healthcare services can do for your overall physical wellness.

These medical professionals can provide expert advice based on your unique circumstances. If you don’t already see a healthcare specialist, we highly recommend scheduling an appointment with one as soon as possible.

Get Plenty of Sleep

Did you know that the average adult needs 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night? Anything under that amount over an extended period of time is considered sleep deprivation. This might shock you, as many of us think we’re doing okay with five or six hours of sleep.

However, coming in under your body’s preferred sleep amount can have a number of physical and mental side effects. For example, sleep deprivation can lead to:

Fatigue
Lower immunity
Lack of concentration and focus
Increased anxiety
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss

Furthermore, sleep deprivation can increase your risk for chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, immunodeficiencies, and hormonal imbalances. Therefore, if you want to improve your physical wellness, ensure you’re getting enough sleep each night.

Invest in Self-Care

Finally, learning how to improve your physical health means learning how to take care of your personal needs. Taking time for self-care might seem like a luxury you don’t have. However, self-care is vital for your mental and physical well-being.

Taking time to relax, pamper yourself, and enjoy your hobbies maintains your mental health. You feel more fulfilled, and therefore, more capable of being there for others. This includes your kids, your partner, your friends, your co-workers, etc.

If you’re not taking time for self-care, you’ll burn out quickly. This can lead to depression, which will make it more difficult to eat right, exercise, and be active.

Do You Understand How to Improve Your Physical Health?

We hope our guide on how to improve your physical health puts you on the right path. Being healthy provides you with a better quality of life. You’ll have more energy and confidence, as well as less pain and anxiety.

If you’re looking for more tips on physical wellness, stick around for a while and browse through some of our other articles. Our blog was created to be a reliable source of lifestyle information for people like you.