17 Nov 5 Lifestyle Changes to Make Now for a Healthier Life

The number of people suffering from stress, depression, diabetes, cancer, and other physical and mental problems is very high as compared to the last few decades. The possible reason behind this is the lifestyle changes people have adopted over the years. My great grandmother lived for almost a century but she didn’t have diabetes, blood pressure or any other diseases. She just grew weak with her age but still she used to do almost all her work by herself. Even my grandparents didn’t suffer from any health problems except for the problems they got because of their accidents. Apart from them, I have seen many people in their 70s and 80s living a disease free life but people in their 20s and 30s have developed serious health problems. This sounds strange and surprising but this is the truth.

The simple reason behind major health problems in youngsters is their lifestyle. Burgers, pizzas, drinking, smoking, late night parties and other such unhealthy habits are responsible for all the serious mental and physical health problems. Earlier, people used to work hard, do physical activities, had a proper routine for sleeping and waking up and hence used to live a healthy life. What do people do today? They would stay awake the whole night, sleep in the morning for 3-4 hours or even less than that, eat junk food instead of green vegetables, play games on the computer instead of playing on the ground, smoke and drink, etc. After all these unhealthy habits, when people develop diseases, they blame God for giving them such a life-threatening disease at such a tender age. Well, you and your lifestyle are to be blamed for whatever is happening to you and not God.

If you are looking forward to leading a healthier and happy life then listed below are 5 lifestyle changes that you need to make now-

• Do Some Physical Exercise: The major reason why people suffer many problems right from their young age is because of the absence of physical exercises in their routine. Even for going to a nearby shop, they will use a vehicle which is not good for them and the environment. So prefer to walk while your destination is less than a mile. Make it a habit of doing 10 sit-ups and 10 push-ups every day. Once you get comfortable with it, you can slowly increase the count. You can also do a 7-minute scientific workout routine instead of doing just push-ups.
• Eat Healthy: If it is hard for your stomach to digest all healthy, then ensure that at least half of your meal comprises of green vegetables. Eventually, when you develop the taste, you can increase the quantity of green vegetables and decrease the quantity of unhealthy food. Also eat your veggies first so that you have less or no scope of eating french fries, burgers, and other junk food.
• Drink Enough Water: In their urge to drink and smoke, people often forget to drink water which is obviously not good for their health. So make sure to drink at least 8-10 glasses of water each day no matter how busy you are. If you can drink a glass of warm water right in the morning, then that would be even better for you.
• Take Cold Shower: Prefer cold shower over a hot shower. No matter how soothing a hot shower makes you feel, the cold shower has its own benefits. It improves blood circulation, strengthens immunity, relieves depression, keeps your hair and skin healthy along with several other benefits. Moreover, a cold shower will jolt you back to life and will not let you waste excessive time in the shower.
• Healthy Sleep Routine: It is ok to party but do not compromise on your sleep. It is mandatory to have a good night’s sleep of 6-8 hours. Adopt the philosophy of “early to bed and early to rise” as this will be very good for your health. Do not deprive yourself of sleep as this will affect your mental as well as physical health.
• 10 - Minute Meditation: Meditation is crucial for your mental well-being. Sit down in a quiet place after you freshen up every morning and focus on your breathing. Observe how the air flows in and out of your body and how your body reacts to it. Daily meditation will immensely help you to stay calm throughout the day, boost your concentration and productivity and will help you manage your thoughts and emotions better.

Bring these simple lifestyle changes in your life and you will see for yourself how good your life as become.

Purva Jain

Purva is a freelance writer from Udaipur, India. She covers a wide range of topics including health, lifestyle, news, food, and travel. You can reach out to her at [email protected]