Physical activity is scientifically proven to be highly beneficial to the human body. However, research shows that less than 50% of adults engage in dedicated exercise. This has led to an increase in health hazards globally. Common illnesses that result from not exercising are heart-related problems and stroke. Working out is fundamental in boosting your health, which is why many people get a home gym installed. Since I took fitness seriously, I have been in good physical condition. Major health benefits I have enjoyed because of workouts include:
Controlling Weight
When I started working out nine years ago, my main goal was to cut weight. I would watch my diet and strictly watch the workout routine. I started with 328 pounds and had an aim of getting below 220 pounds. To reach my target, I had to hit the gym. Consistent workouts helped me burn calories and subsequently lose weight. Currently, I weigh 200 pounds, a figure that makes me feel confident and fit. To maintain this weight and keep healthy, I still exercise frequently.
Reduces Risk of Heart Illnesses
During the time I weighed 328 pounds, I did some research on the risks arising from being overweight. Heart problems could lead to a heart attack which became a big scare. Excess weight also affects blood pressure. To prevent this from happening, I took to exercising. Working out has a lot of benefits to the heart. It leads to increased blood flow which increases the oxygen supply in the body. Working out is beneficial because it helps keep such illnesses at bay.
Helps Improve the Mental Health
Mental health issues are on the increase in today’s world. To counter such illnesses, medical practitioners advocate for people to do exercise. Exercise helps me relax my mind by giving me a break from real-life problems. Research shows that workouts make the body release chemicals to boost a person’s mood, thus relieving stress. This has helped my mental health by reducing the risk of falling into depression.
Strengthens the Bones and Muscles
A strong body contributes to good health. Workouts help in building muscles and strengthening bones. I engage in a lot of muscle-building exercises. Looking at my physique, I can note some improvement in terms of strong muscles. I feel my joints get better thanks to the workouts.
Boosts Immunity
Exercise has a positive impact on the body’s immune system. A strong and healthy body is good for fighting against diseases. With a healthy body, one stands a higher chance of good well-being because the body is able to fend off illnesses. Since I started working out, I have lived a healthy life. I have not visited the hospital due to illness apart from when attending for routine check-ups.
The Body Can Manage Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels
Blood sugar and insulin level problems put a person at risk of illnesses like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Doing exercises helps to make the insulin work well and lower the blood sugar level, therefore, reducing the risk of getting ill. One can do exercises as a precaution and as an action to manage existing problems.
Improve Quality of Sleep
Good health, as noted by many experts, is a result of many factors, sleep being among them. Working out helps me improve the quality of sleep and thus aiding good health. Anytime I do exercises, I am sure of getting sound sleep.
The importance of exercise to the human body cannot be overstated. While exercising may be punishing sometimes, the results are always rewarding. You do not have to begin with heavy exercises to reap these benefits. Starting slowly and growing gradually is always a sure way towards a happy life.
We all know how important our mental health is, but often our general health can have a huge impact on it. It is easier for us to feel our best selves when things are going well, but harder to not let our mental health deteriorate when we need to take better care of ourselves and general health. Feeling under the weather, sickness or having to handle a health hurdle can all be things that take their toll on us mentally. While we don’t want this to happen, they can have a big impact. With that in mind, here are some of the ways our physical health can impact our mental health with a few tips to help you through.
One of the first obvious things could be when you have surgery. This can often be the case when it comes to surgery for preventive measures or even in an emergency situation. Your mental health can be affected in many ways but surgery can sometimes stop you in your tracks. It means you are less likely to be able to do things for yourself and may have to think of proactive things like compression socks. You could hop over to this site for more information on that. There is often nothing but time in this case, but keeping your mind active will be key as your body physically recovers.
Not taking care of yourself
If you don’t take care of yourself then your mental health can be impacted. This could be simple things such as bodily hygiene and cleanliness right down to drinking too much or indulging in a bad diet. These things can often make you feel lousy and in turn can impact your mental health. While it can often mean you are stuck in a rut, taking good care of yourself can instantly brighten up your mood and energy levels. The more you focus on that, the better you will feel.
Getting a common illness
There are common illnesses that we all can get and they can have us feeling really low. The common cold, the flu and even coughs and sore throats can stop us functioning as we would do normally. As a result, this can have an impact on our health and wellbeing. If you are struggling with a common illness the best advice is to slow down and appreciate that you can make a recovery. The more times you take care of yourself in this way, the quicker you will be over the illness and back to your normal routine.
Dealing with a long-term illness
Finally, if you are dealing with long-term illness then this can certainly affect your health, mental health and wellbeing all in one go. It can be hard to come to terms with a long term illness diagnosis. It can certainly mean you feel low and uneasy about the future. However, your mindset can play a vital role in recovery or even leading a semi normal life for as long as possible. Taking the time to do things that make you feel good will be key to helping you through the tough times.
Let’s hope this helps you if you are struggling with your mental health.
It is a brand-new year, and many people are looking forward to finally shaking off the effects of Covid-19. Lockdowns and extended time spent with the family has revealed so many things that we may have unconsciously overlooked. This year provides us with a clean slate to consciously do better in our relationships with family and our health. Here are some practical resolutions you can adopt this year.
The importance of your health cannot be overstated, and being in peak health is something you should aspire for and work towards. Simple exercises such as evening walks, pushups, and skipping rope are great. If you are a high-energy individual who works out, that’s even better. If you do not have a routine, create one and stick to it. You may occasionally switch it up if you feel the need to. If you want to create a routine to achieve a specific health goal but do not know how to, check out Openfit. They have an array of workout and fitness programs that will suit any need of yours.
Eating right
Lots of health-related issues can be traced back to the type of food you consume. Also, some illnesses can only be remedied by proper medication and eating right. Therefore, as a dad, you should make it a point to eat right. You shouldn’t consume everything you love, and in most cases, the consumption of such foods is not the paramount issue but rather the quantity and time at which it was eaten.
Make it a point to check your calorie intake to suit your body needs. Also, consider including more greens and fruits into your daily diets. If you can, stick to lean proteins and encourage your family to do the same. Though it may seem difficult at the start, try to be gradual and intentional, and you will eventually cut out most of what your body does not need. Creating a schedule or meal plan can help make this easy for you.
Regular medical checkups
Feeling right does not always mean that everything is right with you, health-wise. Therefore, going for regular checkups is a lifestyle you must cultivate. Regular checkups will reveal your true health status and will help you detect early signs of troubling health conditions. The early detection of such worrisome health conditions will aid in their successful treatment. So this year, make it a point to go for regular medical checkups.
As a dad, your whole life revolves around your family. Every action and move you make is to ensure that your family is catered for and has the best of what you can afford. Therefore, it makes sense that you make money for the family and improve your relationships and bonding with them. Here is how you can strengthen the bond in your family.
Spend quality time with your spouse
With many unrelenting responsibilities on both sides, spouses may drift apart even when they live under the same roof. It is important to make and spend quality time with your spouse to keep the fire alive in your relationship. Spending time does not always require elaborate planning. It could be as simple as preparing the family dinner together and catching up on each other’s day. You could even plan a simple date night at home with wine and a good book you both love. Just make time for conversation, enjoy each other’s company, and crack some jokes to have your partner smiling. Remember why the two of you fell in love in the first place and carry on like teenagers.
Help with house chores
Helping around the house with chores is a great way to save your partner some time, and it serves as an opportunity to bond with them. Whether it is cooking, cleaning, doing the dishes, or anything else, be present and lend a helping hand. If possible, do it by yourself if you are adept at it. Also, make it a point to learn how to do basic chores around the house if it is not something you are used to. Helping out in this way will reduce the stress on your spouse and put smiles on their face all day long.
Surprise gifts
As men, we know how much our wives love to be surprised. But in most cases, it is not much of a surprise as they happen on occasions and are to be expected. In the true sense of the phrase, learn to surprise her with gifts on days that are not occasions. Make it random and just pull a surprise and watch her face light up. Surprise gifts do not need to cost much; remember that in such cases, the thought is more important than the gift itself. It could be a book she loves, a night out, a new gadget or device, or a fashion accessory she may have mentioned.
Give her time
You may have experienced your spouse complain about not having enough me-time for themselves. This year try your possible best to keep such complaints from recurring by gifting them time. Take the kids out to have some fun and let her have enough time to do something nice for herself, like getting her nails or hair done. She may also take the time to read her favorite book, watch movies, or catch up with her friends. Do this as often as you can, and she will thank you for it.
Kids love to have fun, and they are almost always on the move and making a pretty mess of anything they can lay their hands on. Spend time bonding with your kids by taking them outdoors. Kids of today are rather much glued to their devices and gaming consoles. Try your best to get them to drop their devices by engaging them in interesting activities outdoors.
Have fun activities with them outdoors, such as jumping on a trampoline, mastering that 3-point shot, or how to swing a bat properly. You can also consider taking them out to the mall to watch their favorite cartoon in a cinema with ice-cream and popcorn. Bonding with your kids in such a manner will introduce you to traits they possess that you may not have noticed. Use this opportunity to also work on those traits; if they are good, polish them. And if they are bad, teach them why it is bad and work with them on changing.
Create hobbies
Another awesome way to bond with your kids is to create a hobby and do it together. Study your children and see what they are good at and then transform that into a hobby. You will not only be spending quality time with them and having fun, but you will also be honing that hobby into a craft that may pay off later in their lives. Such hobbies could include painting, learning a new language, or even coding.
Self-improvement
You need to improve yourself in every department by learning and growing. Review your life, capabilities, and attitudes and find areas in which you may be lacking and make an effort to improve on them. Here are a few ideas.
DIY
Being handy around the house is pretty useful and can mitigate some expenses. If this sounds like a good idea, then consider watching some DIY tutorials on YouTube. There are several DIY channels to choose from based on what you want to learn. The top three things to consider learning first are basic plumbing, insulating the home, and fixing basic appliances. These are amongst the frequent issues people face that require the help of handymen and are beneficial skills to have.
Read more
Knowledge is vast and never-ending, and in this modern age of internet and technology, you may find out that knowledge is also constantly changing. What you knew to be the fact some years back may no longer be so. Therefore, take some time out to read and research information that may be vital to you. It may be work-related or just something that interests you. Keep abreast with the times and let them guide you in your dealings and decision-making.
Reach out to friends and family
Covid-19 may have created a chasm between friends and family due to the numerous restrictions and protocols. This year, make it a point to reach out to colleagues, friends, and members of your extended family that you may not have interacted much with. Whether you decide to do so over the phone, virtually by video calling, or meeting in person, be sure to have a good time and make good memories. If you are meeting in person, make sure you follow all the protocols to keep you and your family safe.
This is a new year full of possibilities, so choose to be better. Start by placing premium value on your family while making sure that you are the best version of yourself.
An at-home dad on a mission to keep it real when it comes to food, fun, and raising a healthy, happy family.
