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During winter months, colds and the flu are on the rise; immune system responses can dip when people become less active and are exposed to less sunlight. To avoid more frequent trips to your doctor’s office, there are a few lifestyle changes you can focus on ensuring your habits are conducive to your health. The tips go back to the basics and do not require a significant amount of money, time, or energy to successfully complete.
No need to rush out and join a gym—you can easily perform basic physical activities at home (or wherever) to meet your body’s needs. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a minimum of 150 minutes per week. That’s less than 25 minutes a day! Walking during your lunch break or after getting home, doing jumping jacks or active stretches while watching tv, doing squats while folding laundry, or dancing while you cook dinner are free and simple enough to meet your daily and weekly exercise goal.
Minor changes to what you currently eat can have a profound effect on your digestive system, which in turn can greatly improve your immune system. Eating a balanced diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables (go with what is in-season or frozen to stay in budget) can help your body to get the vitamins and minerals it needs to build a healthy immune system. Moderating your sugar intake and reducing the consumption of “bad” (LDL) cholesterol can also help encourage a healthy diet.
While sleeping, your body is hard at work repairing damaged cells and regenerating new cells—essentially working to heal itself. While resting, your body is also better suited to fight off infections and foreign bodies when it does not have to share energy to keep you awake and moving. Getting adequate sleep isn’t just important so you feel well rested, it is so your body can do what it naturally does best and work to maintain the systems that keep you running.
This is a tip on any health and wellness informational article and there is a good reason for it. It really is that important to keep your body well-hydrated. Proper hydration helps to keep your organs properly functioning, your immune system strong, keeps joints lubricated, and regulates body temperature among a series of other beneficial things. Avoid sodas and minimize fruit juice—although eating water-rich, low sugar foods like cucumber or watermelon is a great way to increase your water intake without sacrificing taste.
Focus on prioritizing mental health has significantly increased in the last few years and is even more important than many realize. Addressing your mental health needs is not an assumption that all people have trauma they need to process. While a good deal of people may need to do so, taking care of your mental health can be as simple as creating a work-life balance, cutting back on commitments, taking up a hobby, or reducing the factors in your life that cause you stress. Don’t forget the importance of seeking professional help for stronger mental health care and taking a day off to recenter your mental health.
Brandon Essentials Massage and Spa may not be a fitness center or physician’s office; however, we understand and recognize how our services can help promote and support wellness in our clients. Sometimes it’s the stress relief our clients feel while at our spa; from the mental break they get from laying down and enjoying their massage; or the mental and emotional boost feel when letting a stylist care for their hair—whatever the service or reason for bringing our clients through our door, we aim to ensure they leave feeling better than before.
