It is generally achieved through proper nutrition, moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise and rest. It includes the attributes of cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength and body composition.
Having a healthy diet and staying physically fit is important for your health and well-being. But what does it really mean to be healthy?
Disease Prevention
A lot can be done to protect your health and prevent disease, including routine medical care, getting regular screenings, vaccinations and guarding against germs and viruses. These simple steps can make a big difference in your health.
Physical fitness is a key to disease prevention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a weekly minimum of 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity for adults to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
To keep from spreading germs, always wash your hands after touching a rash or bodily fluid, or items like keyboards and doorknobs. Cover coughs and sneezes, and if possible, avoid crowded places. If you do get a bug or virus, stay home from work or school until youâre better. Seek immediate medical attention for animal bites or tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease. This will help ensure you receive the right treatment and get back to normal faster.
Exercise Tips
Getting the right amount of exercise each week is key to preventing disease and improving your quality of life. The government’s Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity and 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity muscle-strengthening activities each week, or a combination of both.
It’s important to find a fitness routine that fits your schedule and lifestyle. It may take some time to figure out what you enjoy â maybe yoga is more your speed versus barbell deadlifts and squats. But once you’re finding a workout that makes you feel good, stick with it!
When choosing a weight for strength training, aim to use a weight that tires your muscles after 12 to 15 repetitions. If you’re unsure what weight is appropriate for you, consult with your health care professional. It’s also important to stretch after your strength or endurance exercises to avoid injury. Stretching helps your muscles recover more quickly.
Motivation
Having a support system is an important factor in staying motivated. Consider recruiting a workout buddy, joining a group fitness class or even seeking out health coaching to help keep you on track.
There has been a resurgence of research in recent years using experimental methods to explore the relationship between exercise motivation and self-determination theory (SDT) constructs. These studies have reported that having more intrinsic participation motives or goals (such as affiliation, challenge, and skill development) is associated with greater exercise involvement. They also report that having more autonomous regulation for exercise is predictive of longer-term exercise behavior maintenance and that reporting increased perceived competence for exercise predicts adaptive behavioral outcomes.
The ability to self-regulate nutrition tips and have discipline in general will carry over into your fitness journey. Strengthening your self-discipline in other areas of life such as limiting sugar, getting adequate sleep and practicing good nutrition will help to sustain you when your exercise motivation may fluctuate
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