Staying healthy has become a greater consideration for many people over the past year due to lockdown restrictions.
While it appeared that plenty of people were making sure to get out and exercise, the number of active adults reduced by just over 3 million between mid-March and mid-May in 2020.
When there is such a significant change in how we live our lives, its important to remember the best ways of staying healthy.
Have a balanced diet
If you take in more calories than you burn in a day, that energy will be stored as fat.
Focus your diet on healthy foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids.
Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates that have a high fibre content and keep an eye on the fats you add to them when cooking.
Cut down your sugar intake by avoiding snacking on sweets and chocolate. Drinking water rather than fizzy drinks can help improve your mood, memory and brain performance.
Get regular exercise
Being active can reduce your risk of major illnesses like diabetes and cancer by up to 50%. Walking, running and cycling are easy ways to get active, although diving straight in could lead to an injury.
Around half of the 2 million recreational runners in the UK are injured each year. Walking also has its risks, with over 10,000 compensation claims put forward for accidents on the pavement between May 2017 and May 2018.
To reduce your chances of suffering a sports injury, go through a thorough warm-up before setting off on your chosenactivity. If exercising when its dark, make sure you wear bright, reflective clothes so you can be seen by motorists.
Should you unfortunately be involved in an accident that isn’tyour fault, an online claims calculator can suggest the amount of compensation you could get.
Sleep well
A good night’s sleep is just as important as regular exercise and a balanced diet.
Insufficient sleep has been linked to a number of negative health consequences like cardiovascular problems, a weakened immune system and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep per night to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Kick your bad habits
Are you a smoker? Do you drink more alcohol than the recommended 14 units per week on a regular basis?
If so, cutting out these aspects of your lifestyle – or at the very least reducing them – will do your health the world of good.
Alcohol and smoking are associated with cancers and cardiovascular disease, while you also risk liver disease with the former and lung disease with the latter.
If you are ready to lead a healthier lifestyle then bearing the above information in mind will be beneficial.
However, if you want to stay on track you could introduce the changes gradually to make it more manageable.
