4 Steps to improve your physical health
Knowing your body and giving it what it needs for health, healing, and energy is the key to good physical health. Good physical health habits like watching what you put into your body, staying active and monitoring your weight can help decrease stress levels, lower risks of disease and increase your energy. There is a strong connection between physical and mental health so caring for one means caring for the other likewise, neglecting one is damaging to the other!
Here are 4 Strategies to help get your physical health in top shape.
1. Get Up and Get Moving.
It is way too easy to sit much longer than you should. Whether it’s sitting at a desk or on the sofa, many people spend more time being inactive for long periods at a time than actively moving around. Reversing that trend have positive health benefits. Get up and get moving regularly to start feeling better.
Experts highly advise adults get at least two and a half hours of moderate physical activity a week. That means doing activities that get your heart beating faster and breathing harder aka aerobic activities. Examples of moderate-intensity activities include brisk walking (faster than 2.5 miles per hour), swimming, and dancing.
Don’t feel overwhelmed by this- any movement is better than none so there is no better time than now to get started. And by “getting started”, you don’t need to sign up at the nearest gym (unless you absolutely want to), you can start as simple as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, carrying a basket at the supermarket instead of pushing the cart (this tip can help your budget too- okay).
2. Muscle Up
“Exercise can help you live a longer, healthier life” is not a new phrase. What do you envision when you hear it? If it’s running on a treadmill or sweating in a bootcamp then yes, you have the right vision, but you shouldn’t forget strength training for maintaining muscle. Also known as resistance or weight training, this kind of exercise benefits your body long after you put the weights/bands down.
Increased muscle mass: Muscle mass naturally decreases with age; increased muscle mass leads to less body fat, stronger immune system, increased energy levels and reduce stress
Stronger bones: Strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of fractures.
Joint flexibility: Strength training helps joints stay flexible and can reduce the symptoms of arthritis.
Weight control: As you gain muscle, your body begins to burn calories more easily, making it easier to control your weight.
Balance: Strengthening exercises can increase flexibility and balance as people age, reducing falls and injuries. (cancer.org)
3. Healthy Weight Control
Studies show this is where we as Black women tend to struggle. Extra weight comes from taking in more calories than your body needs- those extra calories are stored as fat. Yes, there are many other ways that weight can get out of control like certain medications, it can also be genetics. However, other causes like poor diet, no sleep or inactivity are influences that can be managed with a few habit changes.
Shedding those extra pounds require burning more calories than you take in daily. Reducing calories and increasing physical activity tend to me the most effective ways to lose weight. You can start by replacing high-calorie, sugary, fatty foods for healthier alternatives.
Check out this blog post on why we crave these foods and how we can overcome it
It’s not easy but it can be done with intention and accountability.
Creating new habits can help you lose and maintain your weight. Use an app or journal to track your physical activity and food intake; weigh yourself regularly to monitor your weekly goals. Wearable devices do an incredible job of automatically tracking and recording your activity; calorie tracking apps helps you to be mindful about how much you’re eating.
Calorie-tracking apps
· Lose It
4. Shifting to a Healthy Eating Style
There’s a saying “eat to live, don’t live to eat” but let’s be real- certain foods just make you lose all constraint because they taste so good! You don’t have to be a foodie to know a delicious dish where you just can’t help having another serving. Guess what? That’s not a bad thing… in moderation. Occasional indulgences are not the enemy, that’s why cheat meals are permitted during diets. The issue is when eating healthy meals is the exception to your normal diet.
Healthy eating is one of the most effective ways to prevent or delay health issues. Eating well combined with physical activity, can help you lower your risk of health problems like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and more. Healthy eating includes limiting added sugars, excess salt, and certain fats from your diet. Shifting to a healthy eating style should be gradual, small changes, so it’s sustainable. Here are some things to watch out for to start being more mindful about what you purchase.
Limit Added Sugars
“Added sugar” is the extra sugar added to foods and drinks during preparation. Corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, and honey are examples of sweeteners added to foods and drinks, especially regular sodas.
The Dietary Guidelines suggest a daily limit on added sugar of no more than 10% of calories. Addad sugars is on Nutrition Facts labels so if you don’t see any of the sweeteners listed, you can still tell if the food or drink contains additional sugar.
If you crave a dessert or snack then opt for fruits, veggies or homemade snacks that will satisfy your sweet tooth with limited added sugar.
Check out these Not-So-Guilty Recipes
Consider Your Fats
Not all fats are created equal. All fats should be limited to a degree because they are high in calories. As you know, eating more calories than you burn leads to weight gain. Too much extra weight can contribute to obesity and the potential health risks that comes with it like heart disease and diabetes. However, there are different kinds of fats that we need to consider.
A general rule of thumb is that oils, fats that are liquid at room temperature, tend to be healthier than solids (like animal fat, butter, shortening, and lard). Meat, poultry, milk products (cheese, butter) contain high levels of solid fat, or saturated fat, that are known to increase cholesterol. Most experts say that less than ten percent of your calories should be from saturated fat. Read the Nutrition Facts labels to see how much saturated fat your favorite foods contain and plug it into your food tracking app to help control portions.
Other fatty foods like nuts are avocados are much healthier for your heart because they are unsaturated fats but are high in calories so they should be eaten in moderation. Again, using a food tracking app will be helpful in maintaining a good balance.
Check Labels for Salt
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults limit sodium (salt) intake to less than 2,300 mg or 1 teaspoon of table salt- per day! If you eat processed, salty foods then it’s highly likely that you’ll go over this limit. Fast food is notorious for serving high sodium meals- McDonald’s Big Breakfast with Hotcakes has about 2070 mg of sodium. That’s 90% of a day’s serving in the first meal of the day. One slice of pan-fried bacon only contains 137 mg of salt. Two slices of bacon, two eggs (no salt), and toast with low sugar jam can be just as satisfying on your wallet and your blood pressure.
Nutrition Fact labels should be on your most read lists when shifting to healthy eating. Processed foods should be limited because they are loaded with salt, fat, and sweeteners which go against your new lifestyle.
Plan to Succeed
Meal plans will play a pivotal role in your success. You are much more likely to stick with a healthy eating lifestyle if the meals or snacks are ready-to-go or simple to prepare. You may need a day’s worth of planning, or a week based on your personal level of preparedness. The goal is to always have healthy food within reach; plan according to what works best within your lifestyle (be honest with yourself).
Remember, physical and mental health go hand-in-hand. What you do with one directly impacts the other and there is no better time than right now to get started!