How you care for your body determines your level of health and fitness. You make important choices each day about diet and nutrition, physical activity and emotional wellness. Your choices can help you reduce your risk for developing chronic medical conditions and diseases and increase your overall health and wellness. Daily tips and motivation can help you stay focused, encourage you to be make informed choices and help you make a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle.
Progress
While goals are important, it is better to strive for daily progress and not perfection. Progress means you are moving steadily toward your goals. Setting a few realistic and flexible health and fitness goals is a good way to get started and guide your efforts; striving for perfection makes it difficult to see each day as a success upon which you can build. For example, instead of setting a goal to exercise every day, set a goal to increase your physical activity in many little ways each day.
Balance
You can achieve health and fitness through a balanced approach that includes daily attention to diet and exercise. Short-term solutions, such as excessive exercise or fad diets, prevent you from committing to permanent lifestyle changes that help you achieve and maintain health and fitness. Balance requires equal attention to choosing healthy and nutritious foods, managing your medical conditions with the help of your doctor, engaging in physical activity each day, building regular exercise into your week and taking time for recreation.
Emotional Health
Your mental and emotional health impacts your ability to attend to your health and fitness needs. Take care of you mental health by taking time to relax, keeping a positive outlook, surrounding yourself with a support system of family and friends and separating work from home. You need seven to nine hours of sleep each night to function at your best. Deal with stress before it gets out of hand and ask for help when you need it.
Review and Reward
Review your successes for each day and write them down in a dairy or journal. Read your notes when motivation lags and reward yourself occasionally for your successes. Involve friends and family in your health and fitness activities so everyone can provide daily support and praise to each other. When your short-term goals become a challenge, remind yourself each day that your long-term goal is health, fitness and longevity.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Tips for a Safe and Healthy Life
- American Council on Exercise: Top 25 Motivational Quotes
- FamilyDoctor.org: Healthy Living: How Common Behaviors Affect Your Health
- MayoClinic.com: Fitness Programs: 7 Tips for Staying Motivated
- MayoClinic.com: Barriers to Fitness: Overcoming Common Problems
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